Your thoughts on this NFL decision

captain

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I think this is a perfect instance where the NFL (just like the music industry) is trying to mandate and regulate things that are so far out of their control that they are pushing people away just to make a buck... Who in the world at the NFL thought that this was going to be a good idea?

Thou shalt not watch the big game on the big screen.
That's the message from the National Football League to churches planning to host Super Bowl XLII watch parties featuring giant TV screens and monitors.

The watch parties are popular get-togethers in Oklahoma churches. But many don't realize their parties may violate federal law.

Tommy Bailey, worship pastor at North View Community Church, 8921 Northwest Expressway, said his church was planning to host a watch party for the first time Sunday. He said he was not aware of any legal conflicts but intends to educate himself quickly.

Brian McCarthy, NFL spokesman, said churches' plans for the traditional get-togethers to see the pigskin championship may need to be modified.

He said federal copyright law prohibits organizations like churches, casinos, movie theaters and schools from showing the game on the big-screen TVs and giant monitors.

The game cannot be shown on a screen larger than 55 inches, and it cannot be shown for profit, McCarthy said. Violating either of those two rules is copyright infringement.

Although McCarthy said the NFL won't be peering over ministers' shoulders come Sunday's Super Bowl kick-off, officials do expect affected organizations to comply with the law.

"We don't investigate churches. We don't shut down churches. We don't send people undercover with rulers to measure TV screens,"￾ McCarthy said in a telephone interview from his New York office.

Tim Knopps, an Oklahoma City resident who describes himself as an event evangelist, said the copyright law is nothing new. The issue comes up every year as the NFL championship nears and ministries gear up for watch party fellowship and outreach activities. Over the years, his online "Super Bowl Watch Party Playbook"￾ (now called "Watch Party Playbook"￾) has guided ministries as they planned gatherings to view the game.

Knopps said he was in Miami, Fla., last year to help the Super Bowl XLI host city with volunteer, intern and hospitality efforts. Church leaders from Oklahoma and other parts of the country began calling about the watch party dilemma.

Knopps said ministries became alarmed when the NFL warned a large Indianapolis church that it was violating copyright laws by advertising its Super Bowl watch party on its Web site, planning to show the game on a giant TV screen and charging admission (albeit to cover the cost of snacks). "The NFL felt like it had to address it because of those issues,"￾ Knopps said.

He said worries increased when the church attended by Tony Dungy, coach of the Indianapolis Colts NFL team, canceled plans to gather for a viewing of the football championship on a big screen.

If even the ministry of a coach whose team was actually playing in the Super Bowl was halting its watch party, where did that leave other churches with similar party plans?

Knopps said he told churches to simply play by the rules "â€￾ and that's what he's saying now as the countdown begins for this year's bowl game in Arizona.

"The NFL wants everyone to play by the same rules,"￾ he said. "When they say "ËœNo, you can't do this,' they're protecting their rights, the rights of their sponsors, the rights of the (half-time show) musicians."￾

McCarthy agreed. "If organizations want to show the game, that's fine. That's a good thing,"￾ he said. "Some may need to modify their plans."￾


Playing by the rules
Some churches seem to be taking McCarthy's words to heart.
The Patriot Ledger newspaper in Boston reported Wednesday that a Pembroke, Mass., church canceled plans to hold a Super Bowl XLII watch party on a giant video screen to avoid "getting flagged"￾ by the NFL.

"Even though we think it's a stupid rule, we are still going to abide by it,"￾ the Rev. Paul Atwater, pastor of North River Community Church, told the newspaper.

Adding to the confusion is the fact that for-profit sports bars and similar establishments are allowed to show the game on the popular giant screens when nonprofits like churches are not.

McCarthy said sports bars are exempt from the copyright law because TV viewing is part of their year-round business.

Lest folks label the NFL as the bad guy in this pigskin problem, Knopps is there to quash any ill will.

Knopps said the rules causing the latest concerns were approved in 1998 when Congress modified copyright laws.

He and McCarthy said the rule against mass out-of-home viewings ties into Nielsen ratings, which measure home television viewership. Those ratings help determine advertising and sponsorships for televised programs such as the Super Bowl. Televised events such as Sunday's big game always rake in millions in advertising.

While some changes may need to be made to watch party efforts, Knopps said churches can still party on. "Just be sensitive to those guidelines and have a good time,"￾ he said.

How would Jesus view?
Essentially, Knopps and McCarthy said churches have to decide how they will view the Super Bowl at their watch parties.

For ministries already planning to host watch party viewings on TV screens bigger than 55 inches, it could be an ethical dilemma of ... er, super-size proportions.

Casinos, movie theaters and schools also must follow the same game-viewing guidelines. This week, a spokeswoman for Riverwind Casino near Norman said she had not heard of the viewing prohibitions, but she guessed that if the Super Bowl is shown at the casino Sunday, it would be in the casino's sports bar, which is legal.
 
I think they fail to remember that the folks who see the ads that pay for their events and insane salaries shouldn't be squashed by ridiculous rules. It's all about the dollar$.
 
Ridicules, putting limits on American pastimes for ratings count and forcing us to eat sponsors and musicians popularity. I almost want to say this is a joke topic.
 
I find it amazing that they wouldn't want people to get together to enjoy the game.. Its almost like saying we want you all to watch it on small TV's at your house. Whatever you do dont get together and enjoy the fellowship with others... IMHO that would be like Suzuki telling me that I can own a Hayabusa but I can't ride in a group bigger than 3 on a public highway.
 
...I believe it is just words in a copyright law and it is being swollen by the fact that churches show the game for outreach.

By words of the law..they are infringing, but I feel the law is more directed at locations that would charge people to come to a place and watch the game for their own profit and notpass on the money to the NFL or television stations who have the rights to televise for thei profits.

...oh, and you can buy a home tv that is larger than 55" now...are they breaking the law if they are watching it in their own house by themselves.
 
This is just a little over the top. The church is a place to bring people together. I see no harm in this with or without the law.
 
I'm not a lwayer , but I find it hard to find viewing the superbowl at church any different from viewing it at home.

These games are sold out, always, I just don't understand. Is the NFL attacking churches now
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I can see the problem with charging admission. The NFL warned the one church that was taking the game and turning it into a publicized event and charging for snacks. The rest of the article sounds like a "letter of the law" type of thing: "Yeah, this are the rules, but keep it on the down low, don't go overboard, and there won't be a problem". If the NFL busted a church for simply allowing a group to watch the Superbowl on a 60" TV, the resulting PR would be downright ugly.
 
Write the commercial sponsors... I am sure they want to limit the people that see their bazillion dollar ads....

You know it costs a lot of money to purchase and produce those spots... i am sure they are REAL worried about copywrite issues when it comes to how many people watch them.. (I think many watch the game just for the commercials)
 
The NFL doesn't even allow commercials to mention the name SUPER BOWL. In all advertising it is referred to as the big game or super sunday. Ridiculous! Ridiculous! The "no fun league" as the players say.
 
If this is true then the NFL can kiss me as a viewer good-bye. I don't really watch the game anyway, only the Super Bowl. I have a party planned that is a Church Super Bowl party. I plan on showing the game using a projector and a massive screen. No profit will be made. Food and beverages will be served at no charge to guests. There isn't even a plan to take up an offering of any kind. Just a group of friends watching a game. How is this a problem?
 
Knopps said ministries became alarmed when the NFL warned a large Indianapolis church that it was violating copyright laws by advertising its Super Bowl watch party on its Web site, planning to show the game on a giant TV screen and charging admission (albeit to cover the cost of snacks). "The NFL felt like it had to address it because of those issues,"￾ Knopps said.
Right or wrong charging admission is more than likely the problem.
 
adding churches to the restriction list.... makes sense... what's the least likely place to host a gathering of people that has to comply with fire and safety codes, that will increase the chance of dwi? ummm, off the top of my head....A CHURCH! I don't frequent them much, but it seems to me that a church would be one of the friendliest / safest places to view the game. anyhow, where ever y'all decide to watch, be safe and enjoy, look forward to hearing viewing party highlights from y'all tomorrow.
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I guess I will have to call my friends, tell them not to come, unplug the 60" big screen, and fire up the ole 12" and watch it by myself.
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I can understand some of their concerns, but a church?? Come on!! Just another blatant attack on Religion by another organized profitable organization! I bet if the church offered to pay $1000.00 to the NFL, they would have no problem letting the event be shown. Bunch of greedy bastids!! That's why I don't watch too many sports on tv. They are all just a bunch of greedy @ssholes! The only sport I watch is drag racing when I can. Football, basketball, baseball...even NASCAR...all of it is rigged now-a-days anyway!! I don't even see how people can afford tickets to these events. Most of them are atleast $150 per seat!! That is just B.S.!!
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i have a 73" tv how many people am i allowed to have over? Is it because its at a church? If they all came to my house..is that really dif.

like someone else said, if they are charging it gets grey.. but if i took my tv to my church and let people watch it, I get fined or go to jail?
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