Senators Love Talking About Baseball

Whether through steroids or, now, DirecTV's imminent deal Extra Innings deal with MLB, the fools on the hill (Beatles reference!) sure love to get all up in baseball's business:

Two senators plan to examine baseball's $700 million, seven-year deal with DirecTV to determine its impact on fans.
"I will review this deal to ensure it benefits consumers,'' said Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass. "I'm encouraged that Major League Baseball may be willing to provide broader access to their games than what was initially proposed. I will be watching closely to ensure the league works in good faith so that America's pastime is available to all fans. My concern all along has been that fans continue to have the ability to enjoy baseball on television.''
The agreement also drew the attention of Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
"I will be analyzing the commitment to see ... if the conditions for other carriers are satisfactory,'' Specter said. "This arrangement should motivate the NFL to reconsider broader coverage on its Sunday ticket and Thursday/Saturday programming to make such games available to other carriers beyond DirecTV.

"It may be necessary for the Senate Judiciary Committee to have further hearings on the antitrust implications of the NFL and MLB TV programming and whether it is in the public interest to allow the antitrust exemptions of the NFL and MLB to continue.''

Baseball may not care about you, average fan, but at least Senators Kerry and Specter do! I feel better already. Of course, defending the Integrity of The Fan of America's National Pastime(TM) isn't the most controversial stance, but hey: we'll take it!