When did Football become a religion?

[nuthing12]

This is an email my friend received at his company from a guy who stopped into one of their reststops along the highway:

"I was looking forward to watching the football games today when I stopped in for a well deserved rest. I asked if the game could be put on and was told there were church services. WHAT! This is absurd. It looked like a christian service. That is discriminating to me. You cannot have just one type of service. I am Catholic and would want a Catholic service. If I was Muslim I would need a Muslim service, etc. So I think there should be a service for each religion or none at all since it is an insult to me. I also think this would run along Federal laws covering this type of thing. It is a public facility not private (dumbass - they're a privately run business that sells their services to the public). So I will complain to the Tennessee department that covers this. I don't need to receive apologizes from you or banter. You just need to stop this practice and put on the football games. Please do not take this lightly. This is a very serious thing. I am sure there are licenses that you have that could be affected if a change is not made."

The fact that I'm not religious I could care less even if it was a prayer group meeting to humble themselves before a sacred cow covered in blood, he still has no case whatsoever and simply proves himself here to be the retarded redeck that he is.

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

Most of my thoughts are probably better off in fratching so I just want to make two points:

1. EVERYONE's religious beliefs should be respected wherever possible.

2. Last time I checked Catholics ARE a Christian denomination

[smileyeagle1021]

2. Last time I checked Catholics ARE a Christian denomination

Of course they aren't...
There can only be one true church... just ask the Mormons... Or Jehovah's Witnesses... or Baptists... or Lutherans... or oh screw it, I give up, worship however you like and stop asking me to keep up

As far as the OP is concerned, this is why whenever I'm at the hotel I always try to keep it on 24 hour news, or better yet the weather channel (I dare you to take offense to the weather channel).

[aurelemsrealm]

Who cares if this guy is pissed about not getting to watch his precious football game? Life's just not always fair.

There are some of us out there who could care less about football. If football ever became a religion, I'd have to become an athiest.

My wife's two cents -- I'd have to be a football agnostic. It may exist, I just don't give a shit.

Now, what was the price of tea in China?

[Food Lady]

Football is definitely a religion in Racketman's neck of the woods! I can't believe this SC, dragging religion and federal law into an argument that thinly veils the real problem: "I'm an EW and I wanna watch what I want!" What a crybaby!

[SourRobot]

There are some of us out there who could care less about football. If football ever became a religion, I'd have to become an athiest.

My wife's two cents -- I'd have to be a football agnostic. It may exist, I just don't give a shit.

Right. I can't understand why some people will take their football obsession to the extremes.

It also bothers me that the guy really felt so self-centered that he just had to go complain that something that he wanted to see was not on. Look pal, when you take over the business or start your own you can show all the football games on TV you want.

[Jester]

When did Football become a religion?

I myself am an adherent and practitioner of this particular religion, and I worship dutifully at sports bars on Sunday throughout the fall and early winter. That being said, like any decent member of any religion, I don't preach to the non-converted, and I don't act like a raging douchebag when my religion is not being observed in some place I am at.

(I dare you to take offense to the weather channel).

Would you really be surprised if I told you that here, on this tropical island where weather is often an issue, people HAVE taken offense to the weather channel? Not just what is being shown on it, but it being on at all.

Yes. Really.

I couldn't make this shit up if I tried!

Right. I can't understand why some people will take their football obsession to the extremes.

I can, being one of those extremists myself. However, like any good practitioner of a religion, I rarely preach my faith to others who may not be interested in joining me in the Word of God Madden.

[EricKei]

or better yet the weather channel (I dare you to take offense to the weather channel).

I'm not gonna go into any details -- you're really better off not knowing just how my mind works -- but I can give you some silly suggestions along those lines and just let your mind wander...^_^

- racism for using colors like white, red, and yellow (but leaving certain other ones out) to show weather patterns

- prejudice against blind people for not specifying the weather in each and every little township (after all, they can't see the screen)

- geographical favoritism/prejudice for focusing on a disaster in one small area rather than devoting equal time to the beautiful weather elsewhere

- religious connotations for describing physical causes for weather events and wind patterns (as opposed to direct causation by a Power)

"So, in summation, my client has been grievously offended, and therefore injured and made to go through horrendous pain and suffering, by the presentations he was forced to endure at the whim of the Weather Channel. Therefore, I would like to present this case for the Judge's perusal, as we are asking for $Texas$, which is clearly warranted in this case."

[Racket_Man]

Football is definitely a religion in Racketman's neck of the woods! I can't believe this SC, dragging religion and federal law into an argument that thinly veils the real problem: "I'm an EW and I wanna watch what I want!" What a crybaby!

a BIG fat YES to that FoodLady. in fact religions here take their cue from FOOTBALL esp around Christmas DAY. over the last 10 years or so the NFL, with its power to change game times, have in fact changed game times on Christmas Day. this change required the local churches to change THEIR service and pagent times to accomodate the game time change.

People here have gone on "holy crusaides" to other cities, physically threaten to flog non-believers, purified those who do not bow down and worship the legendary God-like coach, and still love the whinny-boy drama-queen former QB who "betrayed" and acted like an ass toward his former team.

the streets are literally deserted during games. hmmmmm best time to go shopping too (and I can still listen to the game cause most of the stores play the radio station broadcasting the game)

[Kristev]

I don't understand how football came to inspire people to such devotion? In my opinion, quite honestly, I simply cannot even make any sense of the game. Shouldn't a coach do something to stop all that violence and attacking that goes on in the game?

Though I do know people who actually would be offended by the weather channel. Mostly because it insists on using science to explain the weather.

[EricKei]

Shouldn't a coach do something to stop all that violence and attacking that goes on in the game?

Outside of a game, all he can really do is comment on how absurd it is that people do that, and ask them to please stop -- in a diplomatic way & without making it appear that he is NOT on their side, lest he feel their wrath. If he comments during a game, he'll get cru...er, *ahem*...screamed at for allowing himself to be distracted from The Game. He's screwed either way.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Anything can be turned into a "religion." Anything.

Now if you'll excuse me, I must finish my preparations for the Feast of Maximum Occupancy.

[Gawdzillers]

So I will complain to the Tennessee department that covers this.

DAMN IT ALL TO HELL.
This is why the South gets a bad name.

[PepperElf]

When did Football become a religion?

the first day it was played.

[MoonCat]

I don't understand how football came to inspire people to such devotion? In my opinion, quite honestly, I simply cannot even make any sense of the game. Shouldn't a coach do something to stop all that violence and attacking that goes on in the game?

Nah, the stands are under the jurisdiction of the stadium security.