The NFL's Breast Cancer Awareness Scam

According to Business Insider, the NFL's October Breast Cancer Awareness Month fundraising effort is multi-pronged. There's the on-field onslaught of pink (AWARENESS), the off-field auction of autographed or otherwise noteworthy NFL paraphernalia (MONEY FOR THE CURE!), and the part of the NFL store that entices shoppers to purchase officially licensed NFL breast cancer gear, a portion of which goes to FINDING A CURE. According to the League, 100% of the proceeds from the specialty auction go to the American Cancer Society, but the total percentage of purchases of officially licensed gear that actually goes to FINDING A CURE is actually kind of pathetic — 5%. If you want to look at this cynically, in a way, the on-field wearin' o' the pink serves as an ad to direct consumers to purchase pink fan items.

BUT WAIT, you might say, AT LEAST THEY'RE DOING SOMETHING. And 5% is still something! Well, kind of. As BI pointed out, if NFL products are sold at a 100% markup and only 5% of sale proceeds go to the American Cancer Society, then the NFL is pocketing 90% of sales of Breast Cancer Awareness products, many of which would not be purchased if they didn't come with a promise that consumers were "helping." And, more perspective: while the American Cancer Society isn't, say, Komen, they still don't use 100% of the money they receive to "fight" breast cancer. Only 70% of donations taken in by the organization go toward cancer research. So, if you spend $10 on pink stink from the NFL, only about 35 cents is going to finding a cure for breast cancer. And $4.50 goes right back to the NFL, where I like to imagine that it's spent on gas for a Lake Minnetonka pleasure cruise. For the cure.

click the link for the rest of the article

http://jezebel.com/5950971/the-nfls-campaign-against-breast-cancer-is-a-total-scam

Ol Rog

---------- Post added October-11th-2012 at 05:09 PM ----------

Here is where the article is sourced

http://www.businessinsider.com/why-is-the-nfl-profitting-off-of-breast-cancer-2012-10

All NFL Paraphernalia is a scam, why would this be any different.

Typical Goodell: talk about fixing a problem while doing nothing about it.

This is not a surprise at all.

There's a thread in the Tailgate about this already

I take issue with the whole "pink everything" as it is, so I'm biased. Also have a kid who has leukemia, so I'm probably even more sensitive to the issue. My biggest beef is that breast cancer trumps all other cancers as far as awareness & perceived donations for research/cure. September is Childhood & Prostate Cancer Awareness month, yet Pink invades early with advertisements mid-way (or earlier) through the month. And, being the cynic I am, I truly think the primary reason the NFL "supports" Breast Cancer Awareness is to get women to pay more attention and because it is a "hip" charity.

There's a thread in the Tailgate about this already

this thread was made first.

i am shocked. /sarcasm

I take issue with the whole "pink everything" as it is, so I'm biased. Also have a kid who has leukemia, so I'm probably even more sensitive to the issue. My biggest beef is that breast cancer trumps all other cancers as far as awareness & perceived donations for research/cure.

I feel you. I've been saying this for some time. For one, the stats that show that breast cancer is one of the most survivable forms you're going to get. There are, sadly, some people who are seemingly predisposed to develop a cancer before their 40s and they don't have a high survival rate. but men have a higher death rate from prostate cancer and there's no month for them. And as you mentioned, childhood cancer, the kind we should most want to eradicate because they have barely had a chance to live---just not 'hip.' I'm also annoyed by the boob references on some of the paraphernalia, it cheapens it and, in my mind, proves that the thing with BC is as much as about the reduced femininity than it is about saving lives.

II'm also annoyed by the boob references on some of the paraphernalia, it cheapens it and, in my mind, proves that the thing with BC is as much as about the reduced femininity than it is about saving lives.

One of my biggest gripes, and I forgot to mention it. Well said.