This story just cracked me up (being a devoted Red Sox fan). I suspect this man belongs down here in the South where he can expect NASCAR to pre-empt just about anything!
BOSTON - A NASCAR (news - web sites) fan faces up to a year in prison for flooding Fox Entertainment with more than a half-million e-mails because he was angry the network aired a Boston Red Sox (news) game instead of an auto race.
Michael Melo of Billerica has agreed to plead guilty to a federal misdemeanor charge of damage to a protected computer system, his attorney said Wednesday.
The action forced the network to shut down part of its Web site.
Melo designed a program that repeatedly sent the same six e-mails to Fox Entertainment Group Inc. in Los Angeles over a few days in late April and early May 2001. The messages were sent through the company's Boston-area affiliate, according to the federal complaint.
"He was just very upset that the Red Sox would pre-empt NASCAR, so he decided to send these messages to express his views," said Melo's lawyer, Andrew Good.
Fox received more than 530,000 e-mails from Melo. Fearing a hacker was attacking its computer system, the company shut down a portion of its Web site, costing Fox $36,000, according to federal prosecutors.
Also, by taking a portion of its Web site down, Fox Entertainment was unable to communicate via computer with WFXT-TV 25 in suburban Boston for several hours, and left the local affiliate unable to receive viewer e-mail, prosecutors said.
The federal complaint did not specify the exact content of the e-mails.
Fox Entertainment spokesman Scott Grogin declined comment.
The charge carries a maximum of one year in prison. Melo, who works in the computer industry and has no prior criminal record, will ask for probation, Good said.
"There was no intention to cause any of this damage and the government isn't claiming he did," Good said. "It happened, but it was produced by machines running wild. He's sorry it happened, obviously."
A message left on an answering machine for a Michael Melo in Billerica was not immediately returned on Wednesday evening.
No date has been set for his plea hearing and sentencing.
NASCAR Fan Faces Prison Time for E-mails
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- mf_dolphin
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How interesting. Makes me feel like I am back home in southeastern Massachusetts. I know exactly where FOX 25, Boston. It is on the southwest side of the metropolitan Boston area; 15 to 20 miles north-northwest of where I grew up.
I would think this individual would rather watch the Boston Red Sox, not a NASCAR event, but obviously there are people more interested in auto racing than baseball in the Boston area/southern New England.
The Boston Red Sox had a three year deal with the Boston Fox affiliate. WSBK-TV 38/UPN38 had the Boston Red Sox for very many years, from the 1970's into the early 1990's. They had exactly half the games (all Friday night games) and NESN (New England Sports Network) had the other half. Over the last several years, NESN has over 50% of them.
Prior to UPN38, independent (at the time) WABU-TV 68 (now PAX) and WB56 used to televise the Red Sox.

I would think this individual would rather watch the Boston Red Sox, not a NASCAR event, but obviously there are people more interested in auto racing than baseball in the Boston area/southern New England.
The Boston Red Sox had a three year deal with the Boston Fox affiliate. WSBK-TV 38/UPN38 had the Boston Red Sox for very many years, from the 1970's into the early 1990's. They had exactly half the games (all Friday night games) and NESN (New England Sports Network) had the other half. Over the last several years, NESN has over 50% of them.
Prior to UPN38, independent (at the time) WABU-TV 68 (now PAX) and WB56 used to televise the Red Sox.
Last edited by ColdFront77 on Fri Apr 18, 2003 12:28 am, edited 2 times in total.
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- sunny shine
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I "got it bad", but I don't got it that bad
(I haven't dated any ladies wearing 93 octane as perfume either...LOL!).
I would love to try that stunt I saw in a Nascar commercial of driving 50 miles or so on I-20 while taping out the front windshield with a camcorder...then watching it on tv in fast forward...what a rush!!
As ole DW says "boogity..boogity..boogity"!!!
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Perry
GO Awesome Bill from Dawsonville!!...WHEW-HEW!!!

I would love to try that stunt I saw in a Nascar commercial of driving 50 miles or so on I-20 while taping out the front windshield with a camcorder...then watching it on tv in fast forward...what a rush!!

As ole DW says "boogity..boogity..boogity"!!!

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Perry
GO Awesome Bill from Dawsonville!!...WHEW-HEW!!!

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- TexasStooge
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