National Freeloader League

The National Football League, like any other billion dollar industry, should not be exempt from taxes.

When most people think of a nonprofit organization, organizations such as the American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity or other groups that work in the name of the public interest come to mind.

What usually doesn’t is America’s football league.

But unbeknownst to most people, the National Football League is indeed considered a nonprofit. The logic behind this is that the NFL promotes the benefit of football.
The NFL takes its revenue and divides it among the teams in the league, therefore technically not making a profit. 

Even so, there are major problems with the NFL’s nonprofit status.

For starters, it grants the league immunity from taxes on the money that it brings in.
This exemption is despite the fact that the NFL brought in more than $9 billion in revenue last year, according to Forbes magazine. 

But the main issue isn’t that the league is making an insane amount of money. It’s the fact they are using their status to take advantage of taxpayers.

Even people who are not fans of football have contributed tax dollars toward the construction of new stadiums for this “nonprofit” organization. Cities like Indianapolis have bent over backward to pander to the NFL in the name of increasing business.

Recently, Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., proposed a bill called the PRO Sports Act, which would take away the tax exemption from professional sports leagues. It would also take away their ability to use taxpayers’ money for obscene new facilities built on the backs of taxpayers.

The Editorial Board absolutely endorses the proposal.

More importantly, this new bill wouldn’t be the death sentence for the NFL that many of the bill’s opponents are preaching. For example, the Major League Baseball declined its own nonprofit status but is still going strong because of support from its fans that continues to translate into dollars.

Right now, the NFL’s fan base is so loyal that they are willing to pay taxes to supply their favorite teams with fancy stadiums.

If the NFL was required to pay taxes, teams might have to raise ticket prices.
But if fans are willing to give tax money to the league, the Editorial Board believes fans would be willing to pay for the increase in price.

It’s also important to remember the NFL is not the only stakeholder in this matter. It affects communities.

Under the current conditions, tax money that isn’t being raised because of the league’s nonprofit status could be providing critical services to some of its
biggest supporters in the community that need assistance the most.

What this boils down to is also the increasingly visible face of corporate greed.

The league could easily carry on as a successful organization without taking taxpayer money, and even more so, it could and should give back to the fans that have supported it so passionately for decades.

In recent years, many have come to unjustly demonize those most in need in our country. They’ve been labeled leeches on our society that shouldn’t be helped if they can’t help themselves.

Ironically enough, the biggest leeches of all may be those you watch on Sunday making millions while still asking for help from taxpayers.

­— opinion@idsnews.com
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