Atlanta leads the league in 'paid patriotism'

‘Paid Patriotism’ events paid for by the Georgia National Guard:

Falcons ($879,000 for 2012-15)

• Color guard detail for the Falcons military appreciation game
• Performance of the national anthem by a member of the Guard
• Recognition of the Army National Guard's birthday
• A welcome-home promotion to provide a surprise meet-and-greet with a Falcons player for a soldier returning home from deployment
• An opportunity for 80 soldiers to hold a large American flag on the field during a military appreciation game
• Guard flag runners to lead Falcons players out of the tunnel onto the field
• A video message from a soldier welcoming fans and thanking veterans
• Two video board features that could be used for a recruit swear-in ceremony or a wounded warrior tribute
• A military appreciation day at training camp, which included the giveaway of a co-branded promotional item such as a hat, flag or rally towel for 500 attendees

Braves ($450,000, 2013-15)

• Four on-field presentations that could be used for a surprise homecoming, first pitch, calling "play ball" and parades
• Sponsorship of each of four military appreciation games during the season
• Opportunity for soldiers to participate in a parade before two military-themed games for in-park recognition, and broadcast on Braves Vision
• Additional opportunities for the Guard to be involved in military and patriotic-themed presentations

Hawks ($225,000 in 2013)

• Color guard ceremony at three Hawks home games

• One feature video presentation highlighting a National Guard soldier who performed a special task, returned from a tour of duty, helped with tornado victims, or other security measures deemed appropriate to be played at eight Hawks home games

• Opportunity for the Guard to grant a high school/ROTC unit the right to perform a color guard ceremony at one Hawks home game

• Air Force to perform an on-court flag presentations and have the USAF logo on the video board during three Hawks home games

• Air Force gives $1,500 for tickets to a Hawks home game

Source: U.S. Senate report “Tackling Paid Patriotism”

League leaders in Defense Department contracts with military tributes

NFL

Falcons, $879,000 (2012-15)

Patriots, $700,000 (2012-14)

Bills, $650,000 (2012-14)

Ravens, $534,500 (2012-13)

Saints, $472,875 (2013-14)

MLB

Braves, $450,000 (2013-15)

Red Sox, $100,000 (2013-14)

Brewers, $80,000 (2014)

Mets, $51,000 (2014)

Phillies, $48,085 (2012-14)

NBA

Hawks,$225,000 (2013)

Pacers, $115,000 (2013-14)

Mavericks, $45,000 (2012-14)

Timberwolves, $27,000 (2014)

Hornets, $25,000 (2014)

Source: U.S. Senate report “Tackling Paid Patriotism”

A soldier throwing out the first pitch at a Braves game. Eighty Georgia Army National Guard members holding a huge American flag on the field before a Falcons kickoff. A color guard ceremony at three Hawks games.

Those are just a few Atlanta examples that a U.S. Senate report gives describing how the Defense Department used millions in taxpayer cash to buy events honoring the military at major sporting events over the past three years.

Those examples — and many more — were included in the report called “Tackling Paid Patriotism,” released Wednesday by Arizona U.S. Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake.

The Georgia National Guard announced late Wednesday that it will no longer pay the city’s professional sports teams to honor troops, although the statement also says it will continue with other marketing agreements with the teams.

“The Director of the Army National Guard has recently implemented interim guidance to ensure no sports marketing programs include requirements for patriotism/salutes and a long-term policy is being developed at the national level,” says a prepared statement attributed to Lt. Col. Thomas J. Lesnieski, who is the Georgia Guard’s director of public affairs.

“As such, there are no ‘paid patriotism’ events in our current contracts with any sports team.”

The report says Atlanta is ground zero for military tributes bought and paid for with taxpayer funds: the Falcons ($879,000), Braves ($450,000) and Hawks ($225,000) each led their respective leagues in Defense Department contracts that included military tributes.

The Braves took issue with the report Thursday, saying the four identified instances attributed to them were separate from its marketing contract with the Georgia Guard. The report cites as evidence three Georgia Army National Guard contracts — by year, amount and contract number.

“All military celebrations are not part of a sponsorship and are not paid for,” the Braves said in a prepared statement released Thursday to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “The Georgia National Guard partnership is a separate arrangement and is primarily designed to support advertising for their recruitment initiatives.”

A Falcons spokeswoman acknowledged the accuracy of the report but said the team supports the military in a variety of ways as part of its “community outreach and philanthropic activities.” She also said the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation has contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to causes in partnership with the Georgia National Guard.

“There is plenty of unpaid work that we do to support all of the Armed Services, including the National Guard,” the Falcons’ statement says.

A Hawks spokesman declined to comment, saying that the team’s contract with the Georgia Guard concluded after the 2013-14 season.

J.C. Bradbury, a sports economist at Kennesaw State University, said not acknowledging these events as paid advertising could make people cynical about them in the future.

“I was surprised because they’re portrayed as community service … which everybody thinks is a good thing,” Bradbury said. “It’s something that seems genuine and people don’t question it. This takes some of the sincerity out of it.”

Marty Zobel has held Falcons season tickets since 1980. The Roswell man said the news of paid military tributes made him feel “uncomfortable.”

“It’s not a good use of taxpayer money, I don’t think,” Zobel said. “Every time I see one of these now, I’ll have a question in my mind: Is this a paid advertisement or a public service?”

The report shares those same concerns, blasting the feel-good events as “paid patriotism,” a misuse of legitimate recruiting funds for the Defense Department. It also says the Defense Department could account for only 62 percent of its 122 contracts with the professional teams, and that the report accounts for just 70 percent of about $10 million in contracts.

“If the most compelling message about military service we can deliver to prospect recruits … is the promise of game tickets, gifts and player appearances, we need to rethink our approach,” the report says. “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 report is a more detailed version of what was first reported about NFL teams by NJ.com earlier this year. The National Football League, and the Defense Department, initially denied having troop recognition as part of their marketing agreements.