* UPDATE, NBC “Apologizes” (Fairly pathetic one I might add – notice what is missing from the “apology?”): The NBC crew (I believe it was Dan Hicks) just announced that “We began our coverage of this final round just about 3 hours ago, and when we did, it was our intent to begin the coverage of this U.S. Open Championship with a feature that captured the patriotism of our national championship being held 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 would like to apologize to those of you who were offended by it.”

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Just as I thought that the primary reason a father who loves golf as much I do would have to boycott NBC Sports and it’s recently acquired Golf Channel is the inundation of frigging Viagra (and similar) commercials, the geniuses at NBC decided to use their considerable wisdom and virtue to edit the Pledge of Allegiance for the rest of us, for they consider us dupes.

This morning, before the final round of the United States Open – a Father’s Day tradition for golfers in this country and beyond, and arguably the most grueling test of golf in the world – NBC produced one of those little lead-in montages… You see, the Open is being played at historic Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland, right outside of Washington, DC, and the montage was a little patriotic deal showing pictures along with clips of kids reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. Only – the fine producers at NBC decided that it would be much better for the viewers not to be subjected to the phrase “under God,” not once – but twice.

This, of course, is not all that surprising – but then it happens. And we just let it happen. You see, the network is right that we are dupes, but not for the reasons they think – that is, that we are backwards, hayseed, Bible-thumpers in flyover country. Rather, we are dupes because we just keep watching and keep letting it happen. We want to watch sports, so we just gather ’round the TV for the latest erectile dysfunction commercial or teenage-targeted, sexed-up “Axe” commercial. We wait for the creative geniuses on Madison Ave. to give us another Go-Daddy clip while we bow-down to pink-clad athletes on the field promoting Susan Komen (and the money the organization gives to Planned Parenthood), all while watching the “green” broadcast from NBC where they praise each other for being planet friendly – no doubt having eschewed the limo for the Prius en route to the studio.

Just like the countless other things we do every day endorsing, either overtly or silently, the downgrade of God, marriage and most things virtuous – we just keep on watching.

I wish I thought there would be a “fix” beyond DVR. But then, that’s not really my point. My point is that the secular elitists continue to own it all and to push their view of the world into every aspect of our lives while we are forced to retreat to the corners of our churches and houses and pretend we are not supporting this nonsense when we watch and when we buy the products of the advertisers.

Oh – and Rory just birdied the first hole to go to minus 15… just in case you wondered how my glass house is doing…