The NFL would find it easier to tell politicians to mind their own business if they weren’t taking cash from them

"......There’s no separation of sport and state

But one factor complicates this separation of sport and state where the NFL is concerned. Cash. Namely, your cash.

Since 2000, 36 professional sports stadiums have been constructed or revamped under financing provided by federal tax-exempt municipal bonds, costing taxpayers over $3.2 billion. Watchdog.org puts the figure at $7 billion. The Indianapolis Colts got $619 million of taxpayer’s money. The Pittsburgh Steelers got $171.6 million. The The New England Patriots got $72 million. They were short changed.

When the Raiders (whose lowest paid player earns a base salary of $465,000) move to Las Vegas, they will leave Oakland’s taxpayers (who have an average per capita income of $33,505) with $83 million of debt on two-decade-old renovations to the Alameda County Coliseum that they are abandoning. The US Bank Stadium, home of our own Vikings, was part paid for by $348 million of state (taxpayers) money and $150 million to be raised by a hospitality tax in Minneapolis. Over the 30-year life of the deal, the city of Minneapolis must pay a total of $678 million, including interest, operations, and construction costs.

What economic benefits? ......"

https://www.americanexperiment.org/2017/09/the-nfl-would-find-it-easier-to-tell-politicians-to-mind-their-own-business-if-they-werent-taking-cash-from-them/