"Super" Bowl???

Well, the Super Bowl is being played as I write.  Back in the day, seems like the Pittsburgh Steelers, the team I rooted for, were in contention to appear in The Big Game pretty regularly.  Sometimes I wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then.


For that was before four separate women made four separate rape/sexual misconduct allegations against Steeler quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who, after receiving a very light slap on the wrist considering the amount of evidence NFL Commish Roger Goodell hinted he had gotten a gander at, was back on the job as Steelers' franchise QB.  That was the genesis of the alienation of affection between me, formerly a ferocious and loyal fan, and the Steelers.  And me and football.


Now, the latest.


I received an email Friday from Credo Action, a do-gooder group I have worked with upon occasion.  That email directed me to this website: 


http://www.credomobilize.com/petitions/end-the-nfl-s-charity-tax-break?akid=9865.1592822.LdHR1y&rd=1&suppress_one_click=true&t=4 


There, I learned, to my horror, that the NFL does not (and has not since at least 1966, when came the merger that created the modern NFL), pay federal taxes.  Yes, you read that correctly, the NFL does NOT pay federal tax.  During the aforementioned merger negotiation, the NFL was able to obtain a sweetheart deal from the IRS whereby they would wear the designation of a non-profit organization.




corporate welfare, n


financial aid, such as a subsidy or tax break, provided by the government to corporations or other businesses, especially when viewed as wasteful or unjust.
(thefreedictionary.com)


Or, for the hell of it, how about we try input from Wikipedia:


"Subsidies considered excessive, unwarranted, wasteful, unfair, inefficient, or brought about by lobbying are often called corporate welfare."


Well, considering that the NFL earns approximately $9 BILLION a year and has reportedly spent $12.7 million in lobbying efforts since 1998 and $2 million in campaign contributions since '92, I would certainly call into question their non-profit status and would feel comfortable connecting a few back-scratching, one-hand-washing-the-other dots, wouldn't you?


To me, it's bad enough when a corporation whose product or service we need gets these subsidies.  Like oil companies, for example.  But do we truly NEED football enough to justify this gross inequity?


I remember watching this documentary program in the 80's:

It's about pro football players years after retirement who were crippled, or whose health was adversely affected by the grind of the NFL and how many felt the NFL didn't do much to provide for the needs of these players as their health and quality of life continued to decline.  Since then stories abound of many former gridiron heroes such as Hall of Fame center Mike Webster, who sustained several apparently undiagnosed concussions and consequently suffered from amnesia, dementia, and depression and was homeless for a time upon his retirement, dying at age 50.  Many players have been recently found to have suffered a similar fate.  The NFL is reaping a heaping of unhappy karma.


The Super Bowl, and the 2013 football season will be over tonight, bragging rights decided one way or the other.  But tax season is just beginning.  When I get done with this post, and my dinner, I'm gonna be on Turbo Tax filing my taxes, and knowing that I'm paying more because the NFL is paying nothing.  And I'm mad.  This post is just the beginning for me.  How about you?


A hearty thank you to Evan Sutton, who started the petition (may this post get you lotsa signatures, my friend), and Credo Action, for sending it along.


Good vibes to all of you,


Claudia


In addition to aforementioned citations, I used the following as sources:


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Webster


http://millionairecorner.com/Content_Free/Did-You-Know-the-NFL-Does-Not-Pay-Federal-Taxes.aspx