This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The Utah National Guard said Thursday that its $75,000 marketing contract with Real Salt Lake pays for advertising such as electronic displays and banners at games, while any military appreciation events staged by the soccer franchise are conducted at no cost to taxpayers.
The statement was in response to a U.S. Senate report released Wednesday that said the Department of Defense has spent as much as $6.8 million of taxpayer money on sports marketing for military-appreciation events since the start of the 2012 fiscal year.
Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake, both Arizona Republicans, wrote the report, titled "Tackling Paid Patriotism," which revealed that 50 pro franchises in the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL and MLS were paid to honor the military at various games and events.
RSL, which was listed as one of eight MLS franchises that received the federal money, has a marketing contract with the Utah Army National Guard. (A prior Tribune story incorrectly listed the Air National Guard as being the party with the contract.)
The Senate report cited a military appreciation night and halftime recognition ceremonies listed in the Guard's fiscal year 2015 contract with RSL as taxpayer-funded "paid patriotism."
But Lt. Col. Steven Fairbourn, a public relations officer for the Utah National Guard, said RSL receives no money for those events. The events were cited in the contract merely to indicate the franchise's willingness to continue holding them, he said.
The $75,000 pays for playing-field banners, advertising on the video board and other signage to inform the public about the Guard's mission and enlistment opportunities, Fairbourn said.
"Those dollars and cents bought advertising for the entire season for a multitude of events," he said.
Fairbourn added that the $75,000 represents about one-third of 1 percent of the Utah Army National Guard's annual budget of $220 million and less than 10 percent of the marketing budget.
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