Accommodations for Vikes-Packers game to be considered for tonight’s City Council meeting

Northfield City Council Bowing to pressure from civic-oriented footfall fans, the Northfield City Council will entertain a motion at the start of tonight’s meeting (see Tracy’s blog post for a summary) to allow the broadcast of the Vikings-Packers game on the overhead TV monitors in the Council chambers.  There would be no audio, of course, but closed captioning would be provided.

Councilors could opt for the service on their individual monitors, as some of the women councilors already do for their Monday night favorites, Dancing with the Stars and House (see photo above). The outnumbered male councilors have grumbled about this for months to no avail and now see the possibility of a breakthrough for Monday Night Football because of the intense interest in tonight’s game.

"Yes, we all have Tivo, but nothing beat’s live TV coverage of important events like President’s Obama’s message to school children a few weeks ago," said Councilor James Pokorman. "That was educationally significant. This is culturally significant."

Councilor Rhoda Pownow was less convinced. Echoing the sentiments of Emmaus Baptist Church pastor Will Healy who a few years ago objected to the scheduling of pro football games during the same time as late Sunday morning church services, Pownow wrote in a multiple metaphor email to the Mayor: "This is clearly a case of encroachment and if we don’t draw the line in the sand, the dominos will continue to fall till the cows come home." 

10 Comments

  1. Robbie Wigley said:

    Griff… you’re sick! First we communicate by email from your basement office to my 2nd floor office and now you are going to the Council meeting to watch the Vikings game… I think 60 did hit you hard!

    October 5, 2009
  2. Patrick Enders said:

    Is there a football game tonight?

    October 5, 2009
  3. Curt Benson said:

    Patrick, (AKA Dr. Cheesehead) I know you don’t follow sports very closely. Let me explain. There was a great defection, with the defector going from the Packers to the Vikings.

    In LoGroNo terms, this would be like David L asking for a tax increase for more bike trails to more skateboard parks. Or like John George signing on with Satan. Or like the Summas coming to the defense of Al Roder or Jon Denison. — or myself, suggesting that the previous police chief was really quite competent.

    There will be blood….

    Capice?

    October 5, 2009
  4. Patrick Enders said:

    Curt,
    Oh, that game. Ah yes, I recall now:

    The scrappy heroes have suffered many wounds, both to their soldiers of the line, as well as to their rear guard. The soldiers of the army of light have been picked off one by one, and the young leader of our band has been harried left and right.

    Weakened but not broken, he leads his army into the cavern of all that is unholy, once again to do battle against the evil horde. One more skirmish in a neverending war that sometimes seems little more than a long, bloody stalemate.

    But on this day, it is not only the usual abominations which await. On this day, another figure stands in that god-forsaken pit of inky blackness: an aged knight whose rusted sword and burnished armor shine faintly with the only glimpse of light to be seen in that abyss.

    Could it truly be? Lancelot – who so long ago succumbed to temptation, and abandoned the virtuous army – now returns to battle with his old comrades, in a futile effort to expunge all memory of his prior sin?

    Oh wait, that’s another (bad) analogy.

    How about this:

    It’s early in the season. The Packers have suffered key injuries (OL, DL, safety). By contrast, as usual, the Vikings are looking good at the beginning of the season. Brett Favre, as he so often has done in the past, is off to a good start.

    The Vikings have every advantage in this game – and should by all rights be victorious on this day.

    On the other hand, the Vikings have always been the darlings of September – but they always find a way to lose in the end. Similarly, Brett Favre has looked good at the beginning of the season, but has been developing quite a knack for fading in the end.* Will the inevitable day of defeat for the Vikings and Brett Favre be today, or will it have to wait until later in the year, as winter encroaches?

    Today will probably be a bitter day of disappointment, but should the Packers prevail, it will be glorious.

    *:

    Each of the past five years, Favre’s numbers have taken a late-season nosedive of varying degrees. As a whole, the drop-off is staggering.

    In the first 11 games of the 2004 through 2008 seasons (55 games total), Favre completed 64.8 percent of his passes with 97 touchdown throws, 61 interceptions and an 89.1 passer rating. In the last five games of those seasons plus three playoff contests (28 total), he completed only 57.9 percent of his passes with 27 touchdowns, 46 interceptions and a meager passer rating of 66.3.

    http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20091003/PKR01/91003053/1954/PKR03

    October 5, 2009
  5. Bob Gilbertson said:

    Very entertaining post. But the thing about city councilors having Dancing With The Stars or House on their monitors during council meetings can’t possibly be true, can it?

    October 5, 2009
  6. john george said:

    Griff- I know Rhonda pretty well, and she never before exhibited that deftness with metaphores. Take it from a die-hard punster, those are pretty good. Perhaps her civic position has dawned upon a new horizon and eclipsed her sense of humor.

    October 5, 2009
  7. john george said:

    Sorry, I should have addressed you as “Friff”.

    October 5, 2009
  8. Griff Wigley said:

    Bob, no Council members have posted objections to my assertions so it must be true, no?

    October 9, 2009
  9. Bob Gilbertson said:

    I’m perhaps too new here to know whether you’re joking. You’re joking about council members watching those shows during meetings, right?

    October 9, 2009
  10. john george said:

    Bob- Perhaps my father’s advice is applicable here- “Don’t believe anything you hear, and only half of what you see.” You’ll catch on to Griff (Friff) after a while.

    October 9, 2009

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