Thou Shalt Not Congregate for the Super Bowl
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Loading ...OK, I think the NFL (and I’m referring to “NFL Inc.” specifically, not the sport of football) has officially gone to the Dark Sidetm. The whole NFL Network vs. the rest of all other broadcast media debacle where the NFL says, “We OWN this sport; be lucky we let you show anything” should be reason enough to question the motives and sanity of the corporate brass. (proof? two words: Bryant Gumbel) But if all the oligopolies of cable networks as a whole wasn’t a fish big enough to fry, the NFL in true Belichick-like fashion is now kicking the cane from old ladies crossing the street; namely, they are going after churches showing the game on television screens larger than 55 inches. Because, of course, a 54 inch TV is OK but a 60 inch plasma is ungodly.
No, the real reason–again–is greed. The official reason has some opium-induced rationale about ratings and statistics of viewers (ie, 100 people watching on 50 TVs adds better to the viewing stats than 200 people watching on 2 TVs), but aren’t official “ratings” done by Nielsen households or the like that voluntarily participate? When any event claims that x million people are viewing, it’s not a house-by-house count by any means; it’s extrapolated from a controlled group. So what do they care if some church-going folk want to get together, use a big projector they already have, and invite sports enthusiasts for a gathering that’s guaranteed “clean” for the family?
Ah, but the plot thickens. You see, there is an exception–and one exception only–to the 55 inch TV rule. Sports bars and other such establishments are free to show as big a jumbotron as they can fit to show as many people as they can serve, no penalties, no foul. So in effect, we have the NFL clearly endorsing a place of drinking (and usually smoking, depending on the local laws) over a church entity. And why not? Off the top of your head, who are the “big name” Super Bowl ad consumers year after year? I promise eTrade commercials won’t be coming back, but Budweiser commercials will forever stay.
And just to be clear–all of this is coming from a beer drinker (although not the piss water they advertise on any given football game) and lover of sports bars. Verily I say unto thee: The NFL will have to do pennance on this one in due time.
(h/t Slashdot)
February 3, 2008 4:13 pm 
By Fat Doctor, February 4, 2008 @ 9:47 pm
You freakin’ crack me up.
By rlbates, February 18, 2008 @ 2:25 pm
Off the post topic–Enrico, how are you doing? What are you up to these days?