The NFL Will Allow You to Watch Football At Church

[alaskaguy]

The NFL, which found itself on the receiving end of protests and controversy after it objected to churches showing the Super Bowl on big-screen televisions, has reversed course and will now permit the viewings.

A story in The Washington Post about churches -- most of them evangelical -- canceling their Super Bowl parties because they were afraid of lawsuits from the NFL if they showed the game on their jumbo screens kicked up a storm of protest on Capitla Hill and among some conservative leaders.

The league has said that organizations that host public viewings of its games on television screens larger than 55 inches violate its copyright. Sports bars are exempted. Last year, the league sent letters to two churches advising them of the policy.

In its letter, the NFL said it would not object to big-screen viewings in the churches as long as the showings are free and are on premises that the church uses on a "routine and customary" basis.

Link:
washingtonpost.com

[cyclonemaniac7]

I think that's a good decision from the NFL. They were already on people's bad list for the NFL Network. This will at least give them some respect back.

[Phaedrus]

It's especially a good decision because the NFL gets several legal "goodies" from Congress. Congress could flatten the NFL (or the NCAA, for that matter, hmmm?) if they wanted to.

Don't tick off influential voters, would be the lesson, here.

[ianoconnor]

At my old church, we used to watch the game on the huge projectors... it was pretty sweet. We also had Halo LAN parties. Good times.