DHS Saves the Super Bowl
By AnjaP
@Rollo1 (16676)
Boston, Massachusetts
February 2, 2011 1:18pm CST
Guess what your Department of Homeland Security is doing to keep you safe? They are working to eliminate the most dangerous of all threats to our society's security - websites that stream the Super Bowl illegally.
That's right. And the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) is working alongside them, in case any of these websites try to stream over the border, or umm.... well, I don't know why they care about the NFL.
“This swift action by our Homeland Security Investigations New York special agents and analysts sends a clear message to website operators who mistakenly believe it’s worth the risk to take copyrighted programming and portray it as their own,” ICE Director John Morton said. “(W)e will continue to aggressively investigate this type of crime with our law enforcement partners.”
The government has seized the Web addresses of ten websites that allegedly livestream sporting and Pay-per-View events online, shutting them down just days before the Super Bowl.
I know that with all the unrest in the world, one of my biggest concerns was that people were avoiding Pay-per-View fees and watching football illegally. Nothing is more dangerous than football fans who ignore the individual mandate to buy cable.
Hey, illegal is illegal and these websites are illegally broadcasting events or directing people to websites where they can watch these events. I would say that's a crime. I am sure this is of great concern to professional teams and their owners and anyone else who normally makes a buck off these sporting events. But is this the best use of ICE and DHS? To protect the exclusive rights to sporting events and protect the huge profits of the leagues and the broadcasters?
What do you think? When they can't control our borders or stop terrorism or even prevent something like the WikiLeaks dump, why on earth are they using these important resources to hunt down a few website operators who are streaming the Super Bowl?
2 people like this
4 responses
@laglen (19759)
• United States
3 Feb 11
Well thank goodness they are finally working on something good (meaning something maybe they can do something about)
. These quick lightening moves just prove how relevant The Department of Homeland Security and The Immigration and Customs Enforcement office are.
I feel much safer tonight 
. These quick lightening moves just prove how relevant The Department of Homeland Security and The Immigration and Customs Enforcement office are.
I feel much safer tonight 
@Adoniah (7512)
• United States
2 Feb 11
I'm beginning to think that DHS must be getting some kind of a kick back for shutting down these websites. They are slamming them almost as fast as new ones can start up....almost...lol Don't worry there will be some up and running in time for the game you cannot squash American enterprise no matter how hard you try.
1 person likes this
@Rollo1 (16676)
• Boston, Massachusetts
2 Feb 11
I am sure there will be sites up and running by then. There are always sites for that sort of thing. New ones will pop up as they shut the old ones down.
I just can't imagine how they justify using the resources for this when we should be worrying about more pressing problems that affect all of us, not just worrying about some profits the cable company or the NFL won't make.
@dragon54u (31633)
• United States
2 Feb 11
Well, that's our girl Janet at DHS. When she was governor she refused to address the border issues, focusing instead on making sure that illegal children had the finest schooling in the public system complete with complimentary breakfast and lunch. The border issue was the Feds' problem, she said.
As for ICE, the sheriff would have a van or truck full of illegals complete with the coyote that smuggled them over and ICE would refuse to process them, citing their lack of time and resources.
I think our government is getting worse the larger it grows. Going after illegal SB streaming is a huge waste of my tax dollars--that should be up to the NFL if they're so concerned about it, they can take it to the courts.
You did give me a good laugh in the 5th paragraph, though! 
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31633)
• United States
2 Feb 11
I didn't know he had those holdings. No wonder we're wasting our resources and tax dollars on the NFL!
Someone on the radio said to day that if GE was any more in bed with Obama that it would be pregnant.
@lilwonders456 (8214)
• United States
2 Feb 11
Nice to know HLS has sooo much times on their hands to do all this. It's not like the borders are not secured or terrorists don't want to wipe us off the face of the planet or anything.
How again is this THEIR job?
1 person likes this
@Rollo1 (16676)
• Boston, Massachusetts
2 Feb 11
If I remember correctly, the Department of Homeland Security was established after 9/11 to provide a new agency devoted to protecting America and her citizens against attacks. Somehow, I never imagined protecting the NFL against freeloading viewers as being part of their mandate.
"The President proposes to create a new Department of Homeland Security, the most significant transformation of the U.S. government in over half-century by largely transforming and realigning the current confusing patchwork of government activities into a single department whose primary mission is to protect our homeland. The creation of a Department of Homeland Security is one more key step in the President’s national strategy for homeland security."
-From the Department of Homeland Security June 2002 - George W. Bush
