Saturday, February 02, 2008

NFL Greed

Oh, boo-hoo! The poor NFL! They don't like it when the big, mean churches host Super Bowl parties at which they - horror of horrors - show the game on big screen TVs. They think that mass viewings of the game may cut into ratings and cause reductions in advertising revenue.

NEWS FLASH DIRECTED TOWARD THE NFL: Your advertising rates for the Super Bowl are grossly inflated. Two weeks ago, buyers seeking to purchase the last few available slots were being pressured to pay nearly $3 million per 30-second commercial. My heart bleeds deep red, no make that hot pink, no make that white - oh forget it. My heart does not bleed at all for you poor, sniveling, overpaid babies. Grow up, get real jobs and live in the real world. You know, the world in which people are losing their homes, losing their jobs, drowning in debt, have no health insurance....

I'm so ticked off that I'm considering not watching the game at all. Losers.

6 comments:

Dave said...

The NFL needs to get a life for its short-sighted narrow and greedy thinking. First, in the over scheme of things, there are few churches that would be hosting such parties and even fewer will have more than a hundred or using large screen televisions. At most they would affect the ratings 0.05%, not enough to impact ratings and advertising rates.

Second, the NFL needs to recognize that such parties in the long run end up in the long run strengthening the NFL’s following. McCarthy, do you think that attendees at such church parties are heavily male? While that may be the bar demographic the NFL needs to think again if it thinks that demographic matches these church parties. Those who attend these parties are families….lets translate this so that those who are blinded by greed can even understand it … men, women, boys and girls. For a decade the NFL has made a big push to try to woo the female audience. Many of the women attending these church parties and watching the game are doing so because it a group activity that they can do with their families and families they associate with in the church. How many of these women would be watching the game if they were at home with their husbands? Well less than half. So what is the NFL saying…. “We want to have the female audience but we do not want to connect with it in their space and framework. It needs to come to us on our terms.”

Third, what would McCarthy have to say if a large number of those in these churches sent letters to the NFL and to its advertisers saying that they were not watching not only the Super Bowl but are boycotting the NFL broadcasts for the season and sighting the USA Today article as the reason? What would NFL owners do when they receive a hundred or so letters from Christians saying that they will not be renewing their season tickets and note the USA Today article as the cause?

I am not sure I will be watching the game tomorrow. If I do not, I will send a note to the NFL and USA Today telling them why.

Stephen said...

Boy are you steamed! Your post drips with your disgust! I wish I could be as eloquent in my writings like that! You touch on a subject that is very tender for me. I am appalled by the greedy ways of these hugely successful sports empires! Imagine, getting upset about some churches showing the big game on the their big screens! I want to know know what percentage of their viewers would be included in those who watch the game via the screens in the church? I can't imagine it being any more than one half of one percent! I mean we are talking about 100's of millions of people taking this game in via TV (which by the way is a bore when compared to the CFL fall classic - at least for most years).

Jenn said...

HAHAHAHAHA!!!! what a classic commentary!...but you know you'll still watch

Evie said...

Well, I may just watch out of the corner of a half-closed eye while I play around on my laptop. Either that, or I'll read a good book.

Stephen said...

OK, the super bowl was an exciting game this year!

Gotta love the underdog!

Barbara said...

They won't get any of my money. I hate football.

I agree with you too. What a bunch of whiners!