Seperation of Church and Football
There’s something rotten in the state of America….
It was to have been a wholesome evening of fellowship and football.And it would have been illegal.Farmland Friends on Friday joined churches nationwide in abruptly canceling its Super Bowl party for fear of violating a federal copyright law that prohibits public venues from showing NFL games on big-screen TVs.[…]
“Under NFL guidelines — and federal law — churches, schools and other public venues can hold football-viewing parties only if they use a single, living-room-size TV, no bigger than 55 inches. When they project the game onto 12-foot screens or set up banks of TVs, they cross the line, according to NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy.”
And of course:
Sports bars are specifically exempted. Churches are not.
I am not a church-goer, but I have often taken part in church community gatherings: pot-lucks, Halloween parties, etc.
I think this is so sad. I understand protecting copyrights, however it’s not like all these churches will be selling tickets or earning money, it's not like the congregation would otherwise be going to a sports bar. Instead they will either: a) not watch the game, b) watch it alone at home.
I wonder which politician sold his soul to disallow the viewing of televised football in public venues other than sports bars.
It was to have been a wholesome evening of fellowship and football.And it would have been illegal.Farmland Friends on Friday joined churches nationwide in abruptly canceling its Super Bowl party for fear of violating a federal copyright law that prohibits public venues from showing NFL games on big-screen TVs.[…]
“Under NFL guidelines — and federal law — churches, schools and other public venues can hold football-viewing parties only if they use a single, living-room-size TV, no bigger than 55 inches. When they project the game onto 12-foot screens or set up banks of TVs, they cross the line, according to NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy.”
And of course:
Sports bars are specifically exempted. Churches are not.
I am not a church-goer, but I have often taken part in church community gatherings: pot-lucks, Halloween parties, etc.
I think this is so sad. I understand protecting copyrights, however it’s not like all these churches will be selling tickets or earning money, it's not like the congregation would otherwise be going to a sports bar. Instead they will either: a) not watch the game, b) watch it alone at home.
I wonder which politician sold his soul to disallow the viewing of televised football in public venues other than sports bars.
posted by CaliValleyGirl at 6:16 PM
5 Comments:
Hmm, interesting! My sister's husband is a youth pastor and they are having a huge Super Bowl party. They are expecting over 200 youth. I think they are getting around it by showing the game on several different "55 inch screens" in different areas of the church. They are setting it up as the X-box room, the "SERIOUS GAME WATCHERS" room, the board games room, etc. I hope that it works out for them!
The NFL is getting weirder and weirder. How in the world can you tell people they are violating copywrite when the people putting on the event don't make any money? The show isn't being rebroadcast, it's not going to profit the church...
OTOH I have to wonder why they thought the NFL would even find out about it. Are they thinking one of their parishioners would call the offices and tattle?
Now there is the NFL network and the NFL can't even agree with all the cable carriers about broadcast rights. It looks to me as if they are slowly working themselves into the type of position that the NHL has managed... moving to cable way too early and making it so hard to watch the game - most everyone has given it up and hockey has almost become a non-sport. It's sad.
I am glad to know that other churches have Super Bowl parties. My husband and I were talking about this last night and he thought it was the strangest thing EVER that there were Super Bowl parties at my church growing up. Too bad that some people are trying to put a damper on it - I remember having loads of fun!
Such interesting politics surrounding The Bowl.
That is the stupidest thing I have read in awhile. So, was it bad that the coach of the Colts gave thanks to "God" when they won... is there a stipulation for that?
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