Department of Defense paid millions for NFL teams, including Bills, to honor vets
 

The Saints didn't make the list!

The Department of Defense paid millions over the past few years to have 14 NFL teams honor vets at home games, according to a report by NJ.com.

According to the report, $5.4 million in taxpayer dollars were paid out for ceremonies. The DOD paid the Bills a total of $679,000 for celebrations from 2011 to 2014.

The New York Jets also received money for the program, a total of $377,500.

U.S. Senator Jeff Flake brought up the issue in a post critical of the "federally funded feel-good moments."

Department of Defense paid millions for NFL teams, including Bills, to honor vets | WHEC.com

Which NFL teams got your federal tax dollars? | NJ.com

Re: Department of Defense paid millions for NFL teams, including Bills, to honor vets
 

Geez! Why does the DOD have to fund this? Couldn't teams do it on their own? :neutral:

Re: Department of Defense paid millions for NFL teams, including Bills, to honor vets
 

Our tax dollars at work, wth?

Re: Department of Defense paid millions for NFL teams, including Bills, to honor vets
 

On a list of wasted tax dollars, this ranks about 1 billionth.

Re: Department of Defense paid millions for NFL teams, including Bills, to honor vets
 

Still makes the list but it's not worth my time worrying about.

Re: Department of Defense paid millions for NFL teams, including Bills, to honor vets
 

WTH did we have to fund this...

There should be no wait, the NFL should have their tax exempt status revoked post-haste...

Re: Department of Defense paid millions for NFL teams, including Bills, to honor vets
 

What's the big deal? "Everybody does it" " They didn't get any advantage from it."

All depends on who's Ox is getting gored doesn't it?

Re: Department of Defense paid millions for NFL teams, including Bills, to honor vets
 

What are they charging the DOD for anyway. Hot dogs and beer? Who pays for the SB flyover anyway. This is really stupid. It should be a wash.

Re: Department of Defense paid millions for NFL teams, including Bills, to honor vets
 

I don't necessarily take issue with spending tax dollars for ceremonies for the veterans although it does seem a big of a high price tag that could have gone to veteran care, etc. I do however take issue with those tax dollars funding the NFL. I further take issue with the NFL being paid and then being able to make it seem like it was an offer of generosity to the veterans. Glad this got busted up.

Re: Department of Defense paid millions for NFL teams, including Bills, to honor vets
 

Everything has a price.

Re: Department of Defense paid millions for NFL teams, including Bills, to honor vets
 

Great point, I've seen this before being a retired Vet where the military teams up with an organization making it look like a tribute when it's actually paying tribute. In a sense, it pumps money into the economy but on the same plane it cheapens the efforts of those in uniform. It's not just the NFL either, it's all pro sports. Freedom isn't free and neither are the seats.

Re: Department of Defense paid millions for NFL teams, including Bills, to honor vets
 

Money would have been much better f***ing spent if it was used to actually fix the VA.

Re: Department of Defense paid millions for NFL teams, including Bills, to honor vets
 

Don't have a problem with public funds benefiting the vets, have a problem with the funding going to the NFL for the vets to participate...

Without the vets and their sacrifice, there is no NFL...

So it should be the NFL paying for the vets experience out of gratefulness for the security and liberty afforded "the shield"...

If I had my way, I'd eliminate the VA and create Medicare Part M for active military families, vets and their spouses; let 'em go anywhere they need to secure medical services; eliminate the waste and ineffectiveness that is the VA...

Re: Department of Defense paid millions for NFL teams, including Bills, to honor vets
 

:itsgood: Repeat and repost.

Re: Department of Defense paid millions for NFL teams, including Bills, to honor vets
 

Shameful. That's like me demanding to get paid to honor my Mother on Mother's day. Does the cancer foundation pay the NFL to wear pink? If that was also found to be true, I honestly would never watch another NFL game again.

Re: Department of Defense paid millions for NFL teams, including Bills, to honor vets
 

total disgrace to the game of football. vet benefits getting cut left and right and the NFL treats them like a commercial?

Re: Department of Defense paid millions for NFL teams, including Bills, to honor vets
 

14 NFL teams receive $5.4M in taxpayer money for military salutes, NJ.com reports | NOLA.com

The New Orleans Saints were not among those 14 teams, the report said. Their top rival, however, received more than $1 million, according to the report.

The Atlanta Falcons received $1,049,500 over five payments that spanned four seasons, the report said.

Sure would like to hear Tom Benson's thoughts on this matter...

Re: Department of Defense paid millions for NFL teams, including Bills, to honor vets
 

And got paid for doing it...

These are decisions of people in Washington spending other peoples' money...

On a positive note, Saints' Great Stan Brock is down here in Houma promoting a benefit he participates, one will be in Grand Isle...

In the local television interview he mentioned how he was the Head Coach for the United States Military Academy and he got real close to those he coached...

When he learned about a need for returning wounded vets, he vetted serveral charities and now does a two fishing rodeos to benefit them...

One is down in my parts this weekend; the other is in Oregon where he is a NFL commentator with the CBS Portland affiliate...

Stan Brock's Black & Gold Classic

If you weren't old enough to watch Brock play, he was a mainstay at tackle, everybit as good as Willie Roaf; he is an even more likable personality, into rebuilding classic autos/trucks and always willing to lend a hand or talk to fans...

This is the example of what the NFL should be doing; Stan Brock is a class act...:bng:

Re: Department of Defense paid millions for NFL teams, including Bills, to honor vets
 

I see we're all agreed, :).

Hey, most Vets would just appreciate a decent seat, maybe a dog, beer and/or popcorn and would agree to appearing on the jumbotron so said NFL team(s) could get a little positive P.R. out of it ... why all the extravagance? I guess if there's a special occasion/holiday like Veteran's Day, Memorial Day, July 4, et ... where a military connection can be made, #shrug, but open up a section for Vets & give 'em free refreshments for a game or two each season (at a team's own expense) & I'll be impressed, ;).

That is all.

https://s.yimg.com/fz/api/res/1.2/il...ver-detail.jpg

Re: Department of Defense paid millions for NFL teams, including Bills, to honor vets
 

Ceremonies are meaningless. If I were a veteran I wouldn't have any interest in people pretending to care about me. People who give a damn will come up to you and personally shake your hand and say thank you. People in the stands who are cheering might genuinely care and appreciate what the moment is about, but everyone knows the people who put these things together are just trying to make themselves look good.

If you're going to spend our tax dollars, just give it to the vets for their own personal use, instead of wasting it on a ceremony.

Now I'm not saying don't give them any publicity. You can have vets walk out onto the field and get a standing ovation all day long, for free. There's no need to spend money on it at all.

Re: Department of Defense paid millions for NFL teams, including Bills, to honor vets
 

I have mixed emotions on this subject. I don't think we need to pay millionaires and Billionaires to let them host the event. The NFL should have a lottery and whoever wins would get to host and pay for an event to host the military. Heck we could even make it tax deductible.

I remember when politicians were trying to make war acceptable to the American public. Too many people were against the cost of war.......the next thing you know the tax payers are unknowingly paying millions of dollars to host the veterans at an NFL game. The politicians have done a nice job of protecting their investment in the military contracts.

Now we all love war and support the troops. I realize the American public in general may not really support the war but we accept it while we support our troops. This was a great job of advertising by the politicians.

Don't get me wrong I respect and admire our military personnel. I just hate that we have to pay rich people a ton of money to honor the vets. That money could be better spent elsewhere taking care of our veterans.jmo
Rant Over!

Re: Department of Defense paid millions for NFL teams, including Bills, to honor vets
 

It is also a marketing tool for the military, another wrench it. They use these venues to honor those in uniform but also, to sign more up which is not easy to do in war time. I'm on the fence on this because the DOD also pays money for commercial air time on TV and radio. So do they also give the military a pass? I don't think so. These people are trying to make money at the end of the day. Maybe a good discounted rate would make the most sense.

Re: Department of Defense paid millions for NFL teams, including Bills, to honor vets
 

BUT when I see a commercial on Radio or TV I have never thought it was a free airtime. I was under the thought the NFL was doing this out of generosity. Maybe that was just me. If during the celebration they noted somewhere on screen the NFL was compensated for it I would then feel better about not being taking advantage of (emotionally speaking). I just feel ripped off by the NFL yet again.

Re: Department of Defense paid millions for NFL teams, including Bills, to honor vets
 

The US Government spends millions on studying freaking cow farts. Some of you are concerned about spending money on this? Seriously?

Re: Department of Defense paid millions for NFL teams, including Bills, to honor vets
 

Relax, all those other things have been complained about before. This information is a little new to some of us. We don't need a lecture on how much the Government screws up.

Re: Department of Defense paid millions for NFL teams, including Bills, to honor vets
 

It is kind of a recruiting tool, I agree, but I don't think they're having too hard a time filling quotas in this economy.

Re: Department of Defense paid millions for NFL teams, including Bills, to honor vets
 

It is because we the people are apathetic and complacent, failing to challenge each and every instance of corruption, incompetence that we are in this state of affairs...

And it's disingenuous for NFL announcers to say the NFL is proud to honor when in fact unaccountable government bureaucrats paid for what the NFL tries to pass off as something they sacrificed to make happen...

Re: Department of Defense paid millions for NFL teams, including Bills, to honor vets
 

It is ridiculous that any team is compensated for paying tribute to the military. It should be a priority to organizations at this level to pay tribute to the people sacrificing to allow them to continue to flourish in this country.

With that said, overall I am glad they have created this marketing scheme, because it has brought the military into the living rooms and put it in front of people every Sunday who take it for granted, and that is positive.

As far as the VA bashing, I swim in health care both federal and private, and they are ALL f***ed up, and if you think it otherwise, you are uninformed.
(Not just you Neugey, there are several bashings in this thread, I just tagged yours first)

Re: Department of Defense paid millions for NFL teams, including Bills, to honor vets
 

WTH? marketing scheme? I can not go there as a justifiable explanation for this level of disrespect and greed.

not bashing any one here but i need to make a point.

that catch phrase, marketing scheme, ticks me off to no end when attached to soldiers that have served to protect these millionaires and their way of life.

A marketing scheme to say thanks to soldiers that risk life and limbs?

If you have to get paid to show your respect to these men and women for all they have risk for you then are no patriot and you deserve to have your ass kicked

This has completely tarnished all the NFL has said to be doing for our vets. What other covered up kick backs do we not know about. Is this the reason why the NFL gave up their tax exempt status?

nope this will never sit right with me ethical or morally.

This is the icing on the cake IMO Roger is the biggest disgrace in the history of the NFL. I hold Ray Rice in higher regards than Roger Stokoe Goodel.

Roger Stokoe Goodel is a snake in the grass that would sell his own mother if there was a penny to made. Same goes for the owners that took the money. patriots my a$$

ok i will ask myself one more time

A marketing scheme to say thanks to soldiers that risk life and limbs?

Sorry I just get madder and madder every time i ask myself to consider the question.