New England Patriots, Other Boston Teams Participated in Paid Patriotsm

By DANIEL LIBON (Patch Staff)

Honoring members of the armed services has become a tradition at New England Patriots home games, but a new report from Senators Jeff Flake and John McCain says that the team, along with the other three major Boston sports team and several more nationwide, were paid by the Defense Department to do so.

Described as “paid patriotism,” the report says that 72 of the 122 Defense Department’s contracts show that the department paid for patriotic tributes at professional football, baseball, basketball, hockey, and soccer games. The displays included on-field color guard, enlistment and reenlistment ceremonies, performances of the national anthem, full-field flag details, ceremonial first pitches͕ and puck drops.

“While well intentioned, we wonder just how many of these displays included a disclaimer that these events were in fact sponsored by the DOD at taxpayer expense. Even with that disclosure, it is hard to understand how a team accepting taxpayer funds to sponsor a military appreciation game, or to recognize wounded warriors or returning troops, can be construed as anything other than paid patriotism,” the report said. “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 New England Patriots ranked second among NFL teams in “paid patriotism,” with taxpayers footing $700,000 in contracts over the last three fiscal years. Perks in the contracts included recognition of one Massachusetts Army National Guard solider at each game; four season tickets, four pregame field passes, one VIP parking pass for each preseason and regular season home game; one hundred sixty general admission tickets and 120 tailgate passes that also included food and beverages; and non-gameday use of a super suit.

The Atlanta Falcons led the league with $879,000 worth of contracts.

In a statement to the Sun Chronicle, Patriots spokesman Stacy James said, “For more than two decades, the Kraft family and the New England Patriots have been honoring troops at our games.”

On Wednesday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league would refund all money it has received through “paid patriotism.”

Contracts for the Boston Celtics, Bruins, and Red Sox came in at $195,000 for the last fiscal years; $280,000 for fiscal years 2012 and 2013, and $100,000 for fiscal years 2013 and 2014.

To read the full report, click here.