MA Congressman Wants Red Sox-Yankees Sunday Night ESPN Game to Be Law

Respected official calls Red Sox-Yankees a "human right"



By Jeremy Strauss

WASHINGTON, DC -- Ever wondered why every time the Red Sox and Yankees play a weekend series, the third game is always the ESPN Sunday night special?

Actually, there's no real reason -- other than the fact that ESPN has been playing to their high ratings when showing the series as a marquee. However, Congressman Edward J. Markey (D-MA) wants to make it illegal to have that not be the case.

That's why Markey unveiled H.R. 267, otherwise known as the "Red Sox-Yankees Sunday Night Act of 2009" (or RSYSNA), this week. The long-serving representative says the bill is aimed to show that Red Sox-Yankees is indeed a human right.

"I want fans across the country to be able to see the best rivalry in baseball at least once every time they play," said Markey. "There's no reason why this game shouldn't be the ESPN game every time they play on a Sunday."


Congressman Markey claims that if ESPN is going to show the game on Sunday nights anyway, why shouldn't it be US law?

If the bill makes it through committee and eventually through the House, it will have at least one supporter in the Senate: John Kerry.

"I live in Washington for most of the year, and I don't have the Extra Innings package," explained Kerry. "I can't unreasonably expect the MLB to schedule its Yankees-Red Sox game around my schedule. So shouldn't I be able to watch it on national T.V.?"

Still in its earliest stages, the bill is quite a long way from the Senate and has its opponents. Particularly, Greg Walden (R-OR) has already spoken out against its passage many times.

"There are other games we could be seeing on Sunday nights," said Walden. "Congressman Markey needs to recognize that there are other teams in Major League Baseball, just like ESPN needs to recognize there are other players besides Brett Favre. But that's a whole other issue entirely."

Markey, however, has fielded consistent answers toward his naysayers.

"Congressman Walden has turned this into a partisan issue," he said this week. "We need to work together on getting this passed, not shout at each other.

"Besides, he's probably just pissed because Oregon doesn't even have a pro team."

President Obama, is, as of now, against the bill, citing concerns that it would "hurt the other Sox' coverage."