Fox Business Delivers Stupidest Super Bowl Report Possible

http://youtu.be/imelMAUm40s

Fox Business Network attempted to report on Super Bowl ticket sales today with threats that “the NFL is expecting record-low attendance.” That’s not true, but somehow what reporter Elizabeth MacDonald went on to say got even stupider.

MacDonald tried to trace recent Super Bowl attendance trends to the popularity of the teams playing, claiming six-figure attendance four years ago was due to the Green Bay Packers’ and Pittsburgh Steelers’ involvement. She then projected the popularity of teams in the running for this year’s Super Bowl, and how that might affect attendance. Here’s the thing, though: only one number factors into Super Bowl attendance statistics, and that number is STADIUM CAPACITY.

Every Super Bowl since the inaugural edition has sold out. That includes this year’s edition, which at roughly 72,000 seats would make it the 13th-lowest-attended Super Bowl ever—not even close to the record. Fox Business alleges a “report” that the NFL is “bracing” for record-low attendance, but never cites this report or where it came from. MacDonald finally questions whether the Super Bowl “will break even the 70,000 fan attendance level it’s been trending at.” Given that the NFL mandates a minimum of 70,000 seats, we’re pretty sure they’ll hit that number.

To top it off, host Maria Bartiromo suggests Super Bowl attendance may be declining because of Super Bowl parties.

[Fox Business]

h/t to John

Update: As a commenter below notes, Fox Business’s ticket price numbers are way off, too. They claim ticket prices range from $800 to $1,900; StubHub’s cheapest ticket is currently more than $2,000, and the most expensive tickets are in the tens of thousands.

Credit LiberallyLean.com

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Arizona passes law requiring students to pass civics test

Arizona became the first state in the nation on Thursday to enact a law requiring high school students to pass the U.S. citizenship test on civics before graduation, giving a boost to a growing nationwide effort to boost civics education.

Both the Arizona House and Senate quickly passed the legislation on just the fourth day of the legislative session, and newly elected Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed it into law Thursday evening.

The swift action in Arizona comes as states around the country take up similar measures. Arizona’s law requires high school students to correctly answer 60 of 100 questions on the civics portion of the test new citizens must pass.

The test is being pushed nationally by the Arizona-based Joe Foss Institute, which has set a goal of having all 50 states adopt it by 2017, the 230th anniversary of the U.S. Constitution. The institute says legislatures in 15 states are expected to consider it this year.

The Foss Institute, whose motto is “Patriotism Matters,” has created a civics institute to promote the test to state legislatures as a way to increase the understanding of basic government by students, with the hope they will be better prepared to be engaged citizens.

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