I've always had an uneasy feeling when it comes to the "Salute the Troops"-type moments at professional sporting events. Not that the troops being honored don't deserve public recognition. Far from it. But I tend to think they deserve something more than to be extras in a public relations campaign for the Department of Defense.
According to Christopher Baxter of NJ.com, it appears that's exactly what's been happening in some instances.
Baxter reports that the Department of Defense has paid 14 NFL teams a total of $5.4 million from 2011 to 2014.