Senate Wants National Guard to Stop Paying the NFL to Honor Troops

**billchao** · June 4, 2015

http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/04/politics/nfl-honoring-troops-senators-national-guard/index.html

Quote:

Honoring U.S. troops at National Football League games should be done out of a sense of patriotism, not a quest for profit, says a bipartisan group of senators who are moving to ban the use of taxpayer dollars for the practice.

Sens. John McCain, R-Arizona; Jeff Flake, R-Arizona; and Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut, filed an amendment Thursday to the National Defense Authorization Act that bans the Department of Defense from spending taxpayer funds to honor American soldiers at sporting events.

In a statement, the senators said the National Guard paid NFL teams nearly $7 million for marketing and advertising contracts over the last three years, including $675,000 to the New England Patriots, which included the team's "True Patriot" promotion, in which the team honored Guard troops during home game half-time shows. Other activities paid for by the Guard included color guard ceremonies, American flag ceremonies and player appearances at local high schools.

I always assumed that the NFL sponsored military veterans and their appearances at games. Talk about being naive.

**Abu3baid** · June 4, 2015

It is all about the money.. I have to admit I was also under the assumption that it was done by the respective home teams.. Oh well, now I know.

**boogielicious** · June 4, 2015

[URL=http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/04/politics/nfl-honoring-troops-senators-national-guard/index.html]http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/04/politics/nfl-honoring-troops-senators-national-guard/index.html[/URL] [QUOTE] [COLOR=262626]
Honoring U.S. troops at National Football League games should be done out of a sense of patriotism, not a quest for profit, says a bipartisan group of senators who are moving to ban the use of taxpayer dollars for the practice.
[/COLOR]
Sens. John McCain, R-Arizona; Jeff Flake, R-Arizona; and Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut, filed an amendment Thursday to the National Defense Authorization Act that bans the Department of Defense from spending taxpayer funds to honor American soldiers at sporting events.

In a statement, the senators said the National Guard paid NFL teams nearly $7 million for marketing and advertising contracts over the last three years, including $675,000 to the New England Patriots, which included the team's "True Patriot" promotion, in which the team honored Guard troops during home game half-time shows. Other activities paid for by the Guard included color guard ceremonies, American flag ceremonies and player appearances at local high schools.
[/QUOTE] I always assumed that the NFL sponsored military veterans and their appearances at games. Talk about being naive.

it sounds like marketing dollars for recruiting to me. $1.2 million to the Ravens since 2009. How much kickback does Goodell get?

**Shindig** · June 5, 2015

Hmm... two senators from Arizona sponsor this, and the Cardinals (among others) honor the military without needing to be paid to do so. At least according to the "Revenge of the Birds" site -- not an unbiased source. Ironic that New England had the "True Patriot" promotion, too, since the greatest patriot in the NFL in the 21st century didn't suit up for them. (I'm actually surprised at some of the subset that accepted money for this; it seems out of character for the Rooneys or Jerry Jones. It fits with my perception of the ownership of some of the other teams, though) You know what simple (but meaningful) change I'd like to see? Make the on-field "40" at the 40 yard lines at every stadium in Red White and Blue. No one would need to make a big proclamation about it; just every now and then, someone who didn't know would notice and ask the people they're watching with why #40 has that color scheme when the rest don't. It's a great way to make sure the memory lives on and is always with us.

**newtogolf** · June 6, 2015

Yeah, the article has things confused, maybe the senators are confused too. The ads to join the military (recruitment) are paid ads. When teams honor a local soldier or division of military there isn't any money paid, same goes for local police and fire departments.

**turtleback** · June 6, 2015

Hilarious that McCain, who as some of us older folks remember was part of the corrupt "Keating 5", would get all self-righteous about this. Or anything, really. It is an embarrassment that he and the other 4 were not thrown out of the Senate and it is an embarrassment that AZ keeps sending him to DC.

For those who have forgotten, or were too young at the time:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keating_Five

But based on past experience and the garbage that passes for reporting these days I suspect there is a lot more to this NFL story than has come out from the Senatorial grandstanding.

I'm a NY Giants fan (I don't think they got any money) and definitely NOT a NE Patriots fan (I would have suspended Brady for 8 games) but this whole thing smells strongly of a cheap shot on the Patriots and the NFL.

**acetoolguy** · June 14, 2015

I see recruiting ads for all the military branches on TV all day long. Its publicity, and is very seldom free. The NG is getting something in return for their money.

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