Video - NBC Drops Pledge’s Reference to God During U.S. Open Golf Coverage

The NBC Network has really got some people upset – including me.

During this weekend’s U.S. Open Golf coverage, NBC aired a group of patriotic children reciting the pledge of allegiance.

But right at the point where it says “One Nation under God” the network switched to a cutaway shot.

When the shot returned to the children they skipped the line referring to “under God” before continuing.

This is how it came across in the broadcast,

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, with liberty and justice for all.”

Wow.

NBC for their part quickly tried to wash over the incident by having host Dan Hicks read the following statement,

"It was our intent to begin our coverage of this U.S. Open championship with a feature that captured the patriotism of our national championship being here in our nation's capital for the third time. Regrettably, a portion of the Pledge of Allegiance that was in that feature was edited out. It was not done to upset anyone and we'd like to apologize to those of you who were offended by it."

Why would NBC think reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in its entirety would upset anybody?

How is taking God out of the pledge patriotic?

Does NBC really think we’re that stupid?

One interesting note - the words "under God" were not added to the Pledge until 1954 when President Eisenhower signed Congressional legislation to add the words.

But when our country doesn’t have the balls to bring God into our national pastime or Government, we are really sending the wrong message to everyone – including our children.

Our country was founded on Godly principles, yet today there seems to be an effort to remove any reference to it from our national discord.

Shame on NBC.

I would be more embarrassed as a host to have to plug a Donald Trump reality show, or an interview with Snooki from Jersey Shore than to use the “G” word in a promotional spot.

What’s wrong with us?

Just another sign of the times folks…..

Buckle up - it’s going to be a bumpy ride.

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NBC Affiliate Says “No” to “The Playboy Club” New Fall Series - Video

It's the early 1960’s, and the legendary Playboy Club in Chicago is the door to all your fantasies... and the key is the most sought-after status symbol of its time.

But for one NBC affiliate in Salt Lake City that “key” may not be as impressive as the network believes.

KSL-TV has said they will not air the new TV series this fall when it hits the airwaves because it does not fit the “image” of the station and it would be offensive to its viewers.

They say the show, which centers on the Bunnies and patrons of the original Playboy Club in 1960's Chicago, is inconsistent with the type of programming they offer.

KSL CEO Mark Willes told The Hollywood Reporter that,

“The Playboy brand is known internationally. Everyone is clear what it stands for. We want to be sure everyone is clear what the KSL brand stands for, which is completely inconsistent with the Playboy brand.”

So will all the other affiliates pile on?

Probably not.

You see, KSL is owned and operated by Deseret Media Companies which is controlled by the Mormon Church.

And the “Church” has a long history of attempting to protect Salt Lake City citizens from any harmful or immoral thing that may interfere with their ultra conservative and pure lives.

Kind of makes you wonder how they felt last night when “The Book of Mormon” cleaned up at the Tony Awards, but that’s a discussion for a different day.

Actually, all the initial reviews of The Playboy Club we’ve seen have been positive. The show is a flashback to how we were really acting and living during the 1960’s and is a part of our history.

Kind of like Joseph Smith is part of the Mormon Church’s history – both the good and the bad.

And there is a lot of bad.

But we respect KSL and their decision and wish them well in their journey to moral purity but caution them of an old saying,

“Judge not lest you be judged.”

Perhaps a better approach would be to air the show and let the individuals with those television boxes in their homes decide through their own free to simply switch off that box of moral turpitude.

Seems simple, right?

Here is an extended series trailer of what to expect this Fall when the The Playboy Club premiers.



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Donald Trump Bows Out of Presidential Race – Good Riddance!

Donald Trump, ever the proud man, announced today that he was NOT going to run for president even though he felt he would have won the general election.

But some insiders say that NBC’s announcement yesterday that the network was prepared to recast the bad haired goofball on his own “Celebrity Apprentice” reality show was the real reason behind his exit.

Trump told reporters,

"I maintain the strong conviction that if I were to run, I would be able to win the primary and ultimately, the general election. I have spent the past several months unofficially campaigning and recognize that running for public office cannot be done half-heartedly. Ultimately, however, business is my greatest passion and I am not ready to leave the private sector."

Really? Donald, did you really think the country would vote for you? Is your pride and ego that big?

Others point to his awkward firing by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway last month, and the grass roots effort in Indiana to oust him from the prestigious job of Pace Car driver as another reason.

Related: Trump Fired from Driving Indy Pace Car

Others say that behind the scenes NBC was growing concerned at all his hot air, and the effect it was having on “The Celebrity Apprentice” sudden ratings decline.

Related: Celebrity Apprentice Loosing Viewers and Ratings

But the consensus growing around the country is that we just could not afford to have a president with such bad hair.

Related: Donald Trump Bad Hair Day – Photos

In the end we may never know what the final straw was.

But when Trump decides to tell us we’re sure it will be the biggest, most successful reason the HE has ever created.

Personal Note:

Deep down we all knew, and so did Trump, that he would never have a chance at the job of President. It’s just sad that he, and the media, had to waste so much of our time the last three months pretending like it could actually happen.

Donald – YOUR FIRED!

That felt good.

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Are Meredith Vieira AND Matt Lauer Both Leaving NBC’s Today Show? Say it Aint So!

In what can only be described as major bad news for the NBC network, reports are surfacing that BOTH Meredith Vieira and Matt Lauer say they will be leaving the Today show later this year.

Some are wondering if the network can survive yet another high profile departure after the blow from Alec Baldwin yesterday that “30 Rock” is over.

Related: Alec Baldwin Says ’30 Rock’ Ending – Tina Fey Leaving the Show

When asked about the speculation, NBC press handlers said,

“There seems to be an awful lot of speculation around news anchors these days, and it’s not our practice to comment on any of it. Matt Lauer has a long term contract with NBC News and ‘Today. ”

True. But both host contracts are due to expire at the end of this year, and “ET” reported that Lauer had been telling everybody he planned to move on once his contract expired in December. And TV Guide was reporting earlier this week about Meredith’s desire to exit the show.

TV Guide says Vieira has been in discussions with NBC executives for several months about extending her contract, but she is said to be exhausted with the demanding early hours and is ready to move on.

Vieira also said that the health of her husband, who has battled multiple sclerosis and cancer, will be a factor in considering her future on the program.

It doesn’t appear that there is any personal friction between the two hosts, in fact they seem like they get along pretty well, even in live embarrassing moments like when Matt Lauer’s divorce turned into laughs on the show.

On critic stated,

“Of course NBC is going to deny it. They just lost ’30 Rock’ and now their morning news lineup is falling apart.”

There has been some speculation that Vieira, Lauer, Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin are gracefully trying to exit the network before the Comcast NBC Universal deal begins to impact daily operations.

One insider commented,

“Comcast is going to chop up every bit of content they can mine from NBC and either charge for it or try to keep others from embedding it on the internet. The days of being able to freely use NBC content are over.”

THAT seems to make more sense than anything else – the big stars want to get behind NBC before the Comcast takeover is complete because they see what the future will look like and they don’t want any part of it.

But it could also be the oldest ploy in the Hollywood playbook – act like you’re going to leave just before your contract expires so they will offer you more money for the next season.

Somehow, in a sad way, that seems to make the most sense of all.

Jay Leno and Jimmy Fallon – your move?

Jerry Seinfeld's "The Marriage Ref" - Watch Preview

Its been a long time since we saw Jerry Seinfeld on television, but soon we will be able to watch his cumulative executive producer skills unfold on his new situation comedy/reality show "The Marriage Ref."

Set to debut after the 2010 Winter Olympics, the news is there will be appearances by Madonna, Sarah Silverman, Ricky Gervais and others. Tom Papa will head up the show as "The Marriage Ref"

A preview is scheduled for Sunday, February 28 following the Olympic closing ceremonies before the official premiere on Thursday, March 4 on NBC.

The show takes a funny look at the unpredictable and hilarious institution we call marriage.

Seinfeld and company showcases the funny and interesting situations surrounding single life in New York City. And married life takes center stage as celebrities, comedians and other Hollywood celebrities candidly comment, judge and decide who's right and who's wrong in real-life disputes between real-life spouses.

Watch Preview Of Jerry Seinfeld's "The Marriage Ref"


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Video - Jimmy Fallon Does Neil Young "Pants On The Ground"

With all the late night talk show fighting and scandal these days, it is refreshing to see some great comedy every now and then.

Last night, Jimmy Fallon started his "Late Night" show SNL style with a cold open of him doing an impression of Neil Young.

The guy was spot on.

Fallon has only done this impression one other time, and this time I thought it was outstanding.

His song of choice last night was "Pants On The Ground".

Watch Jimmy Fallon Sing Neil Young's "Pants On The Ground"


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JFK Speaks - New John F. Kennedy Audio Tapes Uncovered - Listen Here

It turns out that John F. Kennedy was just like the rest of us. He feared losing his presidential campaign, and he feared having to start over at age 45.

A new series of audiotapes has been uncovered showing JFK as just another guy, sitting around the fire smoking cigars and drinking cocktails with friends and family.

The audio recording was made on January 5, 1960.

On the tape, an un-guarded JFK can clearly be heard just months before becoming President, and just 3-years before his assassination. He talks candidly about his life, politics and his own health. Kennedy is asked why he decided to get into politics, and what he would do if he had to get out if he lost the election. It is a truly stunning series of recordings.

Brian Williams summed it up best:

"I've listened to all of it -- and it is chilling, haunting and fascinating at the same time. Having read just about every book extant on the Kennedy family and his presidency, I already know there is material here that will be in the next printing of various textbooks".

A snippet was played Monday evening on William's NBC Nightly News broadcast, and below is an extended version of the entire audio tape. It is an amazing listen.

Listen To The New JFK Audio Tape Recording


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