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NFL could spend the offseason playing defense on Capitol Hill

The scrutiny has picked up in recent days with threats of congressional hearings and a headline-grabbing remark from President Obama about injuries in the game.

The NFL is well prepared for whatever comes its way. The league has amassed a war chest to build alliances with lawmakers, and fields a team of lobbyists who know the Washington playbook.

Adolpho Birch III, a senior vice president at the NFL, said the league is expecting lawmakers to follow them off the field once Sunday’s contest is through…

“Like every other industry, if you have problems, you have to start coughing up campaign contributions and increase your lobbying. That’s what the NFL is doing. It’s no different. It’s not special,” said Melanie Sloan, executive director for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), a watchdog group that released a report this month on the NFL’s lobbying efforts.

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Figures. Busy body leftists don’t know how to do anything but mind your business.

jawkneemusic on February 3, 2013 at 11:18 PM

Like every other industry, if you have problems, you have to start coughing up campaign contributions and increase your lobbying.

It seems journalists might be able to help business for lobbyists and get a little something in return. Surely that wouldn’t happen though. Our institutions of higher learning instill ethical standards and whatnot.

forest on February 3, 2013 at 11:26 PM

This is probably why scumbag politicians are grandstanding about football safety instead of auto racing where competitors actually get killed. NFL is a bigger source of bribe money for them.

Mark1971 on February 3, 2013 at 11:26 PM

Like every other industry, if you have problems, you have to start coughing up campaign contributions and increase your lobbying.

Therein lies the problem.

lorien1973 on February 3, 2013 at 11:31 PM

“Football isn’t a contact sport… football is a collision sport.”

———-Paul “Bear” Bryant

viking01 on February 3, 2013 at 11:34 PM

It is difficult to feel sympathy for the NFL. They take advantage of big government by having local governments build them stadiums for free while extorting tax breaks, they have special status as a non-profit, and they get the government subsidized college system as a huge free farm league. Then they let their commentators spout liberal talking points and fire Rush Limbaugh. Not that Limbaugh is anything special as a football commenter, but the excuse for firing him was laughable.

Now it’s supposedly all about lobbying the big government? Well, I suppose that could mitigate how hard the government comes down on them in the short term. But if you lie down with politicians then you wake up with sleaze. Good riddance; It’s not like we have a shortage of entertainment in this country.

Fenris on February 4, 2013 at 12:09 AM

Liberal have screwed up nearly every American institution, so now they are going to work on past times. What’s next outlawing dodgeball?

Kjeil on February 4, 2013 at 12:48 AM

Relax. Whatever it costs, the NFL will make up the difference next season from those needy enough to have something to look forward to enough to entice them to buy a ticket to a game.

The NFL will suffer no harm.

Their fans… who should be used to it by now… is another story.

I’m relieved I’m not a fan.

Hog Wild on February 4, 2013 at 12:59 AM

Of course. Never mind playing football it at your own FREE WILL and people do NOT FORCE you to play. You understand the risks. If not your too dumb and should get hurt. Liberals do not understand free will.

watertown on February 4, 2013 at 3:45 AM

This is probably why scumbag politicians are grandstanding about football safety instead of auto racing where competitors actually get killed. NFL is a bigger source of bribe money for them.

Mark1971 on February 3, 2013 at 11:26 PM

Good point.
But it’s so much fun to watch cars go around in circles, huh?

itsnotaboutme on February 4, 2013 at 7:19 AM

It is difficult to feel sympathy for the NFL. They take advantage of big government by having local governments build them stadiums for free while extorting tax breaks, they have special status as a non-profit, and they get the government subsidized college system as a huge free farm league. Then they let their commentators spout liberal talking points and fire Rush Limbaugh. Not that Limbaugh is anything special as a football commenter, but the excuse for firing him was laughable.

Now it’s supposedly all about lobbying the big government? Well, I suppose that could mitigate how hard the government comes down on them in the short term. But if you lie down with politicians then you wake up with sleaze. Good riddance; It’s not like we have a shortage of entertainment in this country.

Fenris on February 4, 2013 at 12:09 AM

Well written.
But…
Non-profit? Really????
That’s outrageous.

itsnotaboutme on February 4, 2013 at 7:21 AM

Fenris on February 4, 2013 at 12:09 AM

Well written.
But…
Non-profit? Really????
That’s outrageous.

itsnotaboutme on February 4, 2013 at 7:21 AM

Apparently it’s true. I didn’t know that either.

As described in Waste Book 2012 — compiled by the staff of U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn, a conservative Republican from Oklahoma:

In 2010, the registered NFL nonprofit alone received $184 million from its 32 member teams. It holds over $1 billion in assets. Together with its subsidiaries and teams – many of which are for-profit, taxed entities – the NFL generates an estimated $9 billion annually. Each of its teams are among the top 50 most expensive sports teams in the world, ranking alongside the world’s famous soccer teams. Almost half of professional football teams are valued at over $1 billion…

RadClown on February 4, 2013 at 7:51 AM

“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.”

–C. S. Lewis

PerceptorII on February 4, 2013 at 8:16 AM

So what are they going to do about boxing and MMA? The whole point of those sports is to give the other guy a concussion. I guess the nanny fascists will go after the biggest target first and will get around to banning boxing and MMA later.

RadClown on February 4, 2013 at 8:34 AM