What didn't happen (Superbowl terrorism)

USS Clueless ^ | 2-2-2004 | Stephen den Beste

[Salman]

Yesterday was Super-Sunday, the day the Superbowl was played. In some southern city somewhere, the top two teams in American football met and played the last game of the regular season, and one of them won it and became the champion. (For at least some people. which teams they were and which one was the victor was really important.)

And the biggest story of the day? That it was one of the few Superbowls where the score was close? That at half-time a pop-singer's breast got exposed, whether accidentally or on purpose?

Nope. The biggest story was the one we didn't read: "Terrorist attack causes 30,000 deaths". It is the deafening silence, the dog not barking in the night. For the third straight year since 9/11, a crowd the size of a small city concentrated itself in a stadium and sat for several hours to watch the most heavily televised live event of the year. And then that crowd dispersed and went home.

[Salman]

How many people understand this?

[kjam22]

Instead of being terrorized by OBL etal.... we were terrorized by Viacom etal.

[smith288]

One correction...it is the final game of the POST season. Not that its important. The rest is spot on.

[Blzbba]

"It is the deafening silence, the dog not barking in the night."


I got an OJ Simpson Trial flashback...

[EggsAckley]

I do. I was just about to post a Vanity about this. The what-if: what if Janet Jackson's pornographic stunt had been upstaged by a terror attack? What if it occurred somewhere other than the SuperBowl? Boy, would she be pee-o'd right now! Her chance to change the world by exposing her mammary on live teevee thwarted by some Islamo terrorists. The NERVE of those people.

[steve86]

There were threats that a bio agent would be released in the crowds and people wouldn't realize until later (incubation period). I hope that didn't happen.

[bobjam]

How many people believe the government's story that the cancellation due to specific and credible terrorist threats of several flights, including a Continental Washington to Houston flight that would have arrived in Houston just in time for the National Anthem, had nothing to do with the Super Bowl and that the 72,000+ people in Reliant Stadium were not the target?

[Ingtar]

Jackson did release her bioagent with Timberlake's help.

[johnb838]

You mean the fat naked guy riverdancing at the 50 yard line wasn't terrorism? Ohhh! My Eyes, My ey--es!

[weegee]

At least 1 Houston bound flight was cancelled and there is still an unsolved shooting incident of a Freeport BASF security guard from a couple of weeks ago.

We may not ever hear how close some incidents get to causing problems. If it keeps the bad guys from being able to safeguard their plans/kill informants/etc. I don't really need to know what Al Qaeda had in store. Tell me down the road when such information won't jeopardize national security.

[Thinkin' Gal]

I'd say judging by the numerous threads and replies on the topic today, that the Super Bowl was indeed terrorized... by Janet Jackson. She surely did "hijack" the event, now didn't she.

[Brad’s Gramma]

If it keeps the bad guys from being able to safeguard their plans/kill informants/etc. I don't really need to know what Al Qaeda had in store. Tell me down the road when such information won't jeopardize national security.

Thank you.

[weegee]

MTV-Viacom is responsible for Janet Jackson's volly in the Culture War. Not to give that action any kind of a "pass" but we are in "good" (not great) shape when that is the worst thing we have to report from yesterday's spectacle.

Kid Rock's American flag "poncho" was insulting in it's own right.

[E Rocc]

I'd say judging by the numerous threads and replies on the topic today, that the Super Bowl was indeed terrorized... by Janet Jackson. She surely did "hijack" the event, now didn't she.

The way some of the cultural collectiv.....errr...."conservatives" are carrying on, you think it was a threat to the security of the Republic.

The irony is the way some of them are passing around the zoomed still, which is a hundred times more explicit than CBSs long distance shot with a quick....err....."cutaway".

-Eric

[joesnuffy]

Yeah...I remember the old days when celebrities merely threw out the first "pitch"

[wayoverontheright]

At what point may we conclude that they don't have the WILL to strike us again on our own soil, due to the consequences which have accrued to them?

I would argue that their ABILITY to strike has not been sufficiently reduced, (how much organization is needed to plant a bomb?) yet they choose not to strike. Which leaves, for me at least, to wonder if they've realized it may be very dangerous for their health.

[SamAdams76]

I was thinking about all the terrorist incidents that have been prevented over the past couple of years. I'm sure there are a few. If so, I admire the Bush Administration for not tooting their horn about them and as you point out, possibly compromising ongoing investigations and identifying informants that Al Qaida can have killed or taken out.

I can't help but think that a Clinton or Gore Administration would be calling multiple press conferences to tell us all about how they are making us safe. Every other week, we would get a beaming Clinton or Gore bragging about how they prevented yet another terrorist attack and how lucky we all are to have them in charge, yadda, yadda.

I don't think they would have the discipline to keep these operations quiet by not taking credit for them. I don't think that they would have the discipline to be raked over the coals by their political opponents day after day for inaction when in fact a lot is going on behind the scenes that is not yet appropriate to release to the public.

[Cobra64]

I can't help but think that a Clinton or Gore Administration would be calling multiple press conferences to tell us all about how they are making us safe.

Nope. Because if Gore or Clinton were in the WH, we'd have had dozens or more terrorist attack activites here in the USA.

[weegee]

The most obvious terrorist attack that was averted was the shoe bomber who was apprehended IN THE ACT of trying to light the fuse.

Things have been quiet, but some things (like the DC sniper duo) almost weren't seen for what they were (especially when you consider the shooting that preceded the DC area shootings).

[weegee]

Some Islamofascists had the "will" but the press has denied the motivating factors for the attacks. Thus the Tampa teen kamekazi pilot, the LAX shooter, the DC snipers, the shoe bomber, etc. were all "lone nuts".

There was some hope that others would "hear the call" and strike at America.

The anthrax mailings are still unsolved. There were some mysterious deaths of genetic researchers. There certainly have been bombings in other countries (Iraq, the Philipines...) designed to terrorize countries and organizations (Australians, the United Nations...) seen partnering with the United States.

It leads a false sense of security to believe that there have been no attacks since 9.11.2001. With the attacks we are aware of, I hold some belief that other tragedies have been averted that we do not know about.