The NFL and supporting US armed forces

Preacher

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Ralphwiggum

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He never wears that shit and I appreciate it. I find the pseudo military garb the NFL pumps out to be a bit disrespectful. They already spend too much time talking about games as battles and players as going to war. The stakes aren’t that high.
100% agree and we know nobody has more respect for the military. Love him refusing to go along with the cammo bullshit.
 

Marciano490

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He never wears that shit and I appreciate it. I find the pseudo military garb the NFL pumps out to be a bit disrespectful. They already spend too much time talking about games as battles and players as going to war. The stakes aren’t that high.
One of the bars I bounced at after college banned camo (mostly to shape the crowd demos). At the time, my friend and roommate was an active duty infantry sniper who was doing recruiting in Boston. One night, he was hanging out with me at the door and some dude came up in camp. I nixed him and he started complaining about how he was supporting the troops and I was anti-American.

I asked him if a real live soldier told him wearing camo was corny, he’d go away and then called my buddy over. Did you serve? No. Are you injured? No. Do you give to veteran’s charities? No. Well, if you wanna support the troops, I can enlist you, otherwise fuck off with your lame-o fashion statement cosplaying, pretending it’s about support.

At least dog tags seem to be out of fashion.

Anyways, great game. Excited for our potential thunder and lightning situation with Rham and a healthy Harris.
 

Mystic Merlin

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I recall Bill got criticized a few years ago for not wearing the camo, and whoever went after him was too stupid to realize that he didn’t wear camo for a principled pro veteran reason.

My memory is pretty fuzzy on this, admittedly.
 

Kramerica Industries

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100% agree and we know nobody has more respect for the military. Love him refusing to go along with the cammo bullshit.
Maybe I don’t know all the details or I’m naive to something but the proceeds go to Military charity organizations…how is that a “money grab” or “bullshit”?

The NFL does not profit from the sale of Salute to Service products. Charitable contributions are donated to the NFL’s Salute to Service charitable partners
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thefocus.news/sports/nfl/why-are-nfl-coaches-wearing-camouflage/?amp
 

RedOctober3829

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deep inside Guido territory

NortheasternPJ

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I recall Bill got criticized a few years ago for not wearing the camo, and whoever went after him was too stupid to realize that he didn’t wear camo for a principled pro veteran reason.

My memory is pretty fuzzy on this, admittedly.
Side Note but I hate the Gronk USAA commercial where he’s trying to get benefits and he’s not a veteran and tries lying to them. I know USAA paid for it, I’m not a veteran but it’s seems pretty tasteless outside of painting Gronk as a dope which is not great either.

I love the BB doesn’t partake in the fake camo
 

Ralphwiggum

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Maybe I don’t know all the details or I’m naive to something but the proceeds go to Military charity organizations…how is that a “money grab” or “bullshit”?



https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thefocus.news/sports/nfl/why-are-nfl-coaches-wearing-camouflage/?amp
Because I don’t find players and coaches dressing like soldiers to be in any way respectful of our military, and generally I find the NFL’s efforts to associate with anything and everything military tobe distasteful. There are plenty of other ways to support veterans. As noted, nobody has more respect for the militate than BB and I believe he refuses to do the military cos-play thing for a reason.
 

johnmd20

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Because I don’t find players and coaches dressing like soldiers to be in any way respectful of our military, and generally I find the NFL’s efforts to associate with anything and everything military tobe distasteful. There are plenty of other ways to support veterans. As noted, nobody has more respect for the militate than BB and I believe he refuses to do the military cos-play thing for a reason.
This is a silly view of the situation. It's distasteful and disrespectful for the NFL to do it but not when Belichick does it?
 

TrotWaddles

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The Gronk USAA commercials are a bit cringey. I have never found a military member who 1.) hasn’t heard of USAA and 2.) doesn’t already have an opinion about them.

The people close to BB know his background and priorities and he’s good with keeping that circle small. Everyone outside with an opinion can go screw as he’s ably demonstrated over several decades. Good for him for doing what he feels best regarding vets.
 

Seels

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I served and am partially disabled from my deployments. I could give a flying fuck about all the camo. Really seems like it's to make nonservice members feel better about themselves.
 

Norm loves Vera

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Unless something has changed, the military pays the NFL for all the dog and pony shows. Its a recruiting expense. I am not sure about the swag that can be purchased with a team logo and a camo pattern where proceeds go towards an NFL partner org like Wounded Warrior. My guess is the NFL only pays upto the maximum they can write off.
 

soxhop411

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I served and am partially disabled from my deployments. I could give a flying fuck about all the camo. Really seems like it's to make nonservice members feel better about themselves.
Not to try and get political here (it’s hard not to) but I distinctly remember this story back in 2015
The bombastic pre-game spectacles of patriotism that had become commonplace at NFL games began to make sense in 2015, after a report by Republican senators John McCain and Jeff Flake revealed the Department of Defense had spread $6.8m of taxpayer money among more than 50 professional teams across the NFL, NBA, MLB, MLS and Nascar. In return, the teams promised organized displays of national pride including the honoring of members of the armed forces, surprise military homecomings and on-field color guard and reenlistment ceremonies. The co-opting of America’s most popular institutions as recruiting tools went by an easy-to-remember name: paid patriotism.
“Americans deserve the ability to assume that tributes for our men and women in military uniform are genuine displays of national pride, which many are, rather than taxpayer-funded DOD marketing gimmicks,” the 145-page report said.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/nov/12/history-national-anthem-sports-military-flag
 

EvilEmpire

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As with so many other things, BB gets this exactly right.

I'm not offended by all the camo stuff or anything, but I wouldn't mind seeing less of it.
 

Devizier

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Unless something has changed, the military pays the NFL for all the dog and pony shows. Its a recruiting expense. I am not sure about the swag that can be purchased with a team logo and a camo pattern where proceeds go towards an NFL partner org like Wounded Warrior. My guess is the NFL only pays upto the maximum they can write off.
I remember in the past that Wounded Warrior was not up to snuff, as charities go, but they seem to have cleaned up quite a bit in the last ten years.
 

burstnbloom

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Maybe I don’t know all the details or I’m naive to something but the proceeds go to Military charity organizations…how is that a “money grab” or “bullshit”?



https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thefocus.news/sports/nfl/why-are-nfl-coaches-wearing-camouflage/?amp
Because of the huge scandal where we found out that they profited off of all of the fly overs and color guards and everything like that. Let's not act like there are any altruism or principles behind anything the NFL does.
 

burstnbloom

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I served and am partially disabled from my deployments. I could give a flying fuck about all the camo. Really seems like it's to make nonservice members feel better about themselves.
Hope you're doing ok. Thanks for posting.

I did not serve but a few of my friends who have said the same to me when I've asked. It's exactly this.
 

jose melendez

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I'm not former mil, but I detest all of the dog and pony show respect for our troops and vets.

I don't know if it was like it pre-Vietnam, but I feel like a lot of it is ticking a box for "we've done our part, now cut my taxes."
 

Bergs

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I personally am borderline revolted by it, and am glad BB doesn't play along.
 

mauidano

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I come from a military family. I've had about enough of the CosPlay camo.

Would rather see a breakdown of how much money and how it's really impacting veterans who need it other than the proverbial photo ops of coaches and players.

Prove to us that 100% is REALLY going to Veterans and not some charities coffers where the non-profit CEO's are pulling down six figure and more salaries.
 

dirtynine

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Also, just donate the money. Selling war uniforms with team logos on them is both distasteful and purely a way to donate other people’s (consumers’) money.
 

lexrageorge

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I come from a military family. I've had about enough of the CosPlay camo.

Would rather see a breakdown of how much money and how it's really impacting veterans who need it other than the proverbial photo ops of coaches and players.

Prove to us that 100% is REALLY going to Veterans and not some charities coffers where the non-profit CEO's are pulling down six figure and more salaries.
You mean like the kingpin of scam charities, the United Way?

EDIT: Corrected as per the info provided by posters below.
 
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lexrageorge

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United Way is a scam charity? First time I've heard that one.
You obviously never worked for a large firm in the 1980's where deductions from your paycheck to the United Way were "expected".

The UW is among the lowest in terms of percentage of funds actually distributed while their CEO makes big dollars


EDIT: Corrected thanks to the info below from the other posters.
 
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Marceline

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That's good to know about United Way. My employer always hammers us with the donation thing there every year.

I always thought it suspicious that they promote it so heavily but they've never really been clear about what it does beyond "helps the community".

Edit: not to derail this thread (maybe we need a charity discussion) but I just looked up the Boston United Way on Charity Navigator and they only spend 17% on overhead and the CEO makes $373,000, neither of which seem particularly bad.
 
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Devizier

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You obviously never worked for a large firm in the 1980's where deductions from your paycheck to the United Way were "expected".

The UW is among the lowest in terms of percentage of funds actually distributed while their CEO makes big dollars
That might have been true before — I could certainly envision that — but that’s not how it works now (according to Charity Navigator).
 

Average Reds

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You obviously never worked for a large firm in the 1980's where deductions from your paycheck to the United Way were "expected".

The UW is among the lowest in terms of percentage of funds actually distributed while their CEO makes big dollars
I worked for a large firm in the 80s and had this same experience.

That was 35+ years ago. It is not true today.