TYLER, Texas — East Texans missed the Dallas Cowboys beat the Los Angeles Rams Sunday after the game did not air on TV in the area.
"As I said, I did some research, back in 1971 with the opening of Texas Stadium... that were different rules back then as far as there used to be a blackout area from Dallas for 100 miles, but then that was changed by the Federal Communication Agency," said Phil Hicks, sports editor at the Tyler Morning Telegraph.
That's more than 50 years ago - the game between the Cowboys and Patriots, the first at the old Texas Stadium in Irving.
Hicks worked at the Tyler Morning Telegraph for 35 years, and that was before his time.
"It's very random, I don't recall it happening," Hicks said.
Several restaurants across East Texas were shocked and appalled on Sunday when they turned on their TVs, and couldn’t find the Cowboys’ game. Some fans were able to watch the game thanks to bars and restaurants with the NFL Sunday Ticket.
"I know it can be frustrating as a Cowboys fan to wake up on Sunday and not be able to get your game. So we saw a lot more people coming out on Sunday to join us because we do have the NFL ticket, which gives us the ability to show the game," said Lerin Pennington, a managing partner at Bubba's 33 in Tyler.
At-home viewers weren't as lucky. Their options were to pony up more than 300 dollars for Sunday Ticket, or watch the Texans and Panthers game instead.
In a statement, the NFL told us that Tyler is a secondary market for the Texans. According to NFL rules, whenever a team is on the road, that team’s game must be carried within its secondary market.
So in theory, this could happen again.
Thankfully not this season, as the Cowboys and the Texans don’t have any more scheduled games overlapping through the regular season.
But next year, it is a possibility. Unless the NFL changes its rules about Tyler's viewing area.