Doubtful. They threaten to leave cities and take 500 part time minimum wage jobs with them and receive tax abatements, credits, stadia, etc. I'd wager they pay very little taxes if any on their teams.
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NFL demands $16.6 million from M.I.A. for flipping the bird in 2012
- Thread starter Fudgepuppy
- Start date
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Fuck that. Why pick up a snake if you know it might bite you?
If they really thought she'd keep it 100% family friendly, then it makes this demand even more laughable. It's like they don't actually know who she is. They should get Gaga next and sue her for $20m when her dancers begin vomiting on her.
No I'm pretty sure that's how it works, I'm open to being corrected though if wrong.
The teams fund the NFL, the NFL makes the profits, the NFL gives the profits back to the teams, then the teams pay taxes (what and how much I don't know. Probably very dependent on their home states), and the cycle repeats.
daizydoesit
Banned
Hey NFL
Leave her alone. She's sexy
Leave her alone. She's sexy
Which is my point. The NFL and NFL based shows should not be TV-G or TV-Y like they are now.
speculawyer
Member
I'm pretty disgusted by the NFL. They pay their cheerleaders nearly nothing, they pay no taxes, they get tax-payers to pay for their stadiums, they hire thugs but whine about gays, they keep the Madden monopoly in place instead of going nonexclusive, etc.
Fuck them.
Fuck them.
I have a bet with my cousin that the NFL will stop having cheerleaders in 2015.
Spine_Ripper
Member
This. It took someone posting a picture of it in this thread for me to finally go "oh yeah, I saw that with my family."
We don't even remember her being there. Who cares.
perfectchaos007
Member
Considering there is now a near 20 second tape dalay during live events, shouldn't the NFL production crew be held partially responsible for middle finger gate? I mean, they had enough time to switch to a different camera if they wanted.
IcyBlueStrawberry
Member
I can't for the life of me understand how people are still offended by a fucking finger.
Zuhzuhzombie!!
Member
Yeah she's awful but the NFL is leagues worse.
They chose to be in the hopes that they can get 16 million bucks out of it.
daizydoesit
Banned
...is that Andy from parks and rec??
But that was a wardrobe malfunction and completely unintentional.
thekonamicode
Member
Yes it is!
Angelus Errare
Banned
Live fast die young, bad girls do it well.
M.I.A is great. Shut up.
daizydoesit
Banned
Whoah whoah when did this happen?! He's actually kind of...
you know where this is going 
Yep, he's starring in Guardians of the Galaxy. Who knew, right?
n00bsauce87
Member
Are they still trying to get money from M.I.A.? Just let it go. Half the people don't even know who played in that superbowl... without the aid of some technical device
CastleRybread
Member
You forgot vehicular homicide (Donte Stallworth) and regular old homicide (Aaron Hernandez). Oh and owner's getting 4 felonies for being hooked on pills.
NFL players are out there killing people, but flipping the bird is a tragedy.
OldKentuckyShark
Member
The NFL is being ridiculous. That being said, the counterargument that the NFL is also to blame for what happened since they didn't use the 5 second delay system is like a house burglar saying that it's the owners of the burglarized houses fault they got robbed since they didn't have a better alarm system.
Zvonimir Boban
Banned
Point.
It's silly. Asking $16.6M for flipping the bird is ridiculous and petty.
Counterpoint.
It's still a breech of contract. You agree to perform and not do stupid shit, then don't do stupid shit. Superbowl is getting the rep for attention grabbing antics and they want to put a stop to it. So in Sueville USA you break a contract, you're going to get sued.
So I'm split. Who cares about a finger, but if you agree to not do it, don't be a smartass and do it. And don't be surprised when they're pissed about you breaking the contract because you wanted to be a smartass.
It's silly. Asking $16.6M for flipping the bird is ridiculous and petty.
Counterpoint.
It's still a breech of contract. You agree to perform and not do stupid shit, then don't do stupid shit. Superbowl is getting the rep for attention grabbing antics and they want to put a stop to it. So in Sueville USA you break a contract, you're going to get sued.
So I'm split. Who cares about a finger, but if you agree to not do it, don't be a smartass and do it. And don't be surprised when they're pissed about you breaking the contract because you wanted to be a smartass.
Dreams-Visions
Member
just...
...don't invite her back, you know? It was a finger, not nudity or a cuss-word filled tirade or an attempt to sabotage the halftime show.
where's the Allen Iverson gif when you need it.
thekonamicode
Member
Whoah whoah when did this happen?! He's actually kind of...
you know where this is going
That's why I think the lawyer is right. They are trying to make an example out of her. This is the NFL's way of scaring off artists from trying this type of shit with them in the future.
They are saying this is our platform that we want to be enjoyed by families around the world. If you want to do stupid shit to get you on the front page of papers and overshadow our event, then we'll sue your ass to the end of time.
There is a reason why the NFL was picking so many aging rock bands and family friendly artists. They want to minimize the risk of this type of thing happening. One part is avoiding newer artists still looking to make a name for themselves, and another is to go after any artists that defies the league with as much legal power as the NFL can muster. Seems to be a pretty sound strategy. $16.8 million is nothing to the NFL.
I'm pretty sure it's more like a 7 second delay. And NBC did try to censor it, they hastily cut away from her into a wide shot and put up a blur, only the blur occurred after they had cut the camera away from her.
Being offended is a national pastime in the USA.
Northeastmonk
Gold Member
I see it like this. You go out with your kids to say a baseball game, you guys sit there have a few hot dogs, dad orders a beer and some peanuts. You're all enjoying the game. The kids are waving their big 1 up hand sign and then after the 4th or 5th inning they have a mascot come out and he starts giving every one the bird. How would that make you feel? Regardless your dad is drinking a little bit and what not. You wont like it at all.
Baseball, Basketball, and Football are all the same. They're great American sports that we all enjoy. Even in baseball players wear a cup and helmets.
Team Filler
Member
How is baseball players taking measures to protect themselves from bodily harm in any way actually related to children seeing the middle finger?
Also: I can almost guarantee that most kids who'd be watching the game will have already learned their share of vulgar gestures in school, if not from mom or dad.
PhoenixDark
Banned
I thought the half time show was atrocious but the NFL's request is laughable. Last time I checked the NFL didn't lose sponsors and the subsequent Super Bowl was an even bigger success than the one in question. I'd imagine this is all for show; the story will slowly fizzle out, but not before decency groups get to pat themselves on the back.
The real loser here is NFL person who selects half time shows. There's always a cycle of out of touch controversial performances that lead to safe, sanitized ones. The Janet Jackson fiasco led to the Rolling Stones, The Who, Springsteen, etc. Then the NFL decided to make headlines with flabby 'n sick Madonna And Friends, who fucked up. So then we got safe Beyoncé and safer Bruno Mars. At this rate we'll get Taylor Swift next. Disgusting.
The real loser here is NFL person who selects half time shows. There's always a cycle of out of touch controversial performances that lead to safe, sanitized ones. The Janet Jackson fiasco led to the Rolling Stones, The Who, Springsteen, etc. Then the NFL decided to make headlines with flabby 'n sick Madonna And Friends, who fucked up. So then we got safe Beyoncé and safer Bruno Mars. At this rate we'll get Taylor Swift next. Disgusting.
daizydoesit
Banned
Oh dear sweet Jesus... What was this thread about again? You have distracted me.
thank you
Fixed2BeBroken
Member
oh man, you gotta tell me what this is from
The Artful Dodger
Member
Just settle that shit out of Court and let's be done with this story.
Northeastmonk
Gold Member
No I meant to address the talk about Football is just men trying to hurt other men. It's a sport.
Yes, but at a young age (granted you played baseball and went to major league games) you weren't exposed with your folks to vulgar gestures. Of course we all probably gave each other the middle finger in the outfield, but we sure as hell couldn't do it around our folks. My folks would of been called that very night if I did that around my friends and their parents at a game. We'd like to think things like vulgarity and the like are monitored. Regardless if the sport seems "rough" or "violent" it's still a sport with a ball and a field. Children play it every year in their own leagues. Vulgarity may be present, but it is highly frowned upon.
It's like some one dropping the "F bomb" on national television. They're either fired or they have to apologize to the entire nation. She should of known better. Football is probably the most talked about American topic when it comes to socializing and the like. It's religious here in America. Remember Rosanne and the national anthem?
If you're one of the million artists to be asked to do a huge sports event, can't you at least respect the viewers and the audience present at the game? For one single performance?
Team Filler
Member
I can understand the employer/contract relationship as far as them refusing to ever work with her again, or (like they and NBC should've done) using their ability for delayed-feed to prevent more than the people actually there from seeing the gesture, but I draw the line at the lawsuit. Her defense's claims seem fairly salient to me: that the NFL and NBC had it well within their power to prevent this being televised, and also that the NFL is being hypocritical in its argument on family values.
I don't even like MIA, in case that matters.
I don't know about you guys, but I think it has been years since I've actually seen people curse one another using the middle finger. All I usually see now are a lot of shoving and yelling and people may get into fights. The whole middle finger insult seems very... old school now. Nobody does it anymore even though we all still know it's bad.
That 16 million dollar amount is rediculous. If I hire someone to do a job, and he breaches his contract, I cannot expect to sue him for 16 million dollars. Considering the NFL paid her $0 dollars, the $16 million amount seems excessive.
That said it was still a stupid gesture that does nothing for anyone.
That said it was still a stupid gesture that does nothing for anyone.
Star Lord.
EnVy_CaLiBeR
Member
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