Maury Brown of the Business of Sportstweeted the above picture, blacking him out from watching the season opening Mariners-Athletics game.  Now, we’ve ripped MLB’s blackout policy to shreds before.  We’ve even shared some of your blackout horror stories from around the country.  But, this may be a new low, even for baseball’s archaic blackout policy.  The season opening game between Seattle and Oakland was played in Tokyo.  Not Tokyo, Washington or Tokyo, Oregon.  TOKYO FREAKIN JAPAN!!!  MLB blacked out a Mariners game a mere 4,784 miles away.  The larger purpose of MLB working so hard to prevent baseball fans from watching baseball games is one of the great mysteries in all of sports.  Forget opening the season a half a world away before the sun comes up, but blacking it out stateside as well?  Bravo, MLB Blackout Policy.  Bravo.  According to Google Maps, it would take Mariners fans just 34 days and 8 hours to kayak across the Pacific Ocean to get to Tokyo.  So this blackout seems COMPLETELY REASONABLE, right?  

Update: The game was evidently blacked out in the Bay Area as well, according to one of our readers via Twitter:

cowsarecool220 @awfulannouncing Even worse, A’s fans in Bay area were blacked out even though A’s declined to televise game.