The NFL (Political) Standings

Week two in the National Football League is about to wrap up – a very happy week for yrs truly, with my beloved (and perennially cursed) Buffalo Bills scraping out a victory against the lowly Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday to even their record to 1-1. That's the same record as the defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the mighty, Tom Brady-led New England Patriots.

But forget the won-loss standings for now – seasoned fans know everything will be different in two months anyway. The more interesting football news comes from the Center for Responsive Politics, which has produced a chart ranking teams by level of donations to political candidates and committees since 1990. The figure for each team is an aggregate of contributions made by coaches, players, team officials, employees and executives.

Which NFL team has been most active in the political arena over the past two decades? The trophy goes to the San Diego Chargers, who disbursed a total of $2,455,200. Of this sum, all but $40,773 (2 percent) went to Republicans. Only the Houston Texans (second in overall donations) and Cincinnati Bengals are "redder" organizations, skewing 99 percent of their total contributions to the GOP.

None of this will surprise people who assume all football fans, players, coaches and executives are rock-ribbed conservatives. But this assumption is wrong. There actually are some teams whose owners and personnel gave disproportionately to Democrats. The bluest teams in the National Football League are:

(1) Philadelphia Eagles & Miami Dolphins (85 percent to Democrats)

(2) San Francisco 49ers (84 percent to Democrats)

(3) New England Patriots (72 percent to Democrats)

(4) Buffalo Bills (65 percent to Democrats)

(5) Detroit Lions (63 percent to Democrats)

I was feeling good about the Bills' fourth place finish, until it dawned on me that this would still place them third in their division, behind Miami and New England. Figures and rankings for all teams can be found here, at OpenSecrets.org.

Comments (28)

1. This list, for the most part, is not surprising.

   California (49ers), Massachusetts (Patriots), New York (Bills) and Michigan (Lions) are generally states that go to Democrats.

   The Chargers play in a city whose population is mostly men and women in the military. The Texans are in Houston (oh, and Texas!).

   The Bengals (Ohio), Dolphins (Florida) and Eagles (Pennsylvania) are slightly surprising to go so in favor of one party (Republican, Democrat, Democrat, respectively)...when the states they hale from are "swing" states

   Posted by urmygyro at 09/21/2009 @ 4:13pm

2. Limbaugh has another entertaining way of predicting football out comes...using the liberal environuts picks method..hillarious....

   also most of the teams that give to Dems are in Dem states, thats true...and all those those states are run from top to bottom by Dems...and are broke and deep in debt......I wonder if those teams would mind if the dems in those states asked those teams to pay more of their fair share..in taxes..give up on evil profits...

   Posted by YourJomamma at 09/21/2009 @ 4:37pm

3. ..I wonder if those teams would mind if the dems in those states asked those teams to pay more of their fair share..in taxes..give up on evil profits... Posted by YourJomamma at 09/21/2009 @ 4:37pm | ignore this person | warn this person

   --The Yankees pay no property taxes on Yankee Stadium. None!

   Steinbrenner's go-to move used to be to threaten leaving to Jersey if he wasn't allowed a new stadium...

   They wanted, and got, a Billion $+ stadium...but the Yankees would have been "too poor" to build it if they had to "play ball" like the little guy...

   ...not to mention "Citi Field"...

   Posted by urmygyro at 09/21/2009 @ 4:50pm

4. Urmy is on the bird-dogging track!

   Follow the money all the way....and see if those teams that gave mostly to Dems, got sweeter stadium or lease or concession or parking or hot dog or beer deals than those teams that gave mostly to Repubs.

   Another tack is to see how many suites or comp tickets were handed over to `political' consulting firms.

   Posted by Happy at 09/21/2009 @ 4:59pm

5. still a cheifs/redskins fan here.

   Posted by ibbleblibble at 09/21/2009 @ 5:00pm

6. The important thing with regard to this is that the six time winner Steelers, greatest NFL team ever, become the seven time winner Steelers at the conclusion of the Super Bowl.

   One by-product of this would mean more Terrible Towels sold, and the proceeds from the sale of Terrible Towels go to charity.

   Posted by sjchermak at 09/21/2009 @ 5:03pm

7. Urmy is on the bird-dogging track! Follow the money all the way....and see if those teams that gave mostly to Dems, got sweeter stadium or lease or concession or parking or hot dog or beer deals than those teams that gave mostly to Repubs. Another tack is to see how many suites or comp tickets were handed over to `political' consulting firms. Posted by Happy at 09/21/2009 @ 4:59pm | ignore this person |

   --not to mention many business men and women who work on Wall Street refused to go to games and sit in their posh, plush seats behind the home plate area at the New Yankee Stadium and Citi Field because they didn't want to be seen on camera by clients during a recession...affording the extremely expensive tickets wasn't an issue...

   Posted by urmygyro at 09/21/2009 @ 5:11pm

8. DALLAS COWBOYS

   SAUDI PRINCE'S [bandar the bush -- fz] COWBOYS-COLORED JET COULD LAND HIM IN HOT WATER

   http://www.star-telegram.com/332/story/1619850.html

   Posted by frosty zoom at 09/21/2009 @ 5:12pm

9. How about the new Cowboy Billion dollar plus house!!!!!!!!

   And then.... Eli's commin!!!... and beats them in their own house...

   Posted by YourJomamma at 09/21/2009 @ 5:13pm

10. aren't cheerleaders "haraam"?

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haraam

    Posted by frosty zoom at 09/21/2009 @ 5:15pm

11. How about the new Cowboy Billion dollar plus house!!!!!!!! And then.... Eli's commin!!!... and beats them in their own house... Posted by YourJomamma at 09/21/2009 @ 5:13pm | ignore this person | warn this person

    --Tony Romo is NOT the answer...the comparisons to Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach (even to Danny White or Don Meredith) are laughable. Win one, just one, playoff game first...

    --a personal aside: I was born in Dallas, but my folks moved to CT a month after I was born; and I grew up, and still live in, CT (where my father is from)...but my mom grew up in Irving, Texas (about a 5 minute drive from Texas Stadium)...my pop was in the Navy and a big Roger Staubach fan, so naturally they raised me and my brothers as Cowboys fans....it hasn't been fun since the early/mid 90s!

    Posted by urmygyro at 09/21/2009 @ 5:18pm

12. Posted by sjchermak at 09/21/2009 @ 5:03pm

    STEELERS OWNER ENDORSES OBAMA

    April 14, 2008 12:11 PM

    Barack Obama already had the Bus in his corner.

    Now, he has the Bus's boss.

    Former Pittsburgh Steelers fullback Jerome Bettis joined Obama for part of his bus tour through Pennsylvania. Today, Steelers owner and chairman Dan Rooney announced his support.

    "True sports fans know that you support your team even when they are the underdogs. Barack Obama is the underdog here but it is with great pride that I join his team," Rooney writes in a "Dear Pennsylvanians" letter released by the Obama campaign.

    Posted by frosty zoom at 09/21/2009 @ 5:18pm

13. How about the new Cowboy Billion dollar plus house!!!!!!!!

    Posted by YourJomamma at 09/21/2009 @ 5:13pm

    i thought they were going to use the coliseum in rome.

    oops, wrong empire.

    Posted by frosty zoom at 09/21/2009 @ 5:19pm

14. How about the new Cowboy Billion dollar plus house!!!!!!!! Posted by YourJomamma at 09/21/2009 @ 5:13pm i thought they were going to use the coliseum in rome. oops, wrong empire. Posted by frosty zoom at 09/21/2009 @ 5:19pm | ignore this person | warn this person

    --The Dallas empire died in 1995...

    Posted by urmygyro at 09/21/2009 @ 5:20pm

15. YourJomamma,

    I wish I were commissioner of the NFL for 5 minutes.

    I would dictate an iron-clad absolute rule that no NFL team with a player by the name of Manning as quarterback would be allowed in the Super Bowl UNLESS the players' first name was Peyton.

    I am a Steelers fan, a Bears fan and a Ravens fan and also a fan (it changes each week) of whatever team is playing against the team that has the other Manning as quarterback, that you made reference to.

    So last night I was a Cowboys fan!

    Posted by sjchermak at 09/21/2009 @ 5:22pm

16. frosty zoom,

    But Lynn Swann is a Republican so not all former or present Steelers are Democrats.

    Posted by sjchermak at 09/21/2009 @ 5:24pm

17. YourJomamma, I wish I were commissioner of the NFL for 5 minutes. I would dictate an iron-clad absolute rule that no NFL team with a player by the name of Manning as quarterback would be allowed in the Super Bowl UNLESS the players' first name was Peyton. I am a Steelers fan, a Bears fan and a Ravens fan and also a fan (it changes each week) of whatever team is playing against the team that has the other Manning as quarterback, that you made reference to. So last night I was a Cowboys fan! Posted by sjchermak at 09/21/2009 @ 5:22pm | ignore this person | warn this person

    --your post actually excellently sums up the "fans" of Barack Obama. He's simply George Bush's opponent (and most Obama "fans" are really just George Bush haters)...

    Posted by urmygyro at 09/21/2009 @ 5:25pm

18. my pop was in the Navy and a big Roger Staubach fan, so naturally they raised me and my brothers as Cowboys fans....it hasn't been fun since the early/mid 90s!

    Posted by urmygyro at 09/21/2009 @ 5:18pm

    I was born in Wisconsin...and my family has had season tickets since Curly Lambeau...and then my father had the lack of decency to move us to...Minnesota...

    oh, the battles and German cussing that went on for years....

    BTW, I am going to the Viking/Packer game to see Brett...should be loud to say the least...

    Posted by YourJomamma at 09/21/2009 @ 5:35pm

19. "aren't cheerleaders "haraam"?"

    Posted by frosty zoom at 09/21/2009 @ 5:15pm

    don't f with the cheerleaders froosty.

    Posted by Benchrest at 09/21/2009 @ 5:37pm

20. Posted by sjchermak at 09/21/2009 @ 5:22pm

    :)

    Gotta admit...that Manning family has some incredible talent in their genes..

    Posted by YourJomamma at 09/21/2009 @ 5:38pm

21. Posted by urmygyro at 09/21/2009 @ 5:18pm I was born in Wisconsin...and my family has had season tickets since Curly Lambeau...and then my father had the lack of decency to move us to...Minnesota... oh, the battles and German cussing that went on for years.... BTW, I am going to the Viking/Packer game to see Brett...should be loud to say the least... Posted by YourJomamma at 09/21/2009 @ 5:35pm | ignore this person | warn this person

    --Brett Favre has a huge chip on his shoulder...how dare the Packers not bow to his every whim!

    Posted by urmygyro at 09/21/2009 @ 5:44pm

22. --Brett Favre has a huge chip on his shoulder...how dare the Packers not bow to his every whim!

    Posted by urmygyro at 09/21/2009 @ 5:44pm

    indeed...:)

    Posted by YourJomamma at 09/21/2009 @ 5:50pm

23. Shouldn't the St. Louis Rams be listed as the bluest team (98% of their donations went to Democrats)?

    Posted by kullfarr at 09/21/2009 @ 7:18pm

24. On the other hand, this could explain why taxpayer money is going to fund stadium construction for rich corporqtions (the teams, that is).

    Posted by Mistral at 09/22/2009 @ 10:07am

25. --The Dallas empire died in 1995...

    Posted by urmygyro at 09/21/2009 @ 5:20pm

    My heart bleeds for you.

    And Drew Pearson still pushed off of Nate Wright in the 1975 NFC Championship Game!!!

    Posted by cka2nd at 09/22/2009 @ 10:24am

26. <The Chargers play in a city whose population is mostly men and women in the military.

    Posted by urmygyro at 09/21/2009 @ 4:13pm>

    That was true 30-40 years ago, but it is no longer a military town like it was.

    This kind of ends my contribution to this thread. I don't watch football.

    Posted by antisocialist at 09/22/2009 @ 11:32am

27. urmygyro, you're not heavy into research are you? The New England Patriots were told to get bent by Boston (and its Democratic leadership) when they asked for Stadium money. So the Krafts built it themselves with their money. You don't have much of a handle on this stuff, do you? Might want to keep a lower profile...

    Posted by ncimon at 09/22/2009 @ 12:46pm

28. Having recently for the first time viewed the film "300," the correspondence between that romanticized version of Greek/Spartan history and past and current U.S. imperialistic militarism is as stark as U.S.-Roman or U.S.-British comparisons.

    You've heard/read it before: fascism is always maudlin.

    When you don't get your rocks off and are generally unfulfilled and/or frustrated, males tend to projection and violence, viz. Norv Turner (ha,ha). Full disclosure: I'm a male feminist working voluntarily here(!) for peace/justice.

    Posted by lewwelge at 09/22/2009 @ 8:16pm