NFL Throws Flag at Church Superbowl Party

The National Football League (NFL) has pulled the plug, not just on one church but on all churches using the Superbowl as a means to evangelize.

Get the story here:
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/6436876

and here
http://www.floridabaptistwitness.com/6959.article

According to my understanding, here’s the criteria:

1) Does your church plan to show the Superbowl (or any NFL game) on a TV screen, or a projected image, larger than 55 inches?
2) Any time during the program (during commercials, half-time, etc) will your church divert the attention of the attendees away from the televised program to a message of your own?
3) Will your church show the game on more than one source? (i.e. a TV and a Bigscreen)
4) Will your church be taking an offering or a collection of any kind at the event?

If your church party answers yes to any of the above questions then your church will be violating the NFL copyright law.

Here’s the exception:
Are you a sports bar?

If you are a bar or a tavern you have no restrictions like a church. You may charge for people entering your establishment (cover charge), someone may carry on a conversation about other things and divert your attention away from the game, they may present the game on more than one source, and they may have viewing sources larger than 55 inches.

If you want to do something about that here’s the contact information for the NFL commissioner:

Roger Goodell
Commissioner
National Football League Inc.
280 Park Ave.
New York, NY 10017
NY Tel. 212-450-2000
Fax 212-681-7599 or 212-681-7573

Here’s a little about the Commissioner:
This is from
http://www.answers.com/topic/roger-goodell

Roger Goodell was born on February 19 1959. He became the Commissioner of the National Football League on August 8, 2006. He began his tenure on September 1, 2006. Goodell was born in Jamestown, New York and is the son of former New York Senator Charles Goodell. The Goodell family moved to Bronxville, New York, in 1971, where Roger graduated from high school. Goodell is a 1981 graduate of Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania with a degree in economics.

Goodell is married to Fox News Channel anchor Jane Skinner and they have twin daughters. He has four brothers, among them are Tim, a member of the worldwide executive committee of international law firm White & Case; and Michael, long-time partner of Jack Kenny, creator of the short-lived NBC series The Book of Daniel. The Goodell family was the inspiration for the Webster family on the show.


Don’t like what the NFL is doing? Tell them.