Business As Usual Between Pentagon and Big Sports

By DON ROLLINS

“From secrecy and deception in high places, come home, America. From military spending so wasteful that it weakens our nation, come home, America.” — George McGovern

Fans of Larry David’s reprised HBO series, Curb Your Enthusiasm, will no doubt recall a timely scene from the 2017 season, “Thank You for Your Service”.

David and a small circle of friends have gathered for dinner with the hosts’ daughter and fiance, Victor, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan. Upon introduction, each guest offers him a firm handshake and hearty “Thanks for your service” — everybody, that is, except for David, who extends the handshake but not the conventional words of gratitude.

His fellow guests silently aghast at the perceived faux pas, David hasn’t a clue why a stunned Victor excuses himself and leaves the room. Not even the others’ profanity laced attacks and shouts to get the f**k out are enough for David to grasp the gravity of the moment. His defensive voice trails away as he makes for the door: “They thanked him! Three people thanked him! … Does everyone have to thank him for his service?”

The rancorous scene resonates for more than entertainment reasons, because for the past decade Americans have been engaged in a similar moral rope-pull over what it means to be a “true” patriot.

Indeed, America’s historical pillars of society - education, government, religion, industry and press - are as polarized as the characters from the episode. In the same field are those who embrace a near unconditional reverence for the armed services; and others equally certain the country is being militarized beyond recognition.

Yet there is one sector of society that embraces militarism with sheer abandon: Big Sports.

In a 2015 interview detailing low-key Pentagon spending on sports events, NPR’s Robert Siegel questioned Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) on the true extent of “paid patriotism”.

Citing research overseen by the senator and fellow partisan Sen. John McCain, Flake estimated a total of nearly $7 million doled out between 2012-2015, spread across 72 contracts with various sports teams.

McCain and Flake’s report listed paid patriotism events ranging from dropping members of the Airborne from the tops of stadia, to versions of the national anthem sung by National Guard members, to Military Appreciation Night programs adopted by professional franchises representing football, baseball, basketball, hockey and soccer.

Once the contracts were discovered, the official rationale given by Pentagon spokespersons was to promote the “patriotic spirit” — a far cry from the reason most commonly supplied by the actual teams: the Pentagon saw the funds as a recruiting investment, the cost of gaining access to the age cohort most likely to enlist.

Under heavy pressure from Congress, paid patriotism was phased out of the Pentagon budget in 2016, causing the four military branches to instead double down on advertising. (A USA Today profile from last year quoted a request from the Army for $100 million in advertising, at least half of that total earmarked for broadcasts of sporting events.)

But things changed again last March, when, faced with an anticipated shortage of trained pilots, the Air Force asked for and was mysteriously granted new funding to stage flyovers at professional football and baseball games. When questioned about the existing ban on such use of Pentagon funds, an Air Force spokesperson explained the reversal of policy as “… a way for the US Air Force to showcase the capabilities of our aircraft while at the same time inspire a future generation.”

It was inevitable that a branch of the military would sooner or later find the requisite number of sympathetic Pentagon officials necessary for a rollback. Given the armed services-related pageantry on display at this year’s MLB All-Star game, we can only assume other branches have had success on par with the Air Force.

If so, someone besides the ailing McCain and departing Flake will have to risk the political blowback that comes with confronting the Pentagon’s backsliding ways. Otherwise it’ll be business as usual come the World Series. And Monday Night Football. And the NBA playoffs. And...

Don Rollins is a Unitarian Universalist minister and substance abuse counselor living in Pittsburgh, Pa. Email donaldlrollins@gmail.com.

From The Progressive Populist, August 15, 2018

Populist.com