Press editorial: Celebrating the demise of 'paid patriotism'

One of the best ways to honor our veterans is to refuse to dishonor them.

A dreadful wrong is on track to being righted.

In the wake of an astonishing story from ESPN The Magazine early last December, The Press editorialized on an insidious act of alleged patriotism that had been embraced by professional sports leagues. Arizona senators John McCain and Jeff Flake had uncovered a scheme where leagues were paid for “patriotic acts.” Here’s the way the magazine put it:

“For the past few years, the U.S. Department of Defense and the major sports leagues have embedded military-themed programs into the game-day experience, not for goodwill, not in support of the troops, but for money. McCain and Flake call it ‘paid patriotism’ and say the DOD has spent at least $53 million of taxpayer money on at least 50 teams to stage these events, hoping to recruit new soldiers while duping fans into believing these gestures are voluntary expressions of teams’ gratitude for returning soldiers. The two senators have drafted laws to make it stop.”

Shortly after the senators introduced that legislation, the DOD said it would stop funding and approving contracts in which teams get paid to honor members of the Armed Forces. The NFL took it one step further.

League officials had an audit done and identified $723,734 over four seasons that may have been “mistakenly applied to appreciate activities rather than recruitment efforts.” The league said it was returning that amount in full to taxpayers — not that you’ll actually see any of that money. But that isn’t the point.

The NFL deserves a round of applause for doing what’s right. Now we hope the other professional sports leagues — Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League, the National Basketball Association and Major League Soccer — also have audits done and pay back those ill-gained dollars. And that “paid patriotism” of all kinds dies a dishonorable death.

In our Dec. 4, 2015, editorial, we offered this rebuke and advice: “In stores and other businesses near you, disingenuous people play the patriotic trump card in an effort to attract your patronage — your dollars. Be discerning. If they say they’re supportive of the military, ask them to prove it. To which organizations do they belong? To which events do they donate or otherwise participate? What’s their hiring practice with former members of the military?”

On this weekend dedicated to the men and women who gave their lives for their country, let’s be mindful that patriotism comes from the heart, not the checkbook.