A detailed report was issued Wednesday that shows the Pentagon doling out millions of dollars to sports teams and leagues so that military members can be "honored" at games and events. It is all part of an investigation by Republican Arizona Senator's John McCain and Jeff Flake to highlight gross expenditures by the federal government in the form of "paid patriotism."

The real rub is that American taxpayers are footing the bill for what the senators are calling "marketing gimmicks" that give the allusion that major sports teams are showing American pride in the military. The report is careful not to imply that the organizations have zero patriotism to begin with, or that they don't engage in voluntary efforts on their own accord, but it serves to bring to light the fact that millions of dollars are lining the clubs' pockets in too many instances.

Here is the opening paragraphs from the oversight report:

Dear Taxpayer,

In 2013, a roaring crowd cheered as the Atlanta Falcons welcomed 80 National Guard members who unfurled an American flag across the Georgia Dome’s turf. Little did those fans—or millions of other Americans—know that the National Guard had actually paid the Atlanta Falcons for this display of patriotism as part of a $315,000 marketing contract.

This unfortunate story is not limited to professional football, but is repeated at other professional and college sporting events around the nation. In fact, these displays of paid patriotism are included within the $6.8 million that the Department of Defense (DOD) has spent on sports marketing contracts since fiscal year 2012.

Consider this: honoring five Air Force officers put $1,500 into the pockets of the LA Galaxy. In another example, taxpayers footed the $10,000 bill for an on-field swearing-in ceremony with the World Series finalist New York Mets. And the list goes on. By paying for such heartwarming displays like recognition of wounded warriors, surprise homecomings, and on-field enlistment ceremonies, these displays lost their luster. Unsuspecting audience members became the subjects of paid-marketing campaigns rather than simply bearing witness to teams’ authentic, voluntary shows of support for the brave men and women who wear our nation’s uniform. This not only betrays the sentiment and trust of fans, but casts an unfortunate shadow over the genuine patriotic partnerships that do so much for our troops, such as the National Football League’s Salute to the Service campaign.

The report uncovered DOD advertising contracts with the New York Jets and the New England Patriots that allocated taxpayer dollars to pay for these teams' weekly hometown hero tributes "with no attribution as such by the teams." 

"[T]his kind of paid patriotism is wholly unnecessary and a waste and abuse of taxpayers funds, and it must end," states the report.

And that it did. Because of the Senate's investigation, the DOD has banned the practice and the NFL has issued a call to stop accepting these patriotic bribes. However, McCain and Fluke hope to bring the dastardly affair to a full reckoning.

The report is extensive and includes example after example of paid perks, including VIP seating, luxury suites, autographed items, and visits with cheerleaders. The NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, NASCAR, college teams, and major league soccer all participated, each receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars to show their "patriotism."

The Defense Department is allowed, as the report notes, a certain budget for recruitment advertising, but the investigation uncovered gross malfeasance by all parties involved. In a letter dated July, 9, 2015, Under Secretary of the Army Brad Carson wrote a response to Sen. Fluke stating:

The issues raised in your letter are concerning. The Department agrees that using valuable recruiting resources to pay outside entities to honor our brave Service men and women is a concerning practice that requires scrutiny.

However, the report indicates that the DOD has been less than transparent when responding to requests for information by the senators. Out of the 122 advertising and marketing contracts entered into with professional sports teams, the DOD only reported on 76 of them and only revealed 70% of its spending.

To read the full report, click here.