Why are we paying the NFL to recruit troops for the Pentagon?

All-star first baseman Carlos Delgado was not a fan of the numerous military appreciation events taking place at the ballpark a decade ago. These were staged to bolster support for the Iraq war and doubled as recruitment stations, using sports to increase the ranks of the armed forces, which had thinned dramatically after George W. Bush decided to call for a permanent era of armed conflict. As Delgado said, “I won’t stand for this war… It’s a very terrible thing that happened on Sept. 11. It’s [also] a terrible thing that happened in Afghanistan and Iraq. I just feel so sad for the families that lost relatives and loved ones in the war. But I think it’s the stupidest war ever.”

Now not only can we see these events were politically transparent propaganda for a flagging war effort, but we know they were paid for by us. We know that the U.S. Department of Defense doled out $5.4 million from 2011 to 2014 to 14 NFL teams to stage these “Salute the Troops” events, as well as do product placement, advertising and subliminal mentions.

National Guard spokesman Rick Breitenfeldt explained this practice: This isn’t payment for unfurling a flag or to welcome a soldier home on the field. This is more about spending for marketing and advertising. Spending in sports help us recruit in our 18-24 demographic and works out for us.

It’s that last part which really singes the eyes. Far too many people are outraged about this story just because the taxpayers were on the hook for something people thought was being underwritten by red, white and blue NFL owners. Hell, this story was originally broken (in part) by Arizona Republican Sen. Jeff Flake railing against “pork-chop” spending. The idea of any of our money going into the welfare-king pockets of NFL owners is stomach-churning.

But the highly manipulative recruitment practices aimed at “18-24 year olds” are being let off the hook. This isn’t like opening a gourmet burrito food truck in a neighborhood going hipster. This is preying on the young and using their love of sports to lure them into war. While football and fighting in war have traumatic brain injury in common, everything else – from the military metaphors used by announcers to the four-star-general fixations of head coaches – is worlds apart.

It would be wise to listen to the mother of the one NFL player who made that journey from “combat” on the field to the real combat, the late Pat Tillman. As his mom, Mary, said to me last year, “A feeling of camaraderie is important to all humans and I think the camaraderie of sport provides the most reward. Many young men join the military in order to get that feeling of belonging. It is irresponsible to try to entice young people into military service with subliminal messages.”

Now we know: subliminal and on our dime. One thing is certain: Carlos Delgado was right a decade ago. This is the stupidest damn war ever.

Dave Zirin is sports correspondent for The Nation. He is the author, most recently, of Game Over: How Politics Has Turned the Sports World Upside Down.