How the Grinch Stole Superbowl Sunday

...and by Grinch, I mean the NFL and its lawyers.

I always made a lot of analogies between politics and football, so naturally the LA Times headline reading Separation of Church & Football immediately caught my eye.

The article described how some NFL attorneys are going to be out this year enforcing a copyright law banning Superbowl viewing parties shown on screens 55 inches big. They're going around an informing churches of this rule, and have already ordered the Falls Creek Baptist Church in Indianapolis to shut down their party for 100 people. If the Colts lose, you'll know why.

The reason? NFL lawyers argue that, "Jumbo screens have the potential to draw thousands of people, and if we had that going on across the country, it would eventually erode the television ratings."

I understand why copyright and patent law exists (if I didn't, my father the engineer, would surely tell me again). And I would even understand the NFL not wanting people profiting off the Superbowl by holding these large viewing parties and charging people money. But they're not. These are church or school potlucks with balloons, bringing together families and communities. It's probably even bringing in people who normally wouldn't watch the game.

This whole line of reasoning of ratings is a little silly to me. First of all, ratings are based on specific homes that have Nielsen boxes. I can't imagine enough of these particular homes going to community viewing parties to make a significant dent in the ratings. Secondly, they've already exempted sports bar, who probably draw a lot more people; what's the difference with private parties? Finally, it's just excessively greedy. Yes yes, we have capitalism and people are supposed to make money but doesn't the NFL already make so much money? Are these the lengths they go to make a few more bucks?

I'm going to go watch the Superbowl tonight, (I sure hope that my friends' screen is less than 55 inches), but the NFL should know that I will be shaking my fist at them. Their lawyers too, sometimes I hate us.

PS. I almost forgot, today when I went to mass the youth group was collecting money for the "Souper Bowl" -donating all the money for homeless shelters and food banks. The NFL should take a lesson.