Focus On The Super Bowl

by Dick Mac

CBS has always avoided selling Super Bowl advertising to political or social advocacy groups. I am certain the NFL has been happy about this, as they do not need their premier television event to become a shit-throw among activists. Super Bowl advertising is strictly about product placement. Period. Many of the advertisers endorse the NFL and vice-versa.

This year, however, CBS is selling airtime to Focus On The Family, who advocate against a woman's right to make her own choices about reproduction.

Focus On The Family is a political group that works against choice, gay rights, and progress. They spend a lot of money making our nation a bad place. There is no good reason for CBS to accept their advertisement, except that the NFL and CBS must support the Focus On The Family mission, and do not really see it as advocacy.

I decided to write to the NFL to let them know my feelings about this.

Good morning.

I have watched every SuperBowl. I have watched from my home, in bars, restaurants, and hotels. I even watched from a bar in Amsterdam at three o'clock in the morning one year, and from my apartment in London another year. I can't imagine missing a Super Bowl.

I have learned that CBS is selling airtime during the NFL SuperBowl to an advocacy group that works against the rights of American women to make personal choices about reproduction.

Focus on the Family is a political organization. Your decision to endorse their mission by allowing CBS to sell them airtime during your premier television event is troubling.

If these advertisements are shown, I cannot watch. It saddens me to say this, but: If these advertisements are not withdrawn from the network by Friday, February 5, 2010, I will boycott the SuperBowl from this day forward, and encourage others to do the same.

You can write to the NFL, too, by using this link to their corporate contact page.

Do boycotts work? Yes. They always work. And now that the NFL is making the Super Bowl a battleground for socio-political issues, a boycott is an appropriate response. So write to them and let them know what you think of their tacit endorsement of Focus On The Family.

Then, if CBS does not cancel the advertisement, turn-off the Super Bowl and let them know you're doing it!

Write to them even if you agree with them, and let them know your thoughts. I'm sure they would like to know how many of their fans support the mission they endorse.

I will be following-up on this issue.