"They f#%k you with coverage areas. That's what it is..."

"...They're f@%kin' you with the coverage areas. They love it when you get the game you don't want to watch. Y'know why, huh? You know why? 'Cause when you get mad -which they know you're gonna do. -they charge you for that pay-per-view package at that high rate or drive you to their website where they can sell even more ad space."

After a long, conflicting day at work, I finally get home. Ready to watch basketball. And relax. I go to the fridge. The thirty-pack is empty, but there a few stray bottles rolling around. We're OK. The early late games are just about to tip. The recliner is free. It's all gonna be just fine.

And, then we turn on CBS. And, things aren't fine. The game that all of America has been salivating over since the field was announced is seemingly not televised in the New York metropolitan area. In the biggest media market in the country the biggest game in the country was not on? That's not true! That's impossible. But soon, my Skywalker-in-Empire disbelief turned to Pesci-in-Lethal-Weapon-4 rage at the situation.

I mean you've got to be kidding. We're stuck watching a down-ish Duke team in a 2/15 that hasn't even been talked up too much? I'm stuck watching this instead of the game that has drawn the NBA fan to the tourney and forced the college ball fan to think about the NBA? We're stuck listening to a D-League announcing team and two teams with nary a true star between them instead of watching the one single shining game that EVERYONE WAS ANTICIPATING? Really?

Yes. And you know why? Because they f&$k you with the coverage areas.