Today is Feb. 2 and it is Ground Hog day. It is the day when stupid people believe that if a ugly little “rat” can see his shadow when he emerges from a hole, we will have 6 more weeks of winter (or is it the other way around?). Who cares?
There was one family birthday on Feb. 2. My great grandfather (Myrna’s dad) always celebrated on Ground Hog day. He lived to age 95. The date was lucky for him.
Today is also a full moon. If anything bad happens to you today, it is explained.
It is also Super Bowl weekend. It is a weekend when people spend huge amounts of money to see a football extravaganza that means absolutely nothing. It is an excuse to celebrate something. I didn’t know the facts until recently but the Thursday and Friday before Super Bowl Sunday account for sales of more TV’s than any other days of the year. So some fans go out, spend $2500 to buy a 55 inch flat screen HDTV and then invite friends and family over. Another small fortune is spent on appetizers, pizza, and beer. And the winner is? The NFL. Beer producers: Budweiser and Miller. Cable and Satelite broadcasters. TV manufacturers. Media types of all kinds. Is this a great country or what?
Now my rant. A Baptist church in Indianapolis was going to host a “Souper Bowl Sunday” featuring hot soups and chili along with showing the 200-300 participants the Super Bowl game on a 12 foot TV screen. They were to charge a small fee which was to cover the food. Guess what? The NFL issued them a letter telling the church it was illegal to advertise a Super Bowl event (Souper Bowl, come on), charge for it, and show the game on a screen larger than 55″. The event has been cancelled. Apparently Sports Bars are exempt because they have an on going relationship with the NFL (they pay huge fees to satelite TV to get featured games). What a crock of unadulterated bullsh–! I know the NFL is trying to protect their franchise but it seems NFL lawyers have forgotten about common sense. Why do you want to irritate your good customers (and parishners)?
So how does the NFL ruling affect you? Don’t you dare hold a Super Bowl party with more than 10 people using a screen larger than 55 inches. You could be arrested and held for copyright infringement. You dare not attend a party with over 10 people either.
Grasshopper No. 4 understands the concept of “serving the customer”. In this case, the NFL should be trying to bring it’s product (a NFL Championship Game) to as many “fans” as possible. In doing so, they will make a lot of money. Everything will take care of itself. Why irritate 300 Baptist fans in Indianapolis and then potentially all Baptists and then potentially a denominations? Why risk a potential boycott of the stupid game? The NFL has not heard of good public relations.
Yes, I am going to watch the Super Bowl anyway! It is good thing I’m not a Baptist.
Stay warm. Enjoy the Super Bowl.
Love,
Dad