Posted on May 13, 2015
What do you think of the National Guard spending $50 million on promoting the military at NFL Games?
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The military has long advertised at sporting events and during sports broadcasts as a way to reach potential recruits. But new revelations about deals between professional football teams and the National Guard have caused a stir over whether the military and the league should be more transparent about what's a display of goodwill toward the troops and what's a paid advertisement.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/nfl/la-sp-nfl-military-20150512-story.html
http://www.latimes.com/sports/nfl/la-sp-nfl-military-20150512-story.html
Recruiting
NFL
Marketing
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 11
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All the way down on the ground level where I'm at, humbly and respectfully, I think its a bunch of malarkey.
My Soldiers have cruddy equipment or worse, and need the financial support....
As much as I like football and other professional sports I would much rather see the NGB spend that money the reality of its Soldier than the pretend of a television commercial or the support of folks that get to basically play for a living.
Maybe I'm just feeling a tad bitter and pissy today (see my earlier post for my other Dennis Miller-ish tirade), but it seems to me that this is another example of societies screwed up priorities and perceptions.
And, I apologize for being such a buzzkill today to my fellow service members, if I am. (I think I'm guilty of caring too much about y'all....)
My Soldiers have cruddy equipment or worse, and need the financial support....
As much as I like football and other professional sports I would much rather see the NGB spend that money the reality of its Soldier than the pretend of a television commercial or the support of folks that get to basically play for a living.
Maybe I'm just feeling a tad bitter and pissy today (see my earlier post for my other Dennis Miller-ish tirade), but it seems to me that this is another example of societies screwed up priorities and perceptions.
And, I apologize for being such a buzzkill today to my fellow service members, if I am. (I think I'm guilty of caring too much about y'all....)
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I posted the below response a day ago in another topic on same thing.
By SFC Tim Springman 1 day ago:
Not really Chief, and heres why.
1. They are saying that the National Guard spent $49,000,000 on sports sponsorships with little to no success on it.
2. End of last FY the National Guard was OVER budget $100,000,000.
2nd and 3rd order effects. This year my State only recieved 40% of what we should have for operating money. This means DRASTIC cuts that reach all the way down to unit level that has impacted us to keep our OPTEMPO and training up to the level it needs to be. We are getting ready to go to our 2 week Annual Training here in a month. For my unit (thanks to these cuts) we will only be able to take 65% of my unit. Where as we usually take 85-90% of unit. We are doing both Gunnery(Tank and Bradley), and tactical training. But yet they still want us to be able to accomplish the taskings. Will we? Yes, but not as well as we should.
I know alot of naysayers will say that all this money is good PR etc, it may be BUT when there is little to no return on the investment WTH??
I have been to many AA and AAA Baseball games and many DIV 1 and 2 College games that didnt cost anyone a dime. The Colleges sprang for the tickets, and gave their recognition in their own way. All they asked is if we showed up in uniform to be recognized.
All i see here is a shitload of money that has been WASTED, and now that the dust has settled and it has made the media everyone is all up in arms..
Edit
By SFC Tim Springman 1 day ago:
Not really Chief, and heres why.
1. They are saying that the National Guard spent $49,000,000 on sports sponsorships with little to no success on it.
2. End of last FY the National Guard was OVER budget $100,000,000.
2nd and 3rd order effects. This year my State only recieved 40% of what we should have for operating money. This means DRASTIC cuts that reach all the way down to unit level that has impacted us to keep our OPTEMPO and training up to the level it needs to be. We are getting ready to go to our 2 week Annual Training here in a month. For my unit (thanks to these cuts) we will only be able to take 65% of my unit. Where as we usually take 85-90% of unit. We are doing both Gunnery(Tank and Bradley), and tactical training. But yet they still want us to be able to accomplish the taskings. Will we? Yes, but not as well as we should.
I know alot of naysayers will say that all this money is good PR etc, it may be BUT when there is little to no return on the investment WTH??
I have been to many AA and AAA Baseball games and many DIV 1 and 2 College games that didnt cost anyone a dime. The Colleges sprang for the tickets, and gave their recognition in their own way. All they asked is if we showed up in uniform to be recognized.
All i see here is a shitload of money that has been WASTED, and now that the dust has settled and it has made the media everyone is all up in arms..
Edit
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Give me 1/10 of that money and i will walk all across this country and sing the National Guard song at every football game! I wasn't even NG!
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