1 FEB 09: Super Dupe'rs
What IS the deal about Columbus running groups? They schedule races on some of the coldest weekends of the year. If they really expect crowds of loyal fans, they should follow the example of New York track clubs and move them indoors - maybe by finally clearing away the shelves at the old Parisian store.
Saturday was another example of this trend. The Columbus Roadrunners held what was billed as a "Super Bowl 5K Run" downtown, after a morning low of 28 degrees F. About 100 runners showed up -- as many more apparently agreed with my longtime church pastor, that you're foolish to run outside in cold weather.
But something else about this race seemed surprising to me - the name of it. This was the 12th annual "Super Bowl" run. Is that legal? I mean, no one seemed to serve the traditional Muscogee County school "Super Bowl of Chili" after the race....
I bring this up because "Super Bowl" is a trademarked phrase by the National Football League. You're not supposed to use that term without permission - much as the International Olympic Committee has a trademark on "Olympic." And if President Obama had any smarts, he'd get a trademark for his name and likeness as well.
Sports teams and leagues tend to be picky in how their name is used. For instance, you have to pay the league a fee to be the "official Super Bowl" something-or-other. There's probably a reason why Tampa doesn't have an official Super Bowl strip club this weekend.
A little research on this showed the National Football League even holds a trademark on the phrase "Super Sunday." Yet that hasn't stopped two Columbus realty firms from holding "Super Sunday" drawings for $1,000 several times a year. Why, that's almost as much as the price of one Super Bowl ticket these days.
This is why many advertisements at Super Bowl times refer to "The Big Game." A couple of years ago, the National Football League even tried to trademark that phrase. But that was abandoned - perhaps because Auburn football fans told the N.F.L. their rivalry game with Alabama was even bigger.
Yet a Google search Saturday found several cities besides Columbus hold "Super Bowl runs" on this weekend every year. I'm not sure how they get away with it. Maybe the organizers run too fast for the National Football League's corporate lawyers.
Some Columbus locations holding Super Bowl events today may not know about the trademark rules. For instance, a "Super Bowl Dollarmania" special is planned at Peach Bowl Lanes on Bradley Park Drive - and the flier clearly shows a football, not a set of bowling pins.
The Super Bowl XLIII logo actually appears on one Columbus church's bulletin this weekend. Rivertown Church is throwing a viewing party, complete with pre-game tailgating in the parking lot. But you have to bring your own grill and food. The church pantry apparently is being kept locked until the truly needy show up.
It appears WLTZ will NOT do anything special, in terms of showing a Sunday night newscast after the Super Bowl. Nothing special was done during last summer's Olympic Games, either -- so the staff apparently is happy with fighting reruns on WXTX for third place in the TV ratings.
By the way, Saturday marked ten years since the Atlanta Falcons played in the Super Bowl. Those were the good old days - back when the game was played in January.
You may remember Robbie Watson covering Super Bowl XXXIII in Miami for Columbus television, including a rain-soaked live report after the Falcons lost to Denver. She brought me back an official program and lapel pin as souvenirs - something she didn't have to do, but I'm thankful for. Now if former coach Dan Reeves would come to town with a pen, so its value can triple....
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E-MAIL UPDATE: I think there's a word for this message, which reached us Thursday night....
Dear Richard,
Consider this a "Dear John", from one of your avid fans, unless you come on over to In Town Columbus and join up!
Starting tomorrow, or maybe Saturday or perhaps even Sunday, I will no longer read your blog until you join!
So....there!
Mimi
We haven't read or heard something like this about our blog in some time. In fact, the last threat came from the president of Pioneer Little League -- but that involved a lawsuit.
Let the record show I have nothing against Intown Columbus. (See, I even linked to it.) But for me to "join" a site like this implies a commitment on my part, and I'm so busy with other things that I can't really commit to being a regular participant. That's also why I steer clear of Facebook - because my face might be barred from too many books.
Besides, we've been relatively independent in our blogging since the start. We don't belong to political parties. We aren't on the membership rolls of fancy local clubs. And we're not even sure any local church would take us, if they knew we blog about their pastors' sermons.
We'll hold one other e-mail until Monday, and move on to check other weekend headlines:
+ Our condolences to the family of former Alabama Governor Guy Hunt. At least Hunt lived long enough to see Rod Blagojevich replace him, as the most unethical sitting Governor in U.S. history.
+ The Muscogee County School Board held a retreat at Columbus State University. The Ledger-Enquirer reports plans are in the works for a September vote on a new one-percent school sales tax -- which tells me the new administration building will be open and occupied well before then.
+ A substitute Muscogee County school bus driver appeared in court. He's accused of telling Edgewood School parents he shot the regular bus driver, and might shoot them as well. Someone should tell this man you can't tell the same jokes at bars that you do outside schools.
+ Columbus Police held an auction of confiscated merchandise, including a collection of 23 cars taken in a single drug bust. Shame on all of you who think they were impounded from Bill Heard's old mansion....
+ Lanett Police reported someone stole a 42-inch flat-screen TV from a home. I have a television set available for stealing right now. It's the old-school TV on the floor - the one that becomes obsolete in two weeks without a converter box.
+ A late-night fire damaged Clegg's Fireworks Supermarket in Ladonia. Nearby residents heard fireworks going off, thought the manager was taping a commercial for the Fourth of July and considered it nothing unusual.
+ The RiverCenter presented a stage version of the movie "Drumline," complete with area marching bands. If your co-workers have trouble hearing you Monday, they probably attended this show and heard the big finish.
+ Former pro wrestling champion Lex Lugar appeared at Victory Independent Baptist Church. Lugar is a Christian minister these days - so if you don't repent of all your sins, he might put you in a spinning toe hold until you do.
+ Instant Message to T-Hat on Broad: Whenever you open your new restaurant downtown, I assume you'll be showing the WXTX DT-2 movie channel. You'll certainly want to be known for having "This" at T-Hat.
BURKARD'S BEST BETS: Gas for $1.68 a gallon at Summit, 15th and Veterans Parkway.... Market Pantry chocolate chip cookies for $1.99 a package at Target.... and Super Bowl commercials being more interesting than the game....
SCHEDULED MONDAY: Who's number one.... and we don't mean in football....
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