Group Wants The Who Nixed at Super Bowl

(AP)  A South Florida child abuse prevention group wants the NFL to reconsider booking The Who for the Super Bowl halftime show.

Child AbuseWatch.net objects to Pete Townshend performing because of his 2003 arrest by British police on suspicion of possessing child pornography. He was eventually cleared but placed on a sex offenders registry for five years as part of a formal police caution for accessing a Web site containing images of child abuse.

The Pompano Beach group's founder and CEO Evin Daly told the South Florida Sun Sentinel newspaper that their concerns are focused on Townshend.

"I'm a fan of the band, I grew up with The Who. Pete Townshend is the only issue, and the issue is that he's a former registered sex offender," Daly said. "The issue is, it sends the wrong message to American families."

He did not return phone or e-mail messages on Friday.

In a Dec. 17 letter to Daly, Joe Browne, the NFL's executive vice president of communications and public affairs, said the league was aware of Townshend's arrest. He also noted Townshend's charity work.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told The Associated Press on Friday that Townshend and The Who will perform in the Feb. 7 halftime show at LandShark Stadium in Miami.

"U.K. police cleared him since he was doing research for a project on child abuse," McCarthy said.

Messages left on Friday for The Who's U.S. record label, Universal, and the band's publicist were not immediately returned.


For more info:
The Who (Official Web Site)
Super Bowl XLIV (nfl.com)

[rank_n_file]

There are no examples of non-human animals killing and torturing others for 'fun' or for 'pleasure' or for sport or for the thrill of it. Someone wrote that "killer whales...toss the seals around before consuming them." As the statement says, they kill to eat, i.e., to survive. Someone else asked "What about cats playing with mice?" The answer is in the question. When cats "play" with the mice, the intention is not to kill them, but to play with them. They do not understand notions of death and life-threatening injuries when they play. Cats tend to play rough. When cats kill for food they eat what they kill. In short there is no amount of moonshine, gasbag drivel that is going to change the fact that human animals are the only ones who kill and torture others for 'fun' or for 'pleasure' or for sport, or for the thrill of it. In this respect, non-human animals are far superior in intelligence and wisdom than humans. They make far more sense than humans, especially the mainstream herd mentality jocks who trivialize Michael Vicks atrocities.

[truth_police]

The contours of the debate on this page and the rival positions are easy to discern. On one side, you have the "Joe Sports" jocks who think the term "college" merely refers to football and basketball teams that have not yet reached professional stature. These are the cerebral thoroughbreds who despise education and who trivialize the value of 'knowledge,' conscience, wisdom and intelligence as being a 'wimp' substitute for mindless brute strength. On the other side, you have people who possess intelligence, wisdom, insight, compassion and a conscience. They too have their favorite college and pro sports teams. But they put wisdom, compassion and conscience above the sports games. For them, sports are expendable, conscience and wisdom are NOT. For the mainstream herd mentality sports jock, the almighty dollar is the highest edifice of human achievement. For them, an illiterate, ignorant, egotistical, wealthy sports figure is the highest level of human achievement. So who is right? Well, let's just say the "Joe Sports" couch potato jocks don't bode well for any future advancement of human civilization, unless you think the age of the Gladiator was "the good ole days."

[rank_n_file]

In a reply to the claim "animals don't kill for pleasure" stillunbanable writes: "This trait has been found in chimps and is also displayed in other animals defending territories." This comment fully illustrates what happens when the creator makes a human with a mouth but no brains. Animals and chimps that kill "defending territories" are NOT killing and torturing others for 'fun' or for 'pleasure' or for sport, or for the thrill of it, as the majority of humans do. stillunbanable's lame-brain attempt to repudiate the claim, in fact, conclusively authenticates the accuracy of it.

[mauipete]

Since when has child porn become socially acceptable? Townshend was a registered sex offender for accessing and viewing child pornography - images of children as young as 2 years old being raped. He admitted doing it yet it's ok? ***?!!You guys who support him have bigger issues and perhaps should take a long look in the mirror.

[displeased]

Child porn isn't socially acceptable. After an investigation, Townsend was cleared of charges. He was temporarily registered as a sex offender as a caution.

[rank_n_file]

Two erroneous notions are repeatedly being posted in this debate and in the Michael Vick debate. The first is the claim that "He did his time -- he paid his debt to society" so leave him alone. The second erroneous notion is that "animal abuse" is "no big deal." We should be able to do whatever we want to inferior animals who have no rights, because as a matter of social policy, animals already are cruelly exploited for human profit, pleasure, fashion and insatiable appetites. As to the first claim, where there is absolutely no remorse, no repentance, no regret, no shame, as in the Michael Vick case, the karmic and social debt is "never paid." In fact, it's not even reduced or mitigated, because nothing has changed in the twisted mentality that inflicted such cruelty on another. As for the second bogus claim, the true reality tells the true story. There are no examples of non-human animals killing and torturing others for 'fun' or for 'pleasure' or for the thrill of it. Animals that kill, kill to eat and for no other reason. That fact leaves the non-human animals species far superior to the malevolent, mindless, homicidal, misanthrope thugs like Vick, who's malice and ignorance fully eclipse their genetic heritage.

[stillunbanable]

"There are no examples of non-human animals killing and torturing others for 'fun' or for 'pleasure' or for the thrill of it."

This is not correct. This trait has been found in chimps and is also displayed in other animals defending territories.

[displeased]

And killer whales. They toss the seals around, boasting and playing with them before consuming them.

And yes, Vick paid his time. He may be still screwed in the head, but he did pay his time. There are many more who don't pay their time. And there are many many more who don't get caught.

[talltimber41]

We Won't Be Fooled Again!

[Birdman_1976]

And what makes this news? Some bonehead with a cross to thrust into our face. Come on people get a life and caryy on with it!

[displeased]

Truth_Police is right. Until the Michael Vick issue, I was a die-hard pro football fan. It never dawned on me that the NFL would let Vick right back in -- direct from prison release to the NFL, no questions asked.
by wrangler73

It's not just the NFL that retains thugs. Many more organization's turn their head when their stars get caught, such as NBA, College Football, MLB, oh, and of course churches. You should boycott them all!

[davlar2]

Evin Daly should do his research before flying off the handle.

[mauipete]

You're not the sharpest tool in the shed...full research in on their website: http://www.abusewatch.net/CAN_Townshend_media_facts.php

[Brokennews]

Fine!
We'll replace The Who concert with "Amazing Dog Tricks With Michael Vick".