TNT is on BASIC cable. Not premium cable. BASIC cable. Which means the sole people that don't receive the broadcasts are the proverbial bottom-rung cheapskates, like the guy that contacted you, or simply other people on a legitimately tight budget trying to pay the rent. So basically, what we're talking about here are the very people that advertisers don't give a crap about.

But, for the sake of discussion, let's say everything you're arguing for is now possible. In light of the facts, this means a local affiliate, if it was permitted, would purchase the rights to air a game. Correct? Would one be willing to pay Time Warner's steep price? Get real.

No local affiliate would be willing to pay the freight, unless somebody like, oh, I don't know, Spitzer Dodge stepped in and agreed to sponsor the entire broadcast for a small fortune. Why would they? Most of the folks without even basic cable probably can't afford and/or can't qualify for credit to buy a new car in the first place.

Would Dan Gilbert, being the good and kind semaritan he is, step up and bankroll WEWS? Hey, now there's an idea. A televised NBA playoff game sponsored from start to finish by Quicken Loans and Fathead.

Accordingly, what we're debating here is complete fantasy. We might as well be arguing over which Hobbit has the sexiest butt.

The fact is a local restaurant or a local tavern is not going to be sued by the NBA for airing an NBA game for free. Nor, for that matter, does any person have to travel 75 miles outside a blackout radius. You say you don't even have one single solitary friend that has basic cable? Then go drag your cheap behinds off your polyester couches, go bite the bullet, go pay the $3.25 for your gallon of 87-octane gas, and go watch it at one of hundreds of available nearby local NBA destinations.

Hungry and on a budget? The Winking Lizard, Damon's and Hooters all serve potato skins.

The NFL is making the NBA munch their turf because they make all games available to everybody? At no charge? Uh…let's fast-forward to 2007. What about Monday night football games? What about Thursday night football games? How many total games is that, around 25? 26? Whatever it is, it's a lot of games available only to people willing to pay for it.

And it's sheer nonsense to compare the NFL playoffs to the NBA playoffs. Apples to oranges. Never mind the fact there are a mere 16 total regular-season games instead of 82, only one game per week per franchise. Far less supply, far more demand. But if the NFL playoffs were also several seemingly endless seven-game series', it's reasonable to assume the NFL would not hesitate to do something along the lines of what the NBA is doing with the Eastern Conference finals on TNT this year, and if memory serves, the Western Conference finals last year and the year before that.

But hey, at least while Dad is saving some shekels by opening the windows instead of turning on the air conditioning, his kid that's three years away from living in a college dorm is being protected from the evils of satanic programming. Indeed, Cartman on "South Park" and "Shark Week" on the Discovery Channel is what turned Larry into the heathen he is today.

This isn't about Alan Ameche scoring a touchdown in 1958. This is about commerce. Today. 2007.

If the guy wants to watch programming that's only available on cable TV, satellite, or whatever, then he can either pay for it or, in the alternative, can go watch the programming he wants to see for absolutely free by driving 10 minutes to a restaurant. What's the big deal? Only the Fred Frugals of the world would get upset by any of this, and for a guy to assert he's protecting his son is laughable. No, what he's really protecting is his wallet containing his credit and debit card.