11-10-15 paid patriotism

Many sports fans may be surprised to know that several military diplays at sporting events, such as a large American flag draped across an athletic field, jet flyovers or emotional family re-unions with loved ones in the military are actually paid events.  A new congressional report  reveals  professional and college sports teams accepted large amounts of monetary compensation from the U.S. Department of Defense for honoring veterans or promoting the military in some way.   Fond du Lac Republican state representative Jeremy Thiesfeldt says its paid patriotism and admits he was surprised and disappointed to learn that the Packers, Brewers and even UW sports receive money to honor veterans.  “When I say teams I want to note that the Milwaukee Bucks have not been involved in this.  The Packers, the Brewers and even the University of Wisconsin has been accepting money to stage these events,”  Thiesfeldt told WFDL news.  Thiesfeldt says fans probably thought these teams were honoring veterans out of the goodness of their heart, not to make a buck.  “It apparently has gone even as far as if you watch the Brewers’ games on Sunday afternoons they have a practice of singing God Bless America.  Apparently the Wisconsin Air National Guard was paying $50,000 to sponsor those events,”   Thiesfeldt said.  “It seems to me to something that hits you as being wrong.”   Thiesfeldt is calling on Wisconsin teams that accept money for these staged events to reject or at least donate the profits to local veterans’ organizations.