http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/20...bc.fbn.superbowl.church.ap/index.html?cnn=yes NFL won't let church show game Posted: Thursday February 1, 2007 1:37PM; Updated: Thursday February 1, 2007 2:10PM INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- 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. ___ Information from: The Indianapolis Star, http://www.indystar.com Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Wow, what crap. I suspect they'll be going after any sports bars that charge cover and MR. MEOWGI'S redneck bash in East Texas.
The No Fun League strikes again. Amazing how they never mention gambling because thats what drives their ability to sell 2 million dollar commercials. But copyright infringement...theres a real crime for ya.
Neither are like 95% of the TV viewers out there. The ratings are a projection based on a select group of people who supposedly represent the entire audience. If there's a mass viewing, and none of your Nielsen testers are there, how the hell does that affect the ratings or the Super Bowl?
Did SI have to pay a fee to use the word "Superb*wl"? I used the asterick so as not to get fined by the NFL. I get annoyed when I hear commercials referencing the "big game" instead of just saying the Superb*wl. I know about copyright infringement, but not letting anyone even say the word is kind of silly to me.
Something tells me there might be a mid winter category five hurricane barreling through Miami in a couple of days... A 55 inch TV? Are you kidding me? Yeah, I can see the NFL doing random searches of people's homes with tape measures.
So how do sports bars show them? SRO on 1960 has a screen that is at least 10 feet across and they don't charge a cover. edit: In fact, SRO's website has SUPER BOWL PARTY @ SRO SUNDAY!
I can understand the NFL objecting to the church charging admission (though for renting a projector, providing food, etc, it seems eminently reasonable), but telling customers to not watch the game seems beyond idiocy. People gathering for the game might be bad for ratings, but giving a whole church-full of people a big **** you in the state of one of the contenders definitely is.
I'm going to bet that some of the big advertisers say something to the NFL about this. The NFL has effectively shut off some of the few that don't currently watch the Super Bowl. There would be some people in that church who aren't football fans, who wouldn't watch it at home, that would go for the social aspect. There's not much market left to penetrate with the Super Bowl. They shouldn't be shutting some of it off.
My church does it every year with a projector, good clean fun. That guy who sent the letter is a prick. So, if I wanted to watch the game on the side of a barn with the projection being bigger than 55", it would be illegal?
That doesn't count in this case, because the church is God's home. Technically, this IS home viewing...
That's ridiculous to me. It's on free TV. I go and buy a TV...I've paid to watch the programming I can pick up on those channels. I take it up to my church or anywhere else to gather with friends to watch any event/show. No problem. Sorry. I'm a lawyer, and all of this is intensely silly to me. You're discouraging people watching the game out of their homes? Oh, ok. If this were a Pay-Per-View event, I'd get it.
ooh good point lol If a hurricane hits the SB, I would not be surprised at all. BTW, wil they ask the Disneyland question this year? I mean orlando is like next door, maybe they should differentiate this year ("I'm going to Disneyworld...in Europe!") Frankly when I win something big, I'm not gonna go celebrate a block away.
