Thread: NFL Refuses to Run Ad to Recruit Border Agents

February 12, 2007 1:40 PM

Justin Rood Reports:

The National Football League refused to include a print ad recruiting U.S. Border Patrol agents in its 2007 official Super Bowl program because they were uncomfortable with "the sensitive political nature" of the spot, according to a league spokesman.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees the Border Patrol, had offered to pay for the advertisment, which was part of a campaign to boost the number of agents by 18,000. But money wasn't the issue, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told ABC News.

The ad "was specific to border patrol and mentioned terro rists," he said. "The game was in Miami, where [immigration] is a sensitive political issue...[it] made us a little bit uncomfortable."

Aiello said the league's discomfort stemmed from the ad's mention of terrorism in a program for the high-profile event as well as how it intertwined terrorism and immigration.

The league told DHS it would be willing to run a more generic recruiting ad but never received a response to the offer. "We take recruiting ads from the military that are generic," said Aiello. "We were willing to take one from DHS."

The issue came to the attention of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, who raised it before Congress last week. "We tried to put an ad in the...Super Bowl program this year, and it was rejected, much to my chagrin," he told a panel of lawmakers.

DHS spokesman Mike Friel said he could not confirm the NFL had offered to take a "more generic" ad. He said that other organizations had accepted the same ad the NFL rejected, including the NBA, which ran the advertisement in its official program for its annual All-Star Game, the NCAA, which will publish it in programs for its Final Four championship tournament and "Pro BullRider" magazine.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/200 ... s_to_.html

The ad "was specific to border patrol and mentioned terro rists," he said. "The game was in Miami, where [immigration] is a sensitive political issue...[it] made us a little bit uncomfortable."

Gosh golly gee, we wouldn't want to make anyone uncomfortable now would we? Well maybe when there are no more PAYING AMERICAN football fans for your sport and your products left in this country you can reexamine your marketing strategies to compete against soccer under the new NAU management in washington. If you hurry you might be able to get a quote on converting the new Cowboys stadium into a soccer venue before they install the goal posts. I'm sure Jerry Jones wouldn't mind. Get rid of all those silly stadium vendors selling burgers and beer. Tacos and tamales all around!

Of course the NFL didn't want to place that add. They are in the process of or have an NFL Latino channel. It was even posted on this website as their commercial ran in Spanish during NFL games.
I am surprised that the NFL didn't complain that the city of Miami Police Department was protesting during various superbowl events.
I think NASCAR is still good. They had a race in Mexico and that was it. No more Mexico after that. Hockey is another safe bet.

I was going to e-mail the NFL and complain, but I didn't see a "contact us" link on their website.

~Kammie

http://www.theintelligencer.net/editori ... leID=16303

Feb 16, 2007

NFL Calls Bad Play Against Border Patrol

By the News-Register

Apparently, the big, bad, fearless National Football League has its sensitive side. The question is: Sensitive to whom? Obviously, not to Americans concerned about our nation’s porous borders.

U.S. Border Patrol officials had hoped to publish an advertisement in the program used at this year’s Super Bowl. The ad was intended as a recruiting tool. It mentioned that Border Patrol agents fight terrorism and help to keep illegal aliens and illegal drugs from crossing our borders.

No, said the NFL. Too controversial. The Border Patrol was told that its ad would not run. Border Patrol officials didn’t take the league up on its offer to run what an NFL official referred to as “a more generic ad … that didn’t highlight the borders, which brings up the immigration issue and the immigration debate. That’s controversial.”

Not among most Americans — including the National Basketball Association and the National Collegiate Athletic Association, both of which have agreed to use the Border Patrol ad in programs for events later this year.

Somehow, we don’t think most NFL fans will agree with the league’s stance that enforcing our nation’s laws is controversial. Football fans ought to make their displeasure known to league officials.

Originally Posted by kammie

I was going to e-mail the NFL and complain, but I didn't see a "contact us" link on their website.

~Kammie

http://www.nfl.com/help/emailtech

Give this a try.

You know what cracks me up? I bet the NFL did not mind the security at their games. Maybe law enforcement should tell them to lump it. Like these boneheads are a stellar community, and they have to worry about offending? Give me a break!

Neese the security at the Superbowl was unbelievable. They feds had a hugh setup where they were actually using satellites surviellance. There were both Miami Dade Police and Broward Sheriff's Office as well as numerous officers from municipal departments. The City of Miami Officers were protesting there as they haven't got a new contract and have too few officers. Considering you have to be Spanish speaking or Kreyol speaking what do you want. How many of them are legal citizens, speak English fluently and have a high school diploma? Your two biggest areas there are little Haiti and Little Havana and 2 hoods.