Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, blasted the ongoing sports...

Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, blasted the ongoing sports blackout rule despite having praised a recent FCC vote on the topic. “While the FCC’s recent unanimous vote to eliminate the Sports Blackout Rule is excellent news for fans and taxpayers across Ohio and across the country, the NFL should do everything it can to ensure” that the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday playoff game “is not blacked out,” Brown said in a statement Thursday (http://1.usa.gov/1iwR5AX). “This is unacceptable at a time when the price of attending games continues to rise and the economy is not yet where it needs to be. Fans, through local taxes, often help pay for the stadiums. They should be able to cheer on their local teams, especially during the playoffs.”