For the last few seasons, the most popular post on this Website during baseball season seems to be my take on the Major League Baseball blackout policy, and how it affects us DIRECTV Extra Innings users.

So since I first wrote that piece, here are the updates.

Good:
• Home and away feeds are now available (since 2008 season) when possible. Big upgrade.
• Games now in HD (point goes to Fox Sports affiliates for upgrading, not DIRECTV or Major League Baseball for doing anything.
• Mix channel now comes with HD package (at least - may come with regular package). You used to have to pay extra for this. Great channel.

Bad:
• Still ridiculous home markets. Here in Las Vegas, I am still blacked out from Diamondbacks, Padres, Angels, Dodgers, Giants and A’s games quite often.

Think about how ridiculous that is. I live in a market that has no MLB team. The closest team is several hundred miles away. Only the occasional game from any of these teams is on the local cable (still not on satellite). Yet I am still subjected to the caveman style maps that baseball drew up way too long ago to determine where “local markets” are.

I can’t emphasize this enough: Until the blackout rules are changed and the local markets redrawn, baseball on television will be a failing equation. Yes, I get to watch almost every game that I want to. For that, I thank the powers of technology. But missing just one game because of these absolutely insane rules is beyond explanation.

So in summary, yes Extra Innings is improving, but they still haven’t cured the cancer at the root of it. Basically, they have taken a sick body and given it a makeover and new shoes, but failed to address the disease.

Just add DIRECTV to the list of things that make Bud Selig a terrible commissioner (if you have any room left on that piece of paper).

Hidden amongst the sports news of the weekend was a gem that you should know about. The headline read: “Longhorns win 25-inning marathon in College World Series,” but the real story was hidden in the third paragraph.

Quick summary: Texas beat Boston College 3-2 in 25 innings Saturday/Sunday, setting a new NCAA record for the longest game played.

The real story: Texas reliever Austin Wood threw 13 innings of relief ball, including 12 1/3 innings of no-hit ball, while throwing 169 pitches. That’s right, 169 pitches of pure domination, and this isn’t the top story?

BC reliever Mike Belfiore went 9 2/3 innings in the same game and was relegated to the eighth paragraph.

And amazingly, neither pitcher’s arm has fallen off yet. When these two are still healthy in a week, this should be a lesson to the big league coaches who think that if a professional athlete throws more than 100 pitches in a game that his career will end. Blah, blah, protect your investment, blah — it can be done.

I’m not saying that pitchers should routinely be throwing 169 pitches a game, I’m saying that when a guy goes eight scoreless and is at 110 pitches, you don’t have to lift him for a much, much shittier pitcher who you have arbitrarily labeled your “closer.”

Yes, a 25-inning game is the headline, but every single column written about this game should have been about Wood’s amazing performance. And the ridiculousness that is pitch counts.

Well done, sir, Nolan Ryan would be proud (and everyone in baseball history prior to 1980).

Florida football coach Urban Meyer has drawn the line. You either blindly support the Gators and all decisions Meyer makes, or you are no longer welcome in the football offices as a former Gator.

In a recent Gator Club appearance, Meyer took issue with comments in the last year by former players, specifically but not officially former Gator quarterback Shane Matthews. While Matthews wasn’t called out by name, it was apparent to most that he is who Meyer was referring to.

You see, Matthews had the audacity as a radio host to question some of the decisions made in Florida’s embarrassing 31-30 loss to Mississippi last year.

At the time, Matthews said, “When I watched the Ole Miss game and Ole Miss played our wide receivers about 90 percent man-to-man, it was a slap in the face to our wide receivers and passing game. I can’t understand why we didn’t take advantage of that.”

Apparently, Meyer didn’t like that. And while Matthews has absolutely nothing to be sorry for and no need to explain himself, he still cleared the air with Meyer and made nice.

Now, with Matthews in mind, Meyer sent out a clear message to former players:

“If you want to be critical of a player on our team or a coach on our team you can buy a ticket for seat 37F, you’re not welcome back in the football office. You’re either a Gator or you’re not a Gator.”

So get it straight, former Gators. If you want to take a job in television, radio, or in coaching (not at Florida), you are likely forfeiting your Gatorhood.

Of course, it doesn’t matter if Matthews was right. All that matters is that you don’t dare question Sir Urban and the Mighty Gators, else Lord Tebow will strike down upon you.

I mean really, come on. Criticism is part of the game. Let’s face the facts. Urban Meyer cost his team the game against Mississippi in 2008 with terrible play calling. You are not being anti-Gator to point that out, you are being mildly educated in football. When down by one, in field goal range and facing a 4th and 1, you don’t call a shotgun quarterback sneak. Simple as that. If all Matthews said was what is quoted here, he was being soft on Florida and Meyer.

But hey, Meyer’s got himself two national championships, so he calls the shots. Let’s see what happens when Tebow himself criticizes Florida in four years if Meyer is still there. How do you banish the football Messiah to seat 37F?

It is just unreal the power that college football coaches (think they) have. It’s this mentality that keeps most of them from succeeding in the NFL.