Senator criticizes National Guard sponsorship deals with NFL teams
A U.S. senator has raised questions over NFL teams honoring U.S. servicemen and servicewomen, while not always disclosing they were paid to do so by the Department of Defense.
"You go to a game and you see a team honoring 'Hometown Heroes,' and you think it's some sort of public service announcement, that the team is doing it out of the goodness of their heart," Senator Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., said to ESPN on Monday. "Then you find out it's paid for? That seems a little unseemly."
Federal contracts reveal that the U.S. Department of Defense from 2011 to 2014 paid $5.4 million for sponsorship deals with 14 NFL teams, many of which included in-game mentions. The size of the deals over the four-year period ranged from $20,000 paid to the Miami Dolphins to more than $1 million paid to the Atlanta Falcons.
National Guard sponsorships for NFL teams
The Department of Defense paid $5.4 million in sponsorship deals with various NFL teams from 2011 to 2014, according to federal contracts.
Team Revenue
Atlanta Falcons $1,049,500
Baltimore Ravens $884,500
Buffalo Bills $679,000
Indianapolis Colts $620,000
Minnesota Vikings $605,000
Green Bay Packers $600,000
New York Jets $377,500
Kansas City Chiefs $250,000
Cincinnati Bengals $138,960
Dallas Cowboys $62,500
St. Louis Rams $60,000
Pittsburgh Steelers $36,000
Cleveland Browns $22,500
Miami Dolphins $20,000
-- According to federal contracts
"The government obviously doesn't have money to burn," said Flake, who also said he's sending a letter to the Pentagon this week to ask for specifics on the return on investment of these sponsorships. "I don't see how paying to give you a shoutout at NFL games is a wise use of money."
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