NFL cracks down on Super Bowl church parties

[Wolseley]

Why would anyone going to a ballet want to watch someone else dance?

Why would anyone going to a concert want to see someone else play music or sing?

Why would anyone going to a play want to watch someone else act?

It is possible to appreciate the skills and training of others.

Maybe because the performing arts that you mention are specifically designed to be just that: performances, for others to view and appreciate, while football games are just…games.

I don’t get much out of watching “Celebrity Poker” where the camera shows you each player’s hand; I’m not playing the game, so who cares? Another one is something like “Babe Winkelman’s Good Fishing”. Watching other people fish (IMHO) is just about the tail end of nothing.

Again: I have nothing against the Superbowl or if people want to watch it—but the hype escapes me. It’s a game, like Tiddlywinks or Old Maid or Go Fish. You don’t see a national secular holiday called “Chinese Checkers Sunday”, do you?

 

[Thomas_B]

Maybe because the performing arts that you mention are specifically designed to be just that: performances, for others to view and appreciate, while football games are just…games.

I don’t get much out of watching “Celebrity Poker” where the camera shows you each player’s hand; I’m not playing the game, so who cares? Another one is something like “Babe Winkelman’s Good Fishing”. Watching other people fish (IMHO) is just about the tail end of nothing.

Again: I have nothing against the Superbowl or if people want to watch it—but the hype escapes me. It’s a game, like Tiddlywinks or Old Maid or Go Fish. You don’t see a national secular holiday called “Chinese Checkers Sunday”, do you?

Football may not be for you, it’s not for everyone. But you say football isn’t a performance, and you’re only half right. Whereas in a play an actor is just expected to act out what’s written on a page, or a musician to play what is written on a sheet of music, a professional football player must do this and make constant adjustments in response to the actions of an opponent. A team may go in thinking that they focus on pass plays, but have to adjust to run plays when those are stopped; a quarterback might be running a play, but his guy can’t get open so he has to go to another receiver; key players get injured and the coaches need to figure out who to play in their place. Football is a much more mental game than the casual viewer may realize.

That’s the part of the game that I love- watching the strategic and tactical decisions that are made throughout these games. The other part I love are watching guys who are passionate about what they do perform to the best of their abilities and knowing all the hard work that went to prepare them for each game. They get well compensated for their jobs, it’s true- but still, the majority of NFL players work hard at what they do.

 

[magnolia_bloom]

**If the NFL is worried about sponsorship revenues, why are sports bars excluded? If only one person in forty is counted in a church, why doesn’t that apply to the bar watching the exact same game?

I mean, unless you are a member of the Neilson(?) rating group, how do they really know how many people are watching?

I think, that because the churches offer other half-time entertainment, they are worried their sponsors will not be able to get their product face time. Then the NFL can’t charge millions for a 30 second commercial.

By the way, the major brewing sponsor “Budweiser” should be upset that sports bars are exempted, unless the NFL contracts with these sports bars to only serve the sponsor’s brand of product.

What these churches should do, is get some very talented computer geek, or electrician, have people bring their tv’s from home, and have a huge wall of tv’s all connected together to form one huge screen. That way, there would be plenty of tv’s to avoid the ruling and one huge set that everyone could see.**

 

[Ghoti]

Again: I have nothing against the Superbowl or if people want to watch it—but the hype escapes me. It’s a game, like Tiddlywinks or Old Maid or Go Fish. You don’t see a national secular holiday called “Chinese Checkers Sunday”, do you?

Wasn’t that a reality show pilot?

 

[Ghoti]

Football may not be for you, it’s not for everyone. But you say football isn’t a performance, and you’re only half right. Whereas in a play an actor is just expected to act out what’s written on a page, or a musician to play what is written on a sheet of music, a professional football player must do this and make constant adjustments in response to the actions of an opponent. A team may go in thinking that they focus on pass plays, but have to adjust to run plays when those are stopped; a quarterback might be running a play, but his guy can’t get open so he has to go to another receiver; key players get injured and the coaches need to figure out who to play in their place. Football is a much more mental game than the casual viewer may realize.

That’s the part of the game that I love- watching the strategic and tactical decisions that are made throughout these games. The other part I love are watching guys who are passionate about what they do perform to the best of their abilities and knowing all the hard work that went to prepare them for each game. They get well compensated for their jobs, it’s true- but still, the majority of NFL players work hard at what they do.

Just because it’s interesting to watch, that does not make it a performance.

I have no argument against any of the points brought up here – the same could be said of any game: baseball, hockey, chess, etc. But the purpose of these strategies are to win the competition, not to perform for a viewer.

I think that’s the main difference.

I can accept that some people like watching sports. I can accept that others don’t. I’m not into sports – therefore, from my vantage point, you’ve seen one game, you’ve pretty much seen them all. Or, if not, buy the “Greatest Plays/Fumbles/Fights/Slamdunks” DVD, and you pretty much have all of it.

I can, however, accept that for aficionados of any game – from NFL down to chess – that knowledge of rules, history, and minutiae can greatly enhance the viewer pleasure. “Wow! I haven’t seen play like that since Gretzky!” or “Look! I expected Norbert to take the queen with the Istanbul Offense, but he sacrificed his pawn to the rook!! I think he’s trying for the dreaded Potemkin Gambit! zOMG!”

I mean, to a person who doesn’t like music, it’s like:

“Do, re, me, fal, so, la, ti, do. There, I’ve sung all music. Everything else is just arrangement.”

Very deconstructive, mind, but there you have it, sports from a non-sports perspective.

On the other hand, I know a man who does what he does to the best of his ability, is extremely well-trained and works hard at what he does. He’s well-compensated, too, as he’s a top-notch proctologist – but I don’t really want to watch him “perform”.

 

[roanoker]

I love pro football and watch every superbowl, and normally support the NFL. But this is just ******! I’m very disappointed.