SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Marine Corps, Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard and Army service members salute during a ceremony at Giants stadium before the New York Jets game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. (Photo: Marine Corps/Sgt. Randall A. Clinton/public domain)
Patriotism at a Price: US Military Paid NFL Teams to 'Honor' Soldiers at Games
New York Jets received hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of years to salute 'hometown heroes'
May 08, 2015
What better way to advertise military culture--and recruit teenagers--than by staging heartfelt salutes to "hometown heroes" at professional football games in front of thousands of fans?
That, apparently, is what Department of Defense officials thought when they shelled out at least $5.4 million of U.S. taxpayer' money to 14 NFL teams between 2011 and 2014--to pay them to promote the military on and off the field.
The vast majority of this money was disbursed by the National Guard, journalists Christopher Baxter and Jonathan D. Salant of New Jersey Advance Media revealed in an article published Thursday.
The New York Jets, for example, accepted at least $377,000 between 2011 and 2014 to stage public salutes to veterans. A formal "Statement of Work" agreement between the Jets and the New Jersey National Guard exposes some of the team's commitments, made between 2012 and 2013, in exchange for money. The following items are quoted from the deal:
- A videoboard feature - Hometown Hero. For each of their 8 home game, the Jets will recognize 1-2 [New Jersey National Guard] Soldiers as Home Town Heroes. Their picture will be displayed on the videoboard, their name will be announced over the loud speaker, and they will be allowed to watch the game, along with 3 friends or family members, from the Coaches Club.
- Place 500,000 Digital Banner impressions on the New York Jets website
- Kickoff each Home game with "Into Battle" Video Feature with Soldier/Crowd prompts
- [New Jersey National Guard] Branding on every Monitor, specifically 3 Minutes of IPTV L-wraps, in Met Life Stadium for each NY Jets 2012-2013 Season Home Game.
- Salute to Service Gameday Activation with enhanced presentation on Military Appreciation Game (DEC 2012)
The list of advertising and promotion commitments goes on, as does the roster of teams that have agreed to such deals. The Indianapolis Colts and Baltimore Ravens are among the NFL teams that have engaged in similar transactions with the National Guard.
U.S. Senator Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) has jumped on the revelations as examples of "egregious and unnecessary waste of taxpayer dollars by the New Jersey Army National Guard."
But Matt Stys, an Iraq veteran and member of Iraq Veterans Against the War based in Colorado, told Common Dreams that the revelations point to something far more insidious: the permeation of military propaganda into every aspect of U.S. life.
"I think it's detrimental to the youth, specifically, seeing these images on a television of the NFL supporting the military," said Stys. "It indicates to them that adults think this is right."
"Should we be perpetuating war or should we be looking at peace, understanding, and education?" Stys asked. "We're not defending our country or freedom--we're destroying other countries and other countries' freedoms."
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Sarah Lazare
Sarah Lazare was a staff writer for Common Dreams from 2013-2016. She is currently web editor and reporter for In These Times.
What better way to advertise military culture--and recruit teenagers--than by staging heartfelt salutes to "hometown heroes" at professional football games in front of thousands of fans?
That, apparently, is what Department of Defense officials thought when they shelled out at least $5.4 million of U.S. taxpayer' money to 14 NFL teams between 2011 and 2014--to pay them to promote the military on and off the field.
The vast majority of this money was disbursed by the National Guard, journalists Christopher Baxter and Jonathan D. Salant of New Jersey Advance Media revealed in an article published Thursday.
The New York Jets, for example, accepted at least $377,000 between 2011 and 2014 to stage public salutes to veterans. A formal "Statement of Work" agreement between the Jets and the New Jersey National Guard exposes some of the team's commitments, made between 2012 and 2013, in exchange for money. The following items are quoted from the deal:
- A videoboard feature - Hometown Hero. For each of their 8 home game, the Jets will recognize 1-2 [New Jersey National Guard] Soldiers as Home Town Heroes. Their picture will be displayed on the videoboard, their name will be announced over the loud speaker, and they will be allowed to watch the game, along with 3 friends or family members, from the Coaches Club.
- Place 500,000 Digital Banner impressions on the New York Jets website
- Kickoff each Home game with "Into Battle" Video Feature with Soldier/Crowd prompts
- [New Jersey National Guard] Branding on every Monitor, specifically 3 Minutes of IPTV L-wraps, in Met Life Stadium for each NY Jets 2012-2013 Season Home Game.
- Salute to Service Gameday Activation with enhanced presentation on Military Appreciation Game (DEC 2012)
The list of advertising and promotion commitments goes on, as does the roster of teams that have agreed to such deals. The Indianapolis Colts and Baltimore Ravens are among the NFL teams that have engaged in similar transactions with the National Guard.
U.S. Senator Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) has jumped on the revelations as examples of "egregious and unnecessary waste of taxpayer dollars by the New Jersey Army National Guard."
But Matt Stys, an Iraq veteran and member of Iraq Veterans Against the War based in Colorado, told Common Dreams that the revelations point to something far more insidious: the permeation of military propaganda into every aspect of U.S. life.
"I think it's detrimental to the youth, specifically, seeing these images on a television of the NFL supporting the military," said Stys. "It indicates to them that adults think this is right."
"Should we be perpetuating war or should we be looking at peace, understanding, and education?" Stys asked. "We're not defending our country or freedom--we're destroying other countries and other countries' freedoms."
Sarah Lazare
Sarah Lazare was a staff writer for Common Dreams from 2013-2016. She is currently web editor and reporter for In These Times.
What better way to advertise military culture--and recruit teenagers--than by staging heartfelt salutes to "hometown heroes" at professional football games in front of thousands of fans?
That, apparently, is what Department of Defense officials thought when they shelled out at least $5.4 million of U.S. taxpayer' money to 14 NFL teams between 2011 and 2014--to pay them to promote the military on and off the field.
The vast majority of this money was disbursed by the National Guard, journalists Christopher Baxter and Jonathan D. Salant of New Jersey Advance Media revealed in an article published Thursday.
The New York Jets, for example, accepted at least $377,000 between 2011 and 2014 to stage public salutes to veterans. A formal "Statement of Work" agreement between the Jets and the New Jersey National Guard exposes some of the team's commitments, made between 2012 and 2013, in exchange for money. The following items are quoted from the deal:
- A videoboard feature - Hometown Hero. For each of their 8 home game, the Jets will recognize 1-2 [New Jersey National Guard] Soldiers as Home Town Heroes. Their picture will be displayed on the videoboard, their name will be announced over the loud speaker, and they will be allowed to watch the game, along with 3 friends or family members, from the Coaches Club.
- Place 500,000 Digital Banner impressions on the New York Jets website
- Kickoff each Home game with "Into Battle" Video Feature with Soldier/Crowd prompts
- [New Jersey National Guard] Branding on every Monitor, specifically 3 Minutes of IPTV L-wraps, in Met Life Stadium for each NY Jets 2012-2013 Season Home Game.
- Salute to Service Gameday Activation with enhanced presentation on Military Appreciation Game (DEC 2012)
The list of advertising and promotion commitments goes on, as does the roster of teams that have agreed to such deals. The Indianapolis Colts and Baltimore Ravens are among the NFL teams that have engaged in similar transactions with the National Guard.
U.S. Senator Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) has jumped on the revelations as examples of "egregious and unnecessary waste of taxpayer dollars by the New Jersey Army National Guard."
But Matt Stys, an Iraq veteran and member of Iraq Veterans Against the War based in Colorado, told Common Dreams that the revelations point to something far more insidious: the permeation of military propaganda into every aspect of U.S. life.
"I think it's detrimental to the youth, specifically, seeing these images on a television of the NFL supporting the military," said Stys. "It indicates to them that adults think this is right."
"Should we be perpetuating war or should we be looking at peace, understanding, and education?" Stys asked. "We're not defending our country or freedom--we're destroying other countries and other countries' freedoms."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.