Professional Sports Leagues Deny Charging for Military Tributes
https://gma.yahoo.com/professional-sports-leagues-deny-charging-military-tributes-211037448--abc-news-topstories.html
It has become an emotional staple of athletics in the post-9/11 world: patriotism at the stadium.
Some of those tear-jerking moments honoring U.S. heroes, however, are "paid acts of patriotism” and the practice is more widespread, ABC News has learned. The Pentagon buys on-field opportunities for military men and women to carry as part of marketing and advertising packages with more than 50 professional sports teams.
Moments such as unfurling the giant flag at a NFL Buffalo Bills game or even throwing out the first pitch at three MLB Milwaukee Brewers games, and rappelling down a rope at center ice to drop the puck at a Minnesota Wild game. All paid for....
Those documents, obtained exclusively by ABC News, reveal 72 contracts that include specific mentions of patriotic moments when major league sports received taxpayer money to stage, totaling more than $6 million in taxpayer money.