[owsley]

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That's the whole issue here, that the NFL network wants to charged based on their perception of what they want to be, rather than the reality of what they actually are.

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You just summed up the concept of bargaining in one sentence.

The NFL Network has NFL games. People LOVE the NFL. As it stands, the NFL undoubtedly has the upperhand here - and while people don't like paying more for cable, people already think the cable company charges too much for its service.

The NFL's going to win this battle because it always does - it wins every battle.

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This is correct. Anyone who thinks a petition or mass refusal to buy the NFLN will ever work is extremely wrong. First, when the NFL planned this decision, they knew there would be backlashes like this and accounted for it. Second, they already have a huge sunk cost in advertising, creating new shows, HD equipment, etc etc. Now is way past the point they would have turned around at. Especially since the programming they created is actually good. NFLN games will eventually take the place things like MNF and thanksgiving games, and in 5 years this discussion will seem quaint. And the NFL will have a gigantic asset which it didn't before. Now the fact that not all cable companies carry NFLN is a legitimate problem which hurts consumers, but really whatever dispute exists there I would bet the NFL eventually will win. At the end of the day they have the best product on the market and their efforts to be compensated for it will be rewarded since they are well run.