Comissioner Roger Goodell stopped into Detroit Lions camp Saturday and said he didn't think Detroit was in danger of losing the Thanksgiving game. He did say the league will not alter its blackout policy. Five Lions games were not broadcast on local television last season because tickets to those games did not sell out. They were the first blacked out Lions games since the team moved to Ford Field in 2002.

Blackouts are a big mistake.  The NFL misses a chance of putting its product on TV to an entire market with ad revenue.  Why would the NFL even consider this as an option.  No other sport does this.  The ad revenue alone would be worth it.  The same amount of people will go to the games anyway.  The better the team is the harder the tickets are to get.  

  The NFL is pricing out the average fan more and more every year.  This year the Detroit Lions off an 0-16 season will sell you the following items feel as if two hot dogs and a pop for $17 and $9 beers are ok.  Not with me.  I will watch them for free until they get blacked out again.  Then I will just do something constructive on that Sunday.

The Lions are clearly rebuilding after an 0-16 season.  They have new coaches and about 50% new players.  Why aren't the tickets sold at rebuilding price?