NFL cracks down on church Super Bowl viewing

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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.