Rockets, Astros flex muscles with regional network
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/sports/barron/1801829

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The Astros filed suit Friday against Fox Sports Net, seeking a judge's order that will require FSN to match within 30 days Postolos' offer for the Rockets and Astros to partner in the proposed Houston Regional Sports Network in 2006.

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Astros say FSN must pay $265 million to retain rights
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/sports/1803091

I hate FSN, but all of this sounds crazy. Suing someone to force them to match the future revenue from a network that doesn't yet exist?

Drayton McLane should have bought HSE from John McMullen when he bought the Astros.

I wonder what this means for Astros games on FSN this season?

They are suing not to make them match, but to make them make a decision on whether to match. FSN has the right of first refusal and the Astros want to know if they are going to match. If they decline, the Astros will go ahead with the network with the Rockets.

There will be no impact on games this year.

The drama continues ...

FSN begs to differ with Astros' view
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/sports/1804889

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"The agreement expressly provides that the Astros can entertain bona fide, arm's length third-party offers for the team's telecasts for the 2006 through 2009 seasons, but only during the 2005 season," Jon Heidtke, FSN's southwest region general manager, said in a statement. "Not only is this attempt two years premature, but it is not a bona fide, arm's length offer as the Astros themselves are to be the majority owner behind the proposed regional sports network."

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I think its a good idea as long as this station is available in Austin. I don't like splitting time with the Rangers and Spurs. I would love to have a station that showed every Astros game.

I hope that this network does get created and becomes successful. I hate FSN. I hate the all of the spinning objects, flashing lights, whooshing noises, the bar at the top, and Bill Worrell's commentary. I find it unpleasant to watch just about anything that they produce. When the Astros are at home, I usually mute the sound, do something else, and just look at the screen for the score every once in a while unless they happen to be on TBS or WGN, and then I watch that feed.

Despite all of this, I think that this lawsuit sounds crazy. How can the Astros demand first refusal to match the deal made by a network that doesn't exist?