When the Jumbotron at football games lights up with the photo of a smiling returned military veteran enjoying the game, the National Football League appears to be doing its patriotic duty to salute the troops, right?
Guess again.
The NFL is paid by the Defense Department (DOD) for those on-screen promotions, out of tax dollars, to the tune of $5.4 million over four years, at a time when the military is facing caps on military spending,
NJ.com reports.
When announcers salute a veteran and his family over the loudspeaker as "our hometown hero," the NFL's cash register goes "ca-ching" for 14 NFL teams.
Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Arizona, told NJ.com, "Those of us go to sporting events and see them honoring the heroes. You get a good feeling in your heart. Then to find out they're doing it because they're compensated for it, it leaves you underwhelmed. It seems a little unseemly."
On his website,
Flake referred to the practice as an "egregious and unnecessary waste of taxpayer dollars," and cited an agreement between the NFL and the New Jersey Army National Guard that specified what the DOD and National Guard received for the $377,000 paid to the New York Jets between 2011-2014.
It includes a "videoboard feature — Hometown Hero," announcement of the vet's name, and lets the returning soldier watch the game from the Coaches Club with three "friends or family members."
The Jets also agreed to let 10 National Guard troops attend the Annual Kickoff Lunch, enjoy meet-and-greets with players, and participate in community charity events.
Overall, the Defense Department has paid 14 NFL teams $5.4 million during that time, of which $5.3 million was paid by the National Guard, with 11 teams under similar contracts, NJ.com said.
"They realize the public believes they're doing it as a public service or a sense of patriotism," Flake said. "It leaves a bad taste in your mouth,"
PBS reported.
Other teams that profited from veteran promotions include the Atlanta Falcons, the Baltimore Ravens, the Buffalo Bills, the Cincinnati Bengals, the Cleveland Browns, the Green Bay Packers, the Indianapolis Colts, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Miami Dolphins, the Minnesota Vikings, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the St. Louis Rams, NJ.com reports.
The DOD and National Guard see the arrangement as a recruiting tool.
National Guard spokesman Patrick Daugherty told PBS, "Promoting and increasing the public’s understanding and appreciation of military service in the [New Jersey National Guard] increases the propensity for service in our ranks and garners public support for our Hometown Team."
However, Flake said, "We need to recruit and what better place to find young men and women than at a ballgame? But when the team is honoring the heroes, that's the action I think rubs people the wrong way," NJ.com reported.
Matt Ufford,
writing on SBNation, said, "We'll cry at the puppy selling us Budweiser. Just don't try to convince us it's a one-minute documentary about canine-equine friendship.
"The military supports the NFL, not the other way around. The only thing the NFL ever supports is the NFL."
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