I was debating whether to post this in Sports Talk or the Soap Box, but I figured we'd get a more interesting debate here.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16930260/

Quote :

"NFL spikes church's Super Bowl party League says plan to show game on projector violates copyright laws Updated: 3:56 p.m. CT Feb 1, 2007 INDIANAPOLIS - The NFL has nixed a church's plans to use a wall projector to show the Colts-Bears Super Bowl game, saying it would violate copyright laws. NFL officials spotted a promotion of Fall Creek Baptist Church's "Super Bowl Bash" on the church Web site last week and overnighted a letter to the pastor demanding the party be canceled, the church said. Initially, the league objected to the church's plan to charge a fee to attend and that the church used the license-protected words "Super Bowl" in its promotions. Pastor John D. Newland said he told the NFL his church would not charge anyone and that it would drop the use of the forbidden words. But the NFL objected to the church's plans to use a projector to show the game, saying the law limits it to one TV no bigger than 55 inches. The church will likely abandon its plans to host a Super Bowl party. "We want to be supportive of our local team," Newland said. "For us to have all our congregation huddled around a TV that is big enough only for 10 or 12 people to watch just makes little sense." NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the league's long-standing policy is to ban "mass out-of-home viewing" of the Super Bowl. An exception is made for sports bars and other businesses that show televised sports as a part of their everyday operations. "We have contracts with our (TV) networks to provide free over-the-air television for people at home," Aiello said. "The network economics are based on television ratings and at-home viewing. Out-of-home viewing is not measured by Nielsen." It is also the reason no mass viewings are planned in large arenas like the RCA Dome or Conseco Fieldhouse. Newland said his church won't break the law. "It just frustrates me that most of the places where crowds are going to gather to watch this game are going to be places that are filled with alcohol and other things that are inappropriate for children," Newland said. "We tried to provide an alternative to that and were shut down." Other Indiana churches said they are deciding whether they should go through with their Super Bowl party plans, given the NFL's stance."

I can see why the NFL is pushing this, but seriously, this is a bit extreme for an event that they like to promote as "family entertainment".

2/1/2007 8:13:25 PM

holy balls that's stupid

2/1/2007 8:15:16 PM

heard about this on the radio

really really really dumb

they'll gladly provide $15,000 per person suites for NFL fans travelling to the game, but HOW DARE YOU CHARGE $5-$10 A HEAD TO WATCH THE SUPERBOWL IN AN ENVIRONMENT LIKE A CHURCH WHERE KIDS WONT BE AROUND ALCOHOL, ETC

2/1/2007 8:18:16 PM

You can't charge for an event like this. It's against the law.

You can, however, form a private club with dues, and invite the club to watch the game.

2/1/2007 8:22:51 PM

you can't charge for a party to cover food and drink and what have you?

hhooooookay

2/1/2007 8:24:20 PM

this church would really hurt the nfl's pocketbook if they were allowed to have this party

2/1/2007 8:26:17 PM

The NFL definitely has a right to protect it's interests. But wouldn't it have generated better feelings if they had seen this headline instead...

NFL Grants Special Viewing Privilages to all Church Groups.
League wants to foster familiy viewership in wholesome settings

2/1/2007 8:35:44 PM

Quote :

""We have contracts with our (TV) networks to provide free over-the-air television for people at home," Aiello said. "The network economics are based on television ratings and at-home viewing. Out-of-home viewing is not measured by Nielsen." "

Ha.

2/1/2007 8:37:20 PM

sometimes in business you don't have to exhaust every legal effort at your disposal, especially if it doesnt involve significant capital and if the people you are coming down on will probably have a safer environment than 99% of all other superbowl parties

2/1/2007 8:38:19 PM

ooops... I just bought a 56" HDTV. Guess I'm fucked.

2/1/2007 8:40:42 PM

and its not like its pay per view or something...anyone with a tv and an antenna can watch the superbowl

2/1/2007 8:42:58 PM

There has to be some way this is the fault of the Republicans, I can smell it

2/1/2007 8:54:09 PM

but the victims are churchgoers, one of the biggest stereotypical bible thumping conservative christian republican groups there is

its gonna be tough to spin that one

2/1/2007 8:57:02 PM

The Christian God hates football?

2/1/2007 9:11:26 PM

all i know is that every church superbowl party i've been to has been lame as shit. they preach at you during half-time and unless you're lucky, they turn the tv off during the commercials too

pathetic

i support anything that inconveniences christians and/or their stupid fucking agendas. atheism ftw

2/1/2007 9:30:49 PM

Quote :

"The Christian God hates football? "

i think not.

don't you know about Touchdown Jesus?





(Touchdown Jesus was mad at Notre Dame that day...)







[Edited on February 1, 2007 at 9:34 PM. Reason : ]

2/1/2007 9:32:57 PM

Haha. Nice.

2/1/2007 9:47:15 PM

Quote :

"all i know is that every church superbowl party i've been to has been lame as shit. they preach at you during half-time and unless you're lucky, they turn the tv off during the commercials too"

That's terrible. Our church superbowl party does the preaching before the game, and has a ton of food there to eat.

[Edited on February 1, 2007 at 10:38 PM. Reason : ]

2/1/2007 10:38:36 PM

Just change the ad to "Big Game Bash" and ignore the NFL

2/1/2007 11:41:18 PM

i wonder who "ratted them out to the NFL" in the first place?

PROBABLY SOME ATHEIST LIBERAL

2/1/2007 11:42:17 PM

haha

Quote :

"There has to be some way this is the fault of the Republicans, I can smell it "

Well, someone exposes a church (as said above), points it out to the NFL, and makes the church look like a victim. The conservative church then tries to play the persecuted victim card against the big bad liberal establishment known as the NFL. It's the War on the Super Bowl.

That, or we could just blame the Jews.

2/2/2007 12:10:38 AM

^^ Wouldn't a liberal just not care? Or does "liberal" always have to mean anti-christian/conservative/republican?

2/2/2007 12:12:37 AM

^well some liberals wouldnt care, but the one who ratted them must care...he'd be like "i'll show these stupid fucking theists to try and indoctrinate children with religion!!11"

2/2/2007 12:18:50 AM

you people are fucking funny.

... not funny "ha ha" funny

but more like funny "hypocrite" funny.

2/2/2007 2:54:40 AM

Quote :

"charge a fee"

Ha. Was the church planning on charging a fee and later changed their mind after feeling some heat? Wow. I'm guessing their collection plate has been a little light over the past few months.

Quote :

"NFL officials spotted a promotion of Fall Creek Baptist Church's "Super Bowl Bash" on the church Web site last week"

Well either they were ratted out as some of you are saying (by the Christians that secretly wanted to be persecuted so they could later declare with trumpets that they were persecuted, the liberals that hate all things Christian, or the Jews) or NFL officials spend a lot of time surfing religious websites.

Quote :

"the law limits it to one TV no bigger than 55 inches"

Where is this "law." Sounds like it would be a fun one to read. I guess TVs are just capped at 55" so no one gets in trouble. Plus, the church wasn't showing the game on a TV, they were showing it on a projector. Does this law apply to protectors as well? Also it seems like I have to make sure that only one television in my house is tuned into the game. As soon as I turn that second set to the big game I'm in violation of "the law."

Quote :

"Out-of-home viewing is not measured by Nielsen"

So people are worried about not getting enough advertising $texas out of the Super Bowl because of ratings being thrown by out of home viewing? The one TV viewing survey I participated in a few years back did track out-of-home viewing - but I don't think it was related to Nielsen.

Quote :

"they preach at you during half-time and unless you're lucky, they turn the tv off during the commercials too"

Ha, I've historically (except for the past two years or so) had to attend a priesthood meeting purposely scheduled during the Super Bowl so as to remove the temptation of watching football on a Sunday. If you try to mix church with a popular Sunday sporting event you have to know what you are getting yourself into. Either they will frown on it or they will use it create audience for their message.

[Edited on February 2, 2007 at 8:22 AM. Reason : =]

2/2/2007 8:20:27 AM

Quote :

"So people are worried about not getting enough advertising $texas out of the Super Bowl because of ratings being thrown by out of home viewing?"

Yep. I know it's gay of them to make a fuss out of showing parties, but they have business interests to protect. I would've thought Nielson would have a surveying methodology that could account for it, but whatever.

2/2/2007 9:05:49 AM

Quote :

"Yep. I know it's gay of them to make a fuss out of showing parties, but they have business interests to protect. I would've thought Nielson would have a surveying methodology that could account for it, but whatever."

2/2/2007 9:14:42 AM

nfl wouldn't have made a fuss if the church hadn't initially tried to make money off the deal, i'd be willing to bet.

2/2/2007 10:16:59 AM

Quote :

" I've historically (except for the past two years or so) had to attend a priesthood meeting purposely scheduled during the Super Bowl so as to remove the temptation of watching football on a Sunday. "

what a shitty religion.

2/2/2007 10:32:11 AM

The NFL better watch out.

Some enterprising politician may introduce a bill allowing citizens to do as they wish with mass broadcasted radio and TV signals.

2/2/2007 11:01:37 AM

Next thing you know people will try to rip the tags off their mattresses!

2/2/2007 11:16:56 AM

^^ That's fucking retarded

football > religion

2/2/2007 11:17:22 AM

The reality of the Super Bowl is obviously inappropriate for the environment of a church.

2/2/2007 12:22:56 PM

Quote :

"nfl wouldn't have made a fuss if the church hadn't initially tried to make money off the deal, i'd be willing to bet."

From what I gathered, the church was simply trying to recoop the money spent on snacks; I seriously doubt a church would throw a Superbowl Party as a fundraiser.

2/2/2007 12:27:46 PM

There's no arguing that the NFL has a legal right to do this, but I can't fathom why they ever would do it.

2/2/2007 2:29:11 PM

the nfl is abunch of money hungry jack asses

2/2/2007 2:30:28 PM

this once again proves why college sports is better than professional sports

2/2/2007 2:36:11 PM

yeah because the NCAA isnt all about the money

2/2/2007 2:52:11 PM

I didn't say it wasn't pure, I just don't have to watch a bunch of multi millionaires run around for no perceivable benefit to anyone but themselves. Someone will win, someone will lose, money will be made either way.

I can also attend NC State and be a part of the Wolfpack, or go to ECU and be a Pirate. And at least the funds and fan support help support the university's programs and keep alumni involved.

I can never be a Bear, a Colt, a Saint or Seahawk. Therefore I have no appreciable attachment to any professional team. Its like, hey you are a bunch of yokels.... buy this Carolina Panthers crap at Wal Mart, to support something that doesn't make any difference to anyone and you will never have a personal connection to.

2/2/2007 3:05:20 PM

Quote :

"There's no arguing that the NFL has a legal right to do this, but I can't fathom why they ever would do it."

My guess is that someone in their legal group overreacted for one reason or another, and then when the issue blew up and hit the presses, the NFL was cornered into sticking by its legal guns.

2/2/2007 3:07:32 PM

the Super Bowl is fucking gay anyway

2/2/2007 3:20:58 PM

more like you're gay if you dont like the Superbowl

gay, or european

2/2/2007 3:59:11 PM

Police State

2/2/2007 4:29:27 PM

police were involved how?

2/2/2007 4:33:18 PM

The government is secretly involved in keeping people from practicing free religion.

Police State

NFL = SS

2/2/2007 4:41:30 PM

In 2003 Charlotte was going to have a free viewing party downtown for the NFC Championship Game (Panthers/Eagles) with optional donations to a charity, but the NFL nixed it as well.

2/2/2007 4:44:55 PM

i wonder if they attempted to get permission from the nfl first

2/2/2007 5:01:26 PM

Quote :

"There's no arguing that the NFL has a legal right to do this, but I can't fathom why they ever would do it."

Because they have to protect their interests?

2/2/2007 5:14:38 PM

Yes, they make money by getting high ratings. Read the article.

2/2/2007 5:47:52 PM

its funny...during the world cup they have FREE fan fests setup throughout the host country so that everyone who can't make it to the games can at least watch it for free without having to pay for sat or cable service.

2/2/2007 7:07:44 PM