Saturday, February 03, 2007
More on NFL's Discrimination against Churches
As reported here early Friday, the NFL is applying a double-standard regarding who can and who can't have gatherings for the Super Bowl, which is troublesome in itself because it is carried on network TV, for which the NFL is compensated at a ridiculous rate. The Family Research Counsel published a release late Friday that contained the following:
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Assistant Counsel Rachel Margolies writes, "[The NFL] is consistent in refusing the use of our game broadcasts in connections with events that promote a message, no matter the content." This is an interesting contradiction, since the League allows businesses such as sports bars to broadcast the game to crowds in an environment that encourages alcohol consumption.
Obviously, the NFL is more comfortable promoting substance abuse and half-time nudity than it is endorsing positive role models like Dungy and Smith. Rather than provide a safe, healthy environment for families to gather and watch the Super Bowl, the NFL is suggesting that they abandon the church for the nearest bar. Attorneys at the NFL should concentrate less on intimidating churches and more on preventing another "wardrobe malfunction."
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Ouch.
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Assistant Counsel Rachel Margolies writes, "[The NFL] is consistent in refusing the use of our game broadcasts in connections with events that promote a message, no matter the content." This is an interesting contradiction, since the League allows businesses such as sports bars to broadcast the game to crowds in an environment that encourages alcohol consumption.
Obviously, the NFL is more comfortable promoting substance abuse and half-time nudity than it is endorsing positive role models like Dungy and Smith. Rather than provide a safe, healthy environment for families to gather and watch the Super Bowl, the NFL is suggesting that they abandon the church for the nearest bar. Attorneys at the NFL should concentrate less on intimidating churches and more on preventing another "wardrobe malfunction."
***
Ouch.
Labels: Equal Protection, First Amendment, Football
Friday, February 02, 2007
Football may be King, but NFL Lawyers are Mental Jesters
Honestly, I am stunned at this story out of Indianapolis where the NFL legal eagles stiff-armed a group of degenerates who really had it coming - the fine people at Fall Creek Baptist Church.
Read the story here.
The NFL is exhibiting a double-standard here equal to the proportions of some of the linemen who will play in Sunday's game. I wish that the church would have called their bluff and countersued on Free Exercise and equal protection grounds.
In any case, if you are having a party on Sunday (as I am) make sure to follow the NFL guidelines for such (particularly if you are a Christian, have ever known a Christian, or think that someone named "Christian" may attend):
- No admission fees. (No problem here for me.)
- Only one television, 55-inches or smaller. (Sorry, NFL, but I didn't measure the screen. Perhaps you can send an official NFL chain crew to make the ruling if the TV at the party is too big.)
- No use of the words "Super Bowl" in promotional materials. (OK, I might be guilty of this one. Of course, I am using the OFFICIAL NFL LICENSED materials, which I assume incorporates a fair use defense. Think the NFL Party Nazis will let me slide?)
- No exhibition of the game in connection with events "that promote a message." (Well, the message surrounding our party was "We can't believe that Da Bears made it back to the Super Bowl in my lifetime." I think we might change it to "The NFL Office of the General Counsel need to be tarred and feathered as halftime entertainment instead of Prince.")
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It's amazing to me that the NFL - who tends to handle PR better than its baseball and basketball counterparts in deflecting criticism for the thugs that star in their sports - would choose to strike at a church that was trying to promote the positive qualities of Coach Dungy and Coach Smith. The only explanation I have is that the lawyers for the NFL had the common sense beat out of them during what I expect were probably expensive Ivy League educations.
Read the story here.
The NFL is exhibiting a double-standard here equal to the proportions of some of the linemen who will play in Sunday's game. I wish that the church would have called their bluff and countersued on Free Exercise and equal protection grounds.
In any case, if you are having a party on Sunday (as I am) make sure to follow the NFL guidelines for such (particularly if you are a Christian, have ever known a Christian, or think that someone named "Christian" may attend):
- No admission fees. (No problem here for me.)
- Only one television, 55-inches or smaller. (Sorry, NFL, but I didn't measure the screen. Perhaps you can send an official NFL chain crew to make the ruling if the TV at the party is too big.)
- No use of the words "Super Bowl" in promotional materials. (OK, I might be guilty of this one. Of course, I am using the OFFICIAL NFL LICENSED materials, which I assume incorporates a fair use defense. Think the NFL Party Nazis will let me slide?)
- No exhibition of the game in connection with events "that promote a message." (Well, the message surrounding our party was "We can't believe that Da Bears made it back to the Super Bowl in my lifetime." I think we might change it to "The NFL Office of the General Counsel need to be tarred and feathered as halftime entertainment instead of Prince.")
***
It's amazing to me that the NFL - who tends to handle PR better than its baseball and basketball counterparts in deflecting criticism for the thugs that star in their sports - would choose to strike at a church that was trying to promote the positive qualities of Coach Dungy and Coach Smith. The only explanation I have is that the lawyers for the NFL had the common sense beat out of them during what I expect were probably expensive Ivy League educations.
Labels: Equal Protection, First Amendment, Football
