NFL cracks down on church Super Bowl viewing
 

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dl...RTS03/70201036

Churches react to NFL's Super Bowl warning

By Robert King
robert.king@indystar.com

Several Indiana churches are scrambling to decide what they should do about their plans for Super Bowl viewing parties in light of the NFL’s tough stance with an Indianapolis church that wanted to show the game on a giant screen.

Congregations such as Indian Creek Christian Church in Marion County's Franklin Township and Castleton United Methodist Church in Indianapolis had decided to or were considering whether to cancel their viewing parties in light of the NFL’s objections that such parties violate copyright laws.

At least one church plans to defy the NFL’s objections and host a big-screen party anyway.

The question arose after Fall Creek Baptist Church said the NFL had demanded that it forego a “Super Bowl Bash” at the church that would bring together congregation members to watch the game with a projection TV.

A story in Thursday’s Star prompted two dozen calls and more than 130 e-mail responses — almost all of them voicing outrage at the NFL’s stance.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the league has a longstanding policy against “mass out-of-home viewings” of the Super Bowl, even if they don’t charge admission. Hosts of parties can use only one TV that is no bigger than 55 inches, according to a league attorney. The NFL makes an exception to that, however, for sports bars that show televised sports on a regular basis.

Not that I would go, but I don't see what the problem is if it's on regular television (ie. not ppv) and no admission is charged.

You've got to be kidding me.:shake:

What's the NFL going to do, send out a bunch of goons to break these parties up?

Good thing my TV is only HDTV is only 52 inches. I'd hate to get the NFL pissed at me

Just make sure the game's only being shown on that one TV. If someone turns on the game on a different tv in a different room, you're in trouble!!! :rolleyes:

Huh??

What interest does th NFL have in opposing this? I see no logic in their position.

Stupid NFL

Yeah just WTF? Who do they think they are dictating how big a TV you can have to watch the Super Bowl in your own home? No way thats legal.

It's for the networks. More TVs on means higher Nielson ratings.

They want more TV's turned on and bigger ratings so they can charge more for the TV rights in the future.
But who watches the Super Bowl by themselfs? Almost everybody that watches the Superbowl has company over.

“mass out-of-home viewings”

:hmmm: Well maybe the NFL was squeezing Nzoner and this is why no superbowl party in his gameroom this year, the fix was in? He Nzoner is the man keeping you down?

The fewer TV's tuned into the SB, the lower the ratings.

This is the dumbest thing I've heard of in quite some time. The NFL has restrictions on how many people you can have over to watch the Super Bowl??

This shit just pisses me off. Talk about 1984 in action.

More proof that many of the churches have become no more than a bunch of money hungry social clubs.