Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
"An investigation into how the NFL honors US soldiers and members of the National Guard during games revealed the Department of Defense paid 14 teams $5.4million for salutes and advertising. The money, $5.3million of which was paid by the National Guard, was spent from 2011 to 2014.
The National Guard responded by asserting that it was a useful recruitment tool."
For anyone who experienced how our soldiers returning from Viet Nam were treated, the honoring of our soldiers today must make them feel like they were on a different planet back in the '60s. But with the loss of the draft, the DoD had to change their image. They had to stop treating our soldiers like dirt. If they didn't, there won't be anyone signing up for their wars.
And all this time I thought we had completely shed the Viet Nam embarrassment and simply wanted to thank those who risked their life serving this country.
Before jumping to any conclusions you would have to compare it to what kind of deals were given to other advertisers. For example if some other advertiser is getting the same exact deal those tickets are going too the higher ups in the company. Who does the National Guard give them too? If they are giving the tickets some regular soldiers instead of Generals and the NFL is throwing in the salute is that really a bad thing?
It's an odd situation because you can really never know what the motives are since there is money involved.
The problem is this is not the patriotism we've been led to believe it was. It is a campaign to recruit soldiers into the military. It's not designed to thank those who have already served, as it appears to be.
So far the investigation has revealed the DoD spent $53M on marketing and advertising contracts with sports teams from 2012 to 2015. Those are tax dollars and they are being spent to recruit new blood. At the same time, the DoD can't seem to find the money to pay for the medical care wounded soldiers need.
We have organizations like Wounded Warriors that are advertising to get funds for the health care our soldiers need because the DoD won't give them that care. But when it comes to recruiting healthy new bodies, money seems to be no problem.
The problem is this is not the patriotism we've been led to believe it was.
I think that would be hard to determine, the fact they are paying them for advertising by itself is not really the determining factor.
Lets suppose for a second a charity is paying for the same exact advertising and sends some workers to the game who are recognized during the game. Are they paying for recognition or are they being recognized for what they are doing?
This started in 2011. They can explain it better than I can:
Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake began looking into the Defense Department’s spending of taxpayer dollars on military tributes in June after they discovered the New Jersey Army National Guard paid the New York Jets paid $115,000 to recognize soldiers at home games.
The 145-page report released Wednesday dives deeper, revealing that 72 of the 122 professional sports contracts analyzed contained items deemed “paid patriotism” -- the payment of taxpayer or Defense funds to teams in exchange for tributes like NFL’s “Salute to Service.” Honors paid for by the DOD were found not only in the NFL, but also the NBA, NHL, MLB and MLS. They included on-field color guard ceremonies, performances of the national anthem, and ceremonial first pitches and puck drops.
“Given the immense sacrifices made by our service members, it seems more appropriate that any organization with a genuine interest in honoring them, and deriving public credit as a result, should do so at its own expense and not at that of the American taxpayer,” the report states.
DOD spent $53 million on marketing and advertising contracts with sports teams from 2012 to 2015, the report found, but that also included legitimate ad campaigns such as stadium signs and social media mentions. However, it also included $6.8 million in contracts that contained activities the senators considered "inappropriate" patriotism for profit.
Personally, I have more problems with the fact they aren't using those funds for the proper medical care of our soldiers. The idea that they have no problem funding recruitment and improving the imageof the soldier, for the sole purpose of recruiting, but fall short when the injured need proper care, says a lot about what they really think of those who serve our country.
As a former military member all of these "reunion" skits (not just NFL ones either)were too contrived and made me very uncomfortable. Too forced and orchestrated. I quit watching them well over a decade ago.
put that money in the disabled vets or veterans healthcare. naaaaaaaa... lets waste money.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
