If you’re part of the 68 percent of the country that doesn’t receive NFL Network, it would be tempting to lash out at your cable company.

Tempting, but also shortsighted.

For as much as the league wants to place the blame on cable operators, one fact remains indisputable: It was the NFL — not the cable companies — that removed these eight games from free television and moved them to a network with less than half the reach of the Golf Channel.

And it was the NFL that decided to charge cable operators 70 cents per subscriber — an inflated fee that led Comcast to place the channel on a pay-extra tier. That way, only the viewers who want it will pay for it — not the majority of cable subscribers who have little or no interest in sports.

The NFL rarely miscalculates, but it did here. The league overestimated its product — and underestimated the resolve of the cable companies — by assuming that switching eight regular-season games to NFL Network would force cable operators to offer the channel on basic cable, similar to ESPN.

It hasn’t, and it won’t.

That means the NFL must alter its strategy. Either it must accept being placed on a tier, or it must do something bolder, perhaps even more radical, when its CBS and Fox contracts expire after 2011.

Nobody would suggest placing the entire AFC or NFC Sunday-afternoon package on NFL Network. That would be ridiculous. Moving a full-season package to NFL Network (in the 17- to 20-game range), however, would ratchet up pressure on cable operators.

There would be two risks with that approach: 1) The Sunday rights-holders would want the loss of games to be reflected in their rights fees; 2) Scheduling games every Thursday would create major challenges.

The other option would be moving the Sunday- or Monday-night games to NFL Network, but that wouldn’t make financial sense, especially if it bounced ESPN from the equation. NFL owners are too savvy to relinquish the huge dollars they’re pocketing annually from NBC ($600 million) and ESPN ($1.1 billion).

There’s another option, too, that’s somewhat unsavory but hardly unprecedented. NFL Network could give cable companies part ownership in the channel in exchange for placing it on basic cable. The flip side, though, is that cable bills likely would rise for everybody, even viewers who have no interest in the NFL. And the league has said it’s unlikely to offer cable operators a share of its business.

But one thing is already clear. Holding conference calls with reporters (as Roger Goodell did recently), taking out ads in newspapers, and encouraging fans to switch to DirecTV simply isn’t going to work. Either the league drastically changes its strategy, or NFL Network will continue down this unappealing road, waging a battle it’s unable to win.

Around the dial

ESPN’s Emmitt Smith continues to amuse (unintentionally) with his mangling of the language. He recently noted that Broncos players were “inserting themselves” in their Monday-night win against Denver. (We presume he meant “asserting themselves.”) And he praised them for “remaining their cool.”

Well, that’s good to know.

 Fox’s Brian Baldinger excels at pointing out nuances and explaining strategy in understandable terms. But he shouldn’t feel compelled to speak at length between every play. When he has nothing better to offer than: “Carolina is here to fight and play to win,” keeping quiet for 30 seconds would be the preferable option.

The more Fox’s Tony Siragusa calls something “unbelievable” — and the over/under with him is about three a telecast — the less weight it holds.

Siragusa remains prone to ridiculous hyperbole, such as noting he has “never seen a team attack (defensively) as well as” Detroit. Has he seen the ’85 Bears? Or a few dozen other teams?

 With Miami down 17-7 to Philadelphia, CBS’ Rich Gannon insisted, “You have to go for it” on a fourth down from the Eagles’ two-yard line. But Miami needed two scores, so why not go for the field goal? Gannon was remiss in not explaining.

 Shame on the NFL for not changing the ridiculous rule that prohibits networks from sticking with look-ins to games after 4:15 p.m. When the game you’re watching ends, CBS or Fox can switch to another game before 4:15. But the network that doesn’t have the doubleheader that day must leave that game by 4:15. The offshoot was that CBS had to show the final minutes of the wild Ravens-Browns Week 11 overtime game on slight tape delay, with James Brown & Co. providing play-by-play and analysis from the studio.

If networks can show plays on five-second delay, why not let CBS and Fox air them live? Or at least why not ask them if they would be willing to waive that rule, which is in place to protect the ratings for the double-header network?

In a victory for viewers, Fox stuck with the third- and fourth-down goal-line plays by St. Louis against Seattle in Week 12, even though it appeared to be slightly past 4:15 p.m.

 Rod Woodson, on loan from NFL Network, impressed during his Fox cameo by noting the 49ers should run more spread offense so that Frank Gore has wider lanes to run through. But Woodson must explain terms unfamiliar to viewers. After one strong defensive play by the Rams, Woodson mused, “Nice double dog!” leaving viewers mystified. “That sounds like something you had for lunch!” partner Chris Myers chimed in.

Barry Jackson covers sports broadcasting for the Miami Herald.