Not sure this is really going to help the situation, but Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, the loser in the last presidential election, wrote a letter to the NFL and some cable bigwig about the ongoing problem of the NFL Network's games not being available on broader cable tiers. Boston.com Mike Reiss posted a copy of the letter along with the NFL's response.

Kerry brings up the possible situation of the Patriots going for a perfect regular season against the New York Giants on an NFL Network game to which many fans won't have access.

The issue of football and television shouldn't be a partisan one, so let's take that out of it. But here's hoping that the NFL and the cable industry, taking into account the substantial advantages they've gotten from governmental entities up and down the line to run their extremely lucrative businesses, can be made to do something that's beneficial to the viewers and taxpayers who pay the freight. But in Vegas, I'd estimate the public would be a four-touchdown underdog.