Peter Schorsch
Among Florida politicos, it’s referred to as the “Lenny Curry Rule.”
This rule is quite simple: Short of a statewide emergency, there’s to be no political tweeting during the NFL games on Sunday.
Although the rule is named after the Bold City’s Jacksonville Jaguars-loving mayor, Associated Press reporter Brendan Farrington and Democratic political consultant Steve Schale probably have as much to do with the rule’s creation as Curry.
Now, because some people seem to want to discuss politics all of the time, it’s not always easy to abide by the Curry rule, especially with a president in the White House who is just as likely to fire off a Tweet from one of his golf courses as he is from the Oval Office. But, for the most part, the Curry Rule has been upheld.
The Curry Rule is one of those rare instances where we all come together and reach a sensible agreement, sort of like making everyone wear a seatbelt.
Although they did not specifically break The Curry Rule, both Andrew Gillum and Adam Putnam were determined to annoy us on the high holy day of Super Bowl Sunday.
Putnam was first on the field with an email titled “120 Seconds.” That’s the amount time it takes to play and sing the national anthem, Putnam says.
“Will you stand for 120 seconds today,” Putnam asks in essentially the same voice as when he proclaimed himself to be a “sellout” to the National Rifle Association.
Of course, Putnam’s supporters will see nothing wrong with the Bartow Republican literally wrapping himself up in the flag, but the messaging sounded as needy as Justin Timberlake’s halftime performance.
Contrast Putnam’s Breitbart-esque messaging about (… ” ‘protestors’ who are sitting or kneeling — and the NFL is complicit”) with the comfortable Dockers ad that Richard Corcoran released on Sunday.
Read Putnam’s email and watch Corcoran’s video and ask yourself, with whom would you rather have a Bud Light? Dilly, dilly, of course, it’s Corcoran.
Admittedly, I am reading too much into Putnam’s email. It’s just that … an email. It’s patriotic and well-timed. And I am one of those communists who complains that the NFL is basically propaganda for the military.
But if you believe that the Super Bowl is sacrosanct … that it’s three hours of the year when we all can forget about the releasing of memos … then Gillum committed the ultimate sin: He interrupted Nick Foles and Tom Brady to bitch about Donald Trump and Rick Scott.
I mean, he may as well have double-dipped his chip in your favorite Super Bowl dip.
Gillum’s email arrived just after halftime and right before this:
We have a @RobGronkowski TOUCHDOWN.
You know what that means… GRONK SPIKE. #SBLII #NotDone pic.twitter.com/YtRn2DlfY6
— NFL (@NFL) February 5, 2018
In the email, Gillum is seeking donations so that he can fight to “not let Trump and Scott sell our enviro-” … oh wow, the Eagles just did this while I was reading Gillum’s stupid email:
Nick Foles with the absolute DIME! #SBLII pic.twitter.com/xVaZmET7Y0
— NFL (@NFL) February 5, 2018
Delete. Delete. Get out of my inbox, Andrew Gillum.
After yesterday’s performances by Putnam and Gillum, it’s time for the rules committee — not the NFL rules committee, but Curry, Farrington, Schale, etc. — to convene this offseason and work on a second rule. No politics — period — on Super Bowl Sunday. Especially if you’re as good at it as Tom Brady is at catching passes.
Tom Brady taught how to catch by father figure Nick Foles: https://t.co/c4jyPAdIzC pic.twitter.com/jsgKgc3WvV
— Slate (@Slate) February 5, 2018
