NFL courts conservative Christians to help stop Frank bill

[The Buzz]

Looks like the NFL helped get that Focus on the Family letter to Congress signed by quite a few conservative Christian groups, and may have been the motivation behind the letter in the first place ...

In a July 31 e-mail obtained by the Financial Times, Bill Wichterman – a Washington lobbyist for the NFL who served as a top adviser to former Republican majority leader Bill Frist – encouraged conservative groups to co-sign a letter to Congress that ostensibly was written by Focus on the Family. "The threat posed by the Frank legislation is very real, and we must actively work against it," Mr Wichterman wrote.

Full article here ... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20253076/

Funny how fantasy sports are OK, but betting on games is not. Loads of NFL players actually participate in fantasy football. Doesn't seem like a good idea to me, but the NFL condones it because, oh yeah, they make money on it.

The campaign underscores how much clout the NFL and its allies wield in the debate over online gaming and sports betting – and the reason why, some observers say, Mr Frank's proposal will not become law as long as it includes a provision that allows bets on sports.

While the NFL is active in the lucrative market for fantasy sports betting, which is legal and was not affected by the anti-gaming legislation, it says legalising sports bets would have a "corrosive" effect on football.

Last quote in the story comes from PPA Chairman Alfonse D'Amato ...

But he says the NFL's influence in Washington is the "major issue" that could prevent the bill from gaining more support. "I don't believe the NFL can be defeated on this."

He added: "They aren't going to want anyone betting on their games unless they can control it."

[GPWA Ryan]

is what drives me nuts. Don't get wrong, I love fantasy sports, but would I do it without the incentive of winning my league's prize pool? No. How can you be against online gaming, but not online fantasy sports which is a known cash cow. The answers are money and control and that is what drives me nuts, especially when courting "conservative christian support."

[matted]

Not to mention that gambling is what has caused the boom in football. They are turning their back on the hand which feeds them... Of course, it is more publicity than anything.

[diceman]

I always wanted to know how the nfl made money from fantasy football?
So how do they? lol

[matted]

1. Licensing. You have to pay to use likeness of NFL logos and players.
2. Data... NFL provides or licenses the data to be provided.

Not to mention the buzz and interest gambling/fantasy provides, which boosts ticket sales and home viewership. The contracts to televise NFL games are hundreds of millions of dollars because the ad revenue from the games is enormous!

[The Buzz]

Buzzy loves it when The Register's Burke Hansen weighs in on things. Here's his take on the situation.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/08...cus_on_family/

Whether "foreign gambling interests" refers to Antigua and the WTO or not, the NFL clearly does not believe that the opt-out provisions for sports organizations in Frank's legislation are sufficient to protect the integrity of the game. One would think that the huge black market for sports betting in the United States would be even more of a threat, but for those morally opposed to gambling, practical social policy is irrelevant. Gambling bad. Jesus good.

[gordonprice1947]

'Foreign gambling interests' is actually referring to Casino Gambling Web.

[big fish]

has anyone read anything indicating they might do a carve out for sports betting, and go forward with trying to make casino games and and poker legal? it seems to me like to majority of the strength behind the oppisition comes from the major sporting leagues. if they went forward in a two step process, first making online casino and poker gambling legal, without the sports they would have an excellent change of succeding. once that passed, making sports legal would be all the easier...

[gordonprice1947]

It really doesn't make sense to us either that the NFL and other sports leagues teamed up with religious groups because there actually is a specific clause in Frank's bill that says sports leagues can opt out of allowing gambling on their sports if they so choose.

It is our belief that the sports leagues believe that the opt-out clause has a chance of being negated once the bill starts getting ammended and debated, therefore they just want to oppose the bill from the start as to not take any chances.

http://www.casinogamblingweb.com/gam...ues_46856.html