NFL enlists Christian right to fight Barney Frank - Page 5

DeliciousBass · #41 08-17-2007, 08:47 AM

Letter writing is fun (gotta get me some Costco stamps)...

Commissioner Roger Goodell
National Football League
280 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10017

While I'm pleased to see that you are going to take your time in deciding
appropriate action with Michael Vick by waiting to "rely on facts", it is not the purpose
of this correspondence. It is related though, in the sense that I would encourage this
manner of decision-making in the future from a man in your position.

The reason you are receiving this is because you have made a decision to involve
your interests in my private life. Recent news has linked the NFL to minority group
Focus on the Family in an effort to defeat several bills currently in the House of
Representatives. The first being Barney Frank's Internet Gambling Regulation and
Enforcement Act and the second Robert Wexler's Skill Game Protection Act.

If the NFL had made a decision to "rely on the facts" in the cases of these two bills
you would clearly understand that neither endangers the NFL's dream of "no wagering
on NFL games". You chose instead to make a decision based on flawed logic that limits
my freedoms as an American citizen. In turn, I will be making the following "fact-based
decisions":

* NFL Sunday Ticket will not be purchased for my household.
* I will not make purchases of anything licensed by the NFL to include; game
tickets, jerseys, hats, fantasy teams, cups, coasters, flags, bobbleheads, etc.
* I will recommend to friends and family to avoid the same purchases.
* I will draft and submit a letter to each company who advertises on games I receive
locally to inform them that I will not make purchases from them as they support
an organization that is attempting to infringe upon my liberty.

In closing, I would encourage the NFL to take a closer look at its alliances in the
future and the stated goals of those groups. If you should choose to maintain your stance
on wagering on NFL games while rectifying your position on the issue of gambling in
general I will see that my position and actions where the NFL is concerned change as well. Until
that occurs, it turns out I still have some freedoms that you might prefer I didn't.

Sincerely,

DBass

YoureToast · #42 08-17-2007, 09:09 AM

Nice letter Delicious.

Jerry D · #43 08-17-2007, 10:07 AM

[ QUOTE ]
The world according to the NFL and their politicians:
good
good
good
evil

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah the fact that they are PROMOTING playing fantasy football for REAL MONEY is so ironic. I know I will make alot of people mad by saying this, but ANYBODY who watches pro sports is a simple minded idiot, there are so many better things to do with your time. I'm not talking about watching and betting on them, that IS fun and worthwile, but some idiot who sits there and just roots for his favorite team of thugs like Michael Vick, is an idiot.

TheEngineer · #44 08-17-2007, 10:13 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Nice letter Delicious.

[/ QUOTE ]

gaming_mouse · #45 08-17-2007, 10:52 AM

Can someone explain to me why they are doing this?

Is the NFL concerned that their own players are going to be sports betting and thus jeapordizing the integrity of the games? If so, I don't see how banning internet gambling is going to prevent NFL players from placing wagers.... If not, how does the law affect the NFL? That is, why should they care if fans are betting or not?

Thanks.

DeliciousBass · #46 08-17-2007, 11:49 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Yeah the fact that they are PROMOTING playing fantasy football for REAL MONEY is so ironic. I know I will make alot of people mad by saying this, but ANYBODY who watches pro sports is a simple minded idiot, there are so many better things to do with your time. I'm not talking about watching and betting on them, that IS fun and worthwile, but some idiot who sits there and just roots for his favorite team of thugs like Michael Vick, is an idiot.

[/ QUOTE ]

Generalize much?

DeliciousBass · #47 08-17-2007, 12:05 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Can someone explain to me why they are doing this?

Is the NFL concerned that their own players are going to be sports betting and thus jeapordizing the integrity of the games? If so, I don't see how banning internet gambling is going to prevent NFL players from placing wagers.... If not, how does the law affect the NFL? That is, why should they care if fans are betting or not?

Thanks.

[/ QUOTE ]

Their concern is something along the lines of, "gambling on sporting events has the potential to hurt the integrity of the game". The idea being the games should be played within specific guidelines with each side trying to be victorious. The fear is players, coaches, owners, etc. could be influenced and somehow perform in a manner that is not conducive to winning. The policy to determine the order of the NFL draft remains unchanged...

How this relates to "Lucky Seas Crazy Slots" and online poker, blackjack, pai-gow, etc. is beyond me. If the NFL does not want online casinos to offer wagering on NFL games Frank's bill gives them the option to opt out. (I firmly believe that someone, somewhere inside the offices of the NFL is well aware of how important sport-wagering is to the NFL's bottom line. If there is not, a person will soon be assigned to research why there has been a dramatic drop-off in Sunday Ticket subs...then they will become aware.) As far as Wexler's bill goes...they would be better off fighting a bill that earmarks money to look into soybean fuels and claim it's because they're opposed to wagering on NFL events...it would make as much sense.

The thing is the NFL is opposed to Frank's bill (I'm not sure they've said anything about the Study or Wexler's bill) the problem they have is...they've tied themselves to FoF. For whatever reason (lack of sleep perhaps) I just can't put the FoF's views into a reasonable relationship with the typical, rabid, NFL fan's (or even the typical, casual NFL fan's).

Much like the GOP's current problem (the alienation of their core) I see this as a similar misstep on the part of the NFL.

Uglyowl · #48 08-17-2007, 12:15 PM

I understand why a sports league wouldn't want gambling, but then how does Vegas exist? Haven't we already crossed the line here?

Your right and I am sure ESPN has a vested interest to. How much of their audience is due to pools/gambling.

To me, MNF is usually the game that decides the office pools (other than the 20% that are home team or a key matchup with huge playoff implications). I like football and all, but not stay up til 1:00AM and get 5 hours of sleep before work for the sake of the game.

Tuff_Fish · #49 08-17-2007, 02:46 PM

[ QUOTE ]

.
.
that IS fun and worthwile, but some Chargers fan who sits there and just roots for LaDainian Tomlinson is not an idiot.

[/ QUOTE ]

Legislurker · #50 08-17-2007, 04:09 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I understand why a sports league wouldn't want gambling, but then how does Vegas exist? Haven't we already crossed the line here?

Your right and I am sure ESPN has a vested interest to. How much of their audience is due to pools/gambling.

To me, MNF is usually the game that decides the office pools (other than the 20% that are home team or a key matchup with huge playoff implications). I like football and all, but not stay up til 1:00AM and get 5 hours of sleep before work for the sake of the game.

[/ QUOTE ]

It would have been so useful to have the PPA involved in this and easily find 10k people who had bought Sunday Ticket last year to call in and cancel/demand a backdown on an opposition to poker. The demographics have shfited and MOST people gamble in some way or another, just the holier than thou, isolated, rich douches who run things haven't noticed.
I think even 1k people calling in cancelling SUnday Ticket would havecaused a backpedal.