It sickens us to find out the the National Guard has paid $5 Million to appear at the beginning of football games across the Nation ad the NFL. The NFL should be ashamed of themselves for exploiting veterans and creating a false image of support.
Veteran Bikers across the country should rise up. You either support us or you don't. Right now in our book you don't without being paid..
We're going to take a look at NASCAR also...
Think about it...
Its BullshitThe United States Department of Defense paid the National Football League more than $5 million in taxpayer money between 2011 to 2014 to honor U.S. soldiers and veterans at games, an investigation revealed this week.
Nearly $5.4 million was given to 14 NFL teams across the country, the bulk of which ($5.3 million) was supplied by the National Guard and the rest paid by the Army and Air Force, according to government records obtained by NJ.com.
But instead of purely heartfelt salutes to soldiers from hometown football teams, the halftime segments were reportedly part of paid promotions under federal advertising contracts for the military.
Earlier this week, U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) called out the spending as an “egregious and unnecessary waste of taxpayer dollars.”
‘Those of us go to sporting events and see them honoring the heroes; you get a good feeling in your heart,” Sen. Flake told NJ.com. “Then to find out they’re doing it because they’re compensated for it, it leaves you underwhelmed. It seems a little unseemly.”
The National Guard contributed $5.3 million in taxpayer money, the bulk of the DOD payments.
The National Guard contributed $5.3 million in taxpayer money, the bulk of the DOD payments.
In New Jersey, the Defense Department and the New Jersey Army National Guard paid the New York Jets a total of $377,000 during the four-year period, according to the federal contracts.
The team’s agreement included money for a Hometown Heroes segment to salute soldiers on the stadium’s Jumbotron at the team’s home games and also tickets for the soldiers and their friends in box seats.
The investigation revealed the Atlanta Falcons collected just over a million dollars, the most cash for any team, and the Green Bay Packers received the single largest payment of $400,000.
“They realize the public believes they’re doing it as a public service or a sense of patriotism,” Sen. Flake said. “It leaves a bad taste in your mouth.”
The rest of the teams paid by the federal government were the Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, Pittsburgh Steelers and St. Louis Rams.
See a a full list of NFL teams that have received taxpayer money from the military for similar arrangements.
The National Guard has defended the advertisements, saying they are an effective recruitment tool for the service.
“Promoting and increasing the public’s understanding and appreciation of military service in the New Jersey Army National Guard increases the propensity for service in our ranks and garners public support for our Hometown Team,” Patrick Daugherty, a spokesman for the Guard said.
Military contracts with NFL teams
From 2011 to 2014, the Department of Defense paid $5.4 million to NFL teams for salutes to the military and other advertising, with $5.3 million coming from the National Guard, according to federal contracts.
Team Contract # Amount Date Department Division
ATLANTA FALCONS FOOTBALL CLUB, LLC W912JM11C0001 $70,000 2/2/2011 Department of Defense Army/ARNG
ATLANTA FALCONS FOOTBALL CLUB, LLC W912JM11C0021 $250,000 7/29/2011 Department of Defense Army/ARNG
ATLANTA FALCONS FOOTBALL CLUB, LLC W912JM13C0013 $315,000 7/12/2013 Department of Defense Army/ARNG
ATLANTA FALCONS FOOTBALL CLUB, LLC W912JM14P0131 $114,500 8/5/2014 Department of Defense Army/ARNG
ATLANTA FALCONS FOOTBALL CLUB, LLC W912JM12P0091 $300,000 7/20/2012 Department of Defense Army/ARNG
BALTIMORE RAVENS LP W912K611P0170 $85,000 1/4/2012 Department of Defense Army/ARNG
BALTIMORE RAVENS LP W912K613P0114 $195,000 7/30/2013 Department of Defense Army/ARNG
BALTIMORE RAVENS LP W912K613P0114 $89,500 9/18/2013 Department of Defense Army/ARNG
BALTIMORE RAVENS LP W912K612P0123 $250,000 8/3/2012 Department of Defense Army/ARNG
BALTIMORE RAVENS LP W912K611P0170 $265,000 9/9/2011 Department of Defense Army/ARNG
BUFFALO BILLS, INC. W912PQ13M0113 $250,000 5/15/2013 Department of Defense Army/ARNG
BUFFALO BILLS, INC. W912PQ14M0233 $150,000 9/5/2014 Department of Defense Army/ARNG
BUFFALO BILLS, INC. W912PQ12M0147 $250,000 6/7/2012 Department of Defense Army/ARNG
BUFFALO BILLS, INC. FA448411P0134 $29,000 9/21/2011 Department of Defense Air Force
CINCINNATI BENGALS, INC. W9136412P0277 $67,000 8/16/2012 Department of Defense Army/ARNG
CINCINNATI BENGALS, INC. FA448413P0049 $4,960 9/24/2013 Department of Defense Air Force
CINCINNATI BENGALS, INC. W9136411P0386 $67,000 8/25/2011 Department of Defense Army/ARNG
CLEVELAND BROWNS FOOTBALL COMPANY, LLC FA448412P0135 $10,000 9/12/2012 Department of Defense Air Force
CLEVELAND BROWNS FOOTBALL COMPANY, LLC FA448411P0136 $12,500 9/27/2011 Department of Defense Air Force
DALLAS COWBOYS FOOTBALL CLUB LTD W912L113P0015 $62,500 11/9/2012 Department of Defense Army/ARNG
GREEN BAY PACKERS, INC. W912J211P0058 $400,000 8/5/2011 Department of Defense Army/ARNG
GREEN BAY PACKERS, INC. W912J212P0097 $150,000 8/29/2012 Department of Defense Army/ARNG
GREEN BAY PACKERS, INC. W912J214P0091 $50,000 8/15/2014 Department of Defense Army/ARNG
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS, INC. W912L914P0144 $200,000 8/14/2014 Department of Defense Army/ARNG
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS, INC. W912L912P0122 $200,000 6/19/2012 Department of Defense Army/ARNG
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS, INC. FA448412P0145 $20,000 9/19/2012 Department of Defense Air Force
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS, INC. W912L911P0070 $200,000 3/9/2011 Department of Defense Army/ARNG
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS FOOTBALL CLUB, INC. W912NS11P0157 $125,000 9/1/2011 Department of Defense Army/ARNG
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS FOOTBALL CLUB, INC. W912NS11P0157 $125,000 9/1/2011 Department of Defense Army/ARNG
MIAMI DOLPHINS, LTD. FA304712P0139 $20,000 3/23/2012 Department of Defense Air Force
MINNESOTA VIKINGS FOOTBALL, LLC W912LM11P0155 $230,000 9/15/2011 Department of Defense Army/ARNG
MINNESOTA VIKINGS FOOTBALL, LLC W912LM12P0092 $225,000 9/24/2012 Department of Defense Army/ARNG
MINNESOTA VIKINGS FOOTBALL, LLC W912LM12P0092 $150,000 9/17/2013 Department of Defense Army/ARNG
NEW YORK JETS LLC W912KN11P0105 $50,000 9/20/2011 Department of Defense Army/ARNG
NEW YORK JETS LLC W912KN13P0070 $115,000 7/23/2013 Department of Defense Army/ARNG
NEW YORK JETS LLC W912KN12P0129 $97,500 9/12/2012 Department of Defense Army/ARNG
NEW YORK JETS LLC W912KN14P0123 $115,000 9/22/2014 Department of Defense Army/ARNG
PITTSBURGH STEELERS SPORTS INC W9124D13P0338 $9,000 6/25/2013 Department of Defense Army/Ft. Knox
PITTSBURGH STEELERS SPORTS INC FA448414P0037 $27,000 7/23/2014 Department of Defense Air Force
ST. LOUIS RAMS, LLC THE W912NS14P0142 $60,000 9/17/2014 Department of Defense Army/ARNG