A call to Arms over our God-given right
to see Clemson humiliated...or at least chastised.
Time Warner Cable of South Carolina is sending out the following announcement to it's subscribers online:
Time Warner Cable will carry the South Carolina vs. Clemson football game, LIVE, Saturday November 19 at 7 pm on Pay-Per-View channel 549.
I don't know about you, but having to fork out $25, that most of us don't have just laying around, to see THE one game we've all been waiting an entire year to enjoy seems rather similar to the unexplained price-gouging of the big oil companies after Katrina! They know that if we want it, we'll pay it and the crying will be long over before anything can be done or said to them.
AFTER being shuttled down from Time/Warner Corporate Headquarters, in particular the offices of Harriet Novet and then Mark Harrod (Sr VP TW Corporate Communications) I finally ended up speaking with Bud Tibshrany (Vice President of Public Affairs for TWC SC here in Columbia). Now remember something in the back of your minds as you read this next paragraph: Bud is in "Public Affairs" for our area...ummm...that means he "cares" what we think and wants us happy and seeks to foster good will between his company and any potential or present customers. OK? Got that? Good...
Mr. Tibshrany attempted to speak at great lengths to explain basic business concepts and profit margins and even added how he completely understood how we all felt as he claimed to be a USC alumnus, himself. For some reason, I couldn't seem to grasp the full sincerity of his comments since I was unable to picture him trying to watch the game in a trailer out near rural Hopkins, SC with the last of his gas money for the month. But that tidbit aside, Mr. Tibshrany went on to explain that he thought everyone should be "appreciative" of the simple fact that the greater Columbia area would get to watch at all, even if it were Pay For View, since other networks decided to blow off the game since it was merely an inter-conference rivalry that seemed to have to bearing on conference results like Georgia Vs. Kentucky would. Yep, I can't begin to tell y'all just how eager I am to see THAT barn burner of a game, eh? Old Bud even tried to differ any plausibility as it was a deal made by USC and they couldn't get out of it. He then all but pleaded for me to understand how TWC made the deal with the broadcast sponsors already to give THEM a portion of the $25 each of us will have to pay.
And then he went and did it...!
When I advised him that there wasn't a water cooler or gas pump in town that didn't have folks grumbling that TWC was no better than Big Oil, he told me that, while he appreciated my having called, there "were not enough people concerned" to really even worry about it. But he'd pass my concerns on at the next meeting.
Huh? "Not enough people concerned?" What the...
Well, that's why I'm writing folks.
If YOU think Time Warner would make more Public Relations headway with us as a community, customers and potential customers over the profits they would rather get, why don't you just give old 'Bud' at call at 803-251-5294 and let him know.
Believe me, they already make us pay through the nose by having commercials every 3 dang minutes during the last half hour of every good show you want to watch anyway, whether they are for TWC or not...what's more, we have to pay dearly by having our ears blasted when the commercials DO come on as they are 134%* louder than the show you trying to watch in the first place. But that another pet peeve that I'll address later.
We need to ride this horse till it sweats. So you guys give old Bud a call and KEEP giving him calls until he answers like a member of our community. This isn't charity we're asking for. This is the right of all Carolinians to take up arms (pompons and pennants)...proudly...and first**.
Y'all take care and be sure to pass a good time!
Art Abshire
US Army (Retired)
Hopkins, SC
(*note: pointed exaggeration)
(**note: possible irrelevant call to arms as a Revolutionary and Civil War reference to SC history)
Forget...HELL!!!
[attachment 11018 USCClemsonfight.JPG]
to see Clemson humiliated...or at least chastised.
Time Warner Cable of South Carolina is sending out the following announcement to it's subscribers online:
Time Warner Cable will carry the South Carolina vs. Clemson football game, LIVE, Saturday November 19 at 7 pm on Pay-Per-View channel 549.
I don't know about you, but having to fork out $25, that most of us don't have just laying around, to see THE one game we've all been waiting an entire year to enjoy seems rather similar to the unexplained price-gouging of the big oil companies after Katrina! They know that if we want it, we'll pay it and the crying will be long over before anything can be done or said to them.
AFTER being shuttled down from Time/Warner Corporate Headquarters, in particular the offices of Harriet Novet and then Mark Harrod (Sr VP TW Corporate Communications) I finally ended up speaking with Bud Tibshrany (Vice President of Public Affairs for TWC SC here in Columbia). Now remember something in the back of your minds as you read this next paragraph: Bud is in "Public Affairs" for our area...ummm...that means he "cares" what we think and wants us happy and seeks to foster good will between his company and any potential or present customers. OK? Got that? Good...
Mr. Tibshrany attempted to speak at great lengths to explain basic business concepts and profit margins and even added how he completely understood how we all felt as he claimed to be a USC alumnus, himself. For some reason, I couldn't seem to grasp the full sincerity of his comments since I was unable to picture him trying to watch the game in a trailer out near rural Hopkins, SC with the last of his gas money for the month. But that tidbit aside, Mr. Tibshrany went on to explain that he thought everyone should be "appreciative" of the simple fact that the greater Columbia area would get to watch at all, even if it were Pay For View, since other networks decided to blow off the game since it was merely an inter-conference rivalry that seemed to have to bearing on conference results like Georgia Vs. Kentucky would. Yep, I can't begin to tell y'all just how eager I am to see THAT barn burner of a game, eh? Old Bud even tried to differ any plausibility as it was a deal made by USC and they couldn't get out of it. He then all but pleaded for me to understand how TWC made the deal with the broadcast sponsors already to give THEM a portion of the $25 each of us will have to pay.
And then he went and did it...!
When I advised him that there wasn't a water cooler or gas pump in town that didn't have folks grumbling that TWC was no better than Big Oil, he told me that, while he appreciated my having called, there "were not enough people concerned" to really even worry about it. But he'd pass my concerns on at the next meeting.
Huh? "Not enough people concerned?" What the...
Well, that's why I'm writing folks.
If YOU think Time Warner would make more Public Relations headway with us as a community, customers and potential customers over the profits they would rather get, why don't you just give old 'Bud' at call at 803-251-5294 and let him know. Believe me, they already make us pay through the nose by having commercials every 3 dang minutes during the last half hour of every good show you want to watch anyway, whether they are for TWC or not...what's more, we have to pay dearly by having our ears blasted when the commercials DO come on as they are 134%* louder than the show you trying to watch in the first place. But that another pet peeve that I'll address later.
We need to ride this horse till it sweats. So you guys give old Bud a call and KEEP giving him calls until he answers like a member of our community. This isn't charity we're asking for. This is the right of all Carolinians to take up arms (pompons and pennants)...proudly...and first**.
Y'all take care and be sure to pass a good time!
Art Abshire
US Army (Retired)
Hopkins, SC
(*note: pointed exaggeration)
(**note: possible irrelevant call to arms as a Revolutionary and Civil War reference to SC history)
Forget...HELL!!!
[attachment 11018 USCClemsonfight.JPG]