Dale Earnhardt Jr., Ryan Newman could lose military sponsorships under U.S. House bil

[NOSphantom59]

What do you not understand about budgets? These guys run a budget, one of the areas is marketing, and they spend that money not only to sponsor Dale but also other sporting events so they can recruit people. If they didn't spend it on Dale Jrs car they'd spend it somewhere else to bring in recruits. Then they have a budget for weapons, and if they really thought they had to cut from marketing to help their weapons, which is the most important part obviously, they would've by now. /rant

I'm not an idiot. I know what a budget is and how assets and money is allocated within the military (You know me being in the military and all). I am also well aware that sponsorship is just a recruitment tool. But the fact is that the military is turning away applicants right now due to the horrible economy. So why waste money attempting to recruit kids when you are just going to tell them that there isn't any room for them to join anyways. Couldn't that money be better used elsewhere?

[bmb5150]

I'm not an idiot. I know what a budget is and how assets and money is allocated within the military (You know me being in the military and all). I am also well aware that sponsorship is just a recruitment tool. But the fact is that the military is turning away applicants right now due to the horrible economy. So why waste money attempting to recruit kids when you are just going to tell them that there isn't any room for them to join anyways. Couldn't that money be better used elsewhere?

Exactly! Lets look at the numbers for spending in NASCAR for the Nat'l Guard the past 2 years.

$90,000,000 / 24,800 = $3,629 per hit (this looks alright)
$90,000,000/ 20 = $4,500,000 per qualified (that's way too much for just one recruit)


And guess what, the 20 who were qualified, didn't serve so we have net loss of 90 million in the past 2 years. No justification can back that. When you get down to it, it's the military and they are the kings of wasteful spending. Could put it elsewhere like giving it to companies here to stimulate the economy. With a war done and another one ending and economy not able to support so much spending for defense, recruiting is going to go way down.

[RobbyFan]

"Could put it elsewhere like giving it to companies"

Stopped reading after that.

[ElvisOnFire]

Yeah, not what I was getting at. Most people that dislike the guy actually dislike his fans and his (in their opinion) unwarranted popularity because he hasn't won 76 races and 7 championships.

I just think the driver is OK. I don't like or hate him, he's just OK IMO.

[Mike Lala]

"Could put it elsewhere like giving it to companies"

Stopped reading after that.

No kidding.

If the Military wants to sponsor sports to advertise it is there right to do so. These idiots need to focus on real issues going on in this damn country. Instead they stick their nose in where it doesn't belong like usual. I feel bad for the sorry suckers that vote for people like this.

[NOSphantom59]

No kidding.

If the Military wants to sponsor sports to advertise it is there right to do so. These idiots need to focus on real issues going on in this damn country. Instead they stick their nose in where it doesn't belong like usual. I feel bad for the sorry suckers that vote for people like this.

Don't they have the right to determine if tax payers money is being wasted on paying for a multi-million dollar sponsorship for two racing cars, a marketing strategy that proven to have marginal results at best?

[Nitrous56]

Don't they have the right to determine if tax payers money is being wasted on paying for a multi-million dollar sponsorship for two racing cars, a marketing strategy that proven to have marginal results at best?

What about our social security we are paying for that we'll never see? I think one outweighs the other right now. They have people in the marketing jobs for a reason, let them do their jobs.

[GoMatt17]

Don't they have the right to determine if tax payers money is being wasted on paying for a multi-million dollar sponsorship for two racing cars, a marketing strategy that proven to have marginal results at best?

If the only goal was recruiting, then yes, perhaps it's wasted, however there are far more benefits than just that. Awareness, morale, the list goes on.

My complaint is that they are basically trying to single out NASCAR sponsorships. If we're going to do it, do it right, ban media buys by all federal agencies. That's really the only fair way to do it.

There are some very ridiculous public awareness campaigns paid for by government agencies that waste far more money than what the military has spent on NASCAR. I mean the NHTSA is paying to have the "Click It or Ticket" campaign sponsor a Star Wars marathon this weekend. Is that really going to make any more people wear seat belts? I highly doubt it. Likely millions down the drain on that one. Should they be forbidden to purchase commercial time to promote safe driving habits? I doubt anyone would ever mention it.

In the end, the money the military has taken out of it's budget to fund a NASCAR sponsorship, regardless of the measured results (which are arguably unable to really be determined), is a drop in the bucket compared to what the rest of the government wastes on a daily basis. It's not Congress' job to determine how the military allocates it's money. If it feels that spending money on a NASCAR sponsorship is beneficial to their marketing and their mission, then so be it. But if we're looking at potential wastes of money by the military, how about the hundreds of billions we've sunk into highly flawed fighter developmental projects?

[NOSphantom59]

What about our social security we are paying for that we'll never see? I think one outweighs the other right now. They have people in the marketing jobs for a reason, let them do their jobs.

So because there is a more important (an one far more difficult to solve) problem means that congress isn't allowed to due anything else until that problem is resolved? That's an extremely flawed point of view. I understand what I'm saying isn't going to be popular on this forum, but you guys complain that the government's budget is wayyyy to big. Yet when a congresswoman tries to cut what I view as wasteful spending you b*tch and moan that this isn't an important enough topic? I don't get it.

[ElvisOnFire]

I have a feeling where this thread is going...

[RobbyFan]

I sometimes don't wear my seatbelt to spite those commercials.

[lefflerfan]

I have a feeling where this thread is going...

I'm a little late to the party here, but that was delightful.

[FrontRowMotorsports]

Sounds like this bill will not pass again, this McCollum woman keeps wasting her time.

[Kahne4RedBull]

My complaint is that they are basically trying to single out NASCAR sponsorships. If we're going to do it, do it right, ban media buys by all federal agencies. That's really the only fair way to do it.

Ya really, I don`t see em going after them for sponsoring JR Hildebrand in Indycar.

[ttucker77]

216-202, amendment defeated.

[wdnewberry]

Glad to hear it was defeated again.

Who was it this past weekend that said that if the military couldn't be in NASCAR/sports, then they'd just spend that money elsewhere? It was a valid point in my eyes, because it's not like that money is going to just up and go away (not entirely, at least)... so if spending it in NASCAR, or in racing, or in other forms of sports, help them in their recruiting process, then isn't that similar to Mobil 1 trying to sell oil or The Home Depot trying to move lumber, doors, and other home repair stuff?

[Matito29]

Glad to hear it was defeated again.

Who was it this past weekend that said that if the military couldn't be in NASCAR/sports, then they'd just spend that money elsewhere? It was a valid point in my eyes, because it's not like that money is going to just up and go away (not entirely, at least)... so if spending it in NASCAR, or in racing, or in other forms of sports, help them in their recruiting process, then isn't that similar to Mobil 1 trying to sell oil or The Home Depot trying to move lumber, doors, and other home repair stuff?

Yes and no. A product sponsorship is pretty different, since a fan going out to Walmart and buying a quart of oil is pretty low on the commitment scale, but a fan going and enlisting in the military is a huge commitment. That's probably why so many are questioning their involvement. The turnaround is much lower compared to a typical sponsor.

[Smoke_20]

Who was it this past weekend that said that if the military couldn't be in NASCAR/sports, then they'd just spend that money elsewhere? <snip>

The bill read 'to reduce spending', I don't believe that money was going to be spent elsewhere.

[Brandon Lutz]

If the only goal was recruiting, then yes, perhaps it's wasted, however there are far more benefits than just that. Awareness, morale, the list goes on.

My complaint is that they are basically trying to single out NASCAR sponsorships. If we're going to do it, do it right, ban media buys by all federal agencies. That's really the only fair way to do it.

I agree. If you want to really save money don't just target one sports sponsorship, target them all.

[gr8eske1]

I agree. If you want to really save money don't just target one sports sponsorship, target them all.

I thought it was targeting them all.

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