nick stevens: blog 
nick stevens' golo sports blog
specter needs to focus on the country, not football
Published Feb. 14, 2008
I have a real problem with the Senator Arlen Specter's investigation of the National Football League's "Spygate."
Specter, a member of the Judiciary Committee, met with Roger Goodell on Wednesday to talk about why the NFL destroyed the tapes that became the center of controversy in Week 1 of the 2007 season.
The over zealous senator said during the week of the Super Bowl that if his questions weren't answered to his satisfaction, he would consider congressional hearings. Those two words - "congressional hearings" - make me cringe. I would have never cared until I saw the disaster, the train wreck of a trial - not hearing - on Capitol Hill that took place on Wednesday with Major League Baseball.
The government needs to stay out of sports. Period.
What does the Judiciary Committee have to do with the NFL? Nothing. Just like the Oversight Committee doesn't have anything to do with MLB!
We are paying these congressmen to run our country. We are paying them to keep us safe. We are paying them to make sure we have Social Security when we retire. We are paying them to make sure we have proper policy. We are NOT paying them to look into the NFL and MLB. If that were the case, I wouldn't be paying them each month!
Let's face it. Specter has already determined that he wants to hold congressional hearings about Spygate. Why? Because it gets his name out there. Why else would he? Because he thinks the C-SPAN ratings need a boost? Give me a break.
Specter said on Wednesday, "We have a right to have honest football games." The NFL, a private organization which has nothing to do with the government, also has the right to govern itself without Congress interfering.
What's next? Is Congress going to look into Indiana's basketball program and Kelvin Sampson? Are they going to take a look at the controversial call that sent Villanova home with a loss? What about the questionable time keeping at Duke last season?
This has to stop.
When Congress can bring peace to the Middle East; when Congress can lower gas prices to the point where I can afford it; when Congress can make sure the victims of Hurricane Katrina are cared for and their neighborhoods are rebuilt; when Congress can win the war against terror and capture Osama bin Laden; and, when Congress can fix our domestic issues like immigration, then I might be able to accept their involvement with sports IF laws have been broken.
None of that has happened, and none of it is going to happen in the near future, so the government needs to butt-out of sports!
End of story.
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February 14, 2008 7:39 p.m.
100% correct.
GOLO member since January 2, 2008
February 14, 2008 1:01 p.m.
GOLO member since January 25, 2008
February 14, 2008 10:21 a.m.
GOLO member since January 18, 2008
February 14, 2008 7:33 a.m.
GOLO member since November 27, 2007
February 14, 2008 7:09 a.m.
Of course, we could always just rescind the exemption, if they'd prefer.
GOLO member since September 6, 2007
February 14, 2008 2:09 a.m.
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