Deals between National Guard and NFL cause a stir

At halftime of each home game last season, the New England Patriots invited a soldier on the field to honor the troops. Dressed in camouflage, they smiled and waved to the crowd during the feel-good moment.

However, the "True Patriot" program wasn't simply patriotism. It was part of a $225,000 advertising deal between the team and the Massachusetts and New Hampshire National Guard.

The military has long advertised at sporting events and during sports broadcasts as a way to reach potential recruits. But new revelations about deals between professional football teams and the National Guard have caused a stir over whether the military and the league should be more transparent about what's a display of goodwill toward the troops and what's a paid advertisement.

A report on government waste issued last week by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) detailed the expenditure and questioned why the Guard spent $49.1 million on professional sports sponsorships in 2014. Some of that money funded programs by NFL teams similar to the "True Patriot" program that appeared to honor the military but were actually part of advertising agreements with the Guard.

"The Guard has claimed that states receive significant return-on-investment from these deals, but has provided no evidence to prove it," McCain's report said. "Using taxpayer funds to pay for the less tangible benefits of cobranding with billion-dollar sports leagues raises serious questions, particularly as the Guard reduces its end strength."

The first item in a 12-point advertising agreement between the New York Jets and New Jersey National Guard for the 2012 season included a "Hometown Hero" feature. During each regular-season home game at MetLife Stadium, one or two soldiers would have their picture displayed on stadium video screens and their names announced over the public address system while they watched the game from the tony Coaches Club.

NJ.com first reported the arrangement, which netted the Jets $377,000 from 2011 to 2014.
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