The NFL, which previously had been criticized for its teams receiving profits from for sponsored military tributes, will pay back $723,734 in taxpayers' money, according to ESPN.com.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said that the league would pay back the money for "paid patriotism" — acts of military recognition during games — that had been funneled from the armed forces budget to teams. Clearly, this is the right move by the league, but one that, even in admitting its own fault, makes the NFL look bad for profiting off these events in the first place.
From 2012 to 2015, teams were found to have earned that total from 100 marketing agreements over that span, which included on-field flag ceremonies and tributes to welcome home veterans, based on an internal audit by accounting firm Deloitte & Touche.