ATLANTA — A fan of football and the Foo Fighters is calling out a recent promo of their Atlanta concert that combined both - and added in drug and alcohol references.
In an open letter to the band, the NFL, the football players and analysts in the video (language warning), Tom Smarch said the recent promotional ad for the Foo Fighters' pre-Super Bowl concert left him "numb."
"Literally, my mouth was open when I finished watching your concert promo video," he said.
The video shows the rock band portraying a football team, the Jackals. Meanwhile, Fox NFL Sunday hosts Curt Menefee, Terry Bradshaw and Michael Strahan, in 70s garb, provide the introductions. The full video is filled with back-to-back puns with more than a few gags thrown by the band members themselves.
However, during the video, lead singer David Grohl is seen spiking his drink while another "player" is on an apparent acid trip and later has a seizure on the field.
That's what Smarch, who describes himself as "part of a family whose appreciation for the Foo Fighters music" spans three generations, took offense.
He said that he and his wife struggled for five years to help their son, Jacob, through substance abuse and later addiction.
"The struggle ended two years ago when, in his bedroom, he laid motionless, dead from an accidental drug overdose, 18 years old," he said. "What we trivialize and what we show to our young people can make the difference."
Smarch said he understood the video was a parody but felt the timing was inappropriate given the ongoing crises of substance abuse and addiction around the country.
"At a time where the drug overdose deaths are at their highest levels in history, where, in 2017, 198 people died every day from alcohol drug-related overdoses, do you think it was a good idea to trivialize the use of LSD portrayed by a football player tripping on acid or another player getting drunk during a football practice?" he asked.
Smarch added that he now works with non-profits to educate the public about substance use and offered to speak with the band any time during the Super Bowl week about the continued impact.
The band will be in town on Saturday ahead of Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz stadium. They'll also be playing a full show just up the road in Midtown next to Atlantic Station.
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