It stinks, but it happens.
We live 3 hours from Detroit, but every Tigers game on ESPN is blacked out. One of the cable services carries the Tiger's FoxSports station. Because those viewers can watch the game on the "local broadcast", ESPN has to black it out in our area.
I can't get cable (which is why we have Dish) so I can't get the cable company's feed of the game, but it is still blacked out for me.
Also makes me mad that we get a St. Louis Cardinals channel that shows everything except the games. Shows pregame, coach's show, etc., but as soon as the game starts, BLACKOUT.