Red Wings Included In Congressional Report On 'Paid Patriotism'
By Ashley Scoby
@AshleyScoby
A joint congressional report by Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake, released this week, cites the Detroit Red Wings as one of many professional sports teams that have engaged in "paid patriotism" contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense.
The report investigates the practice of taxpayer-funded (rather than team-funded) patriotism, such as on-field enlistment ceremonies, tickets and gifts given to branches of the military and recognition of veterans at professional sporting events. It found that the Department of Defense has been paying teams for these ceremonies and benefits, which means that taxpayers are footing the bill for field-sized American flags, ceremonies and tickets.
According to the report, the Department of Defense has spent $10.4 million on marketing and advertising contracts with professional sports teams between 2012 and 2015.
It details "to the greatest extent possible DOD's inappropriate and frivolous spending on paid patriotism activities, as well as the gifts, tickets, and other perks in each professional sports team contract" that was identified.
The Red Wings' contracts, totaling $41,500, were detailed. Benefits and ceremonies that were paid for by the DOD (and therefore taxpayers) rather than the franchise, according to the report, included:
-Season tickets for the USAF and promotional nights
-One on-ice "Delayed Entry Program" swearing-in ceremony and 60 upper level tickets for the Dec. 10, 2012 home game
-Four customized jerseys with Air Force name patches
Calls to the Red Wings' vice president of marketing and director of communications were not immediately returned.
Details of contracts with 18 teams from the NFL, 10 from MLB, eight from the NBA and six from the NHL were included. The Red Wings were the only Detroit sports team mentioned.
"Unsuspecting audience members became the subjects of paid-marketing campaigns rather than simply bearing witness to teams' authentic, voluntary shows of support for the brave men and women who wear our nation's uniform," Sens. McCain and Flake wrote in the report.
They also said that the "DOD's complete lack of internal controls for awarding, managing and overseeing these contracts" lends itself to potential for fraud and abuse.
