Five months ago on the floor of Congress John McCain said the U.S. government was paying for fake displays of patriotism at National Football League games. Now McCain and fellow Republican Arizona Senator Jeff Flake have released a “Tackling Paid Patriotism” investigation that shows the Department of Defense spent $53 million on marketing and advertising contracts with the rich owners of major sports teams between 2012 and 2015. More than $10 million was paid to teams in the owners of National Football League, Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, National Hockey League, and Major League Soccer. And 59 percent of that $10 million went to pro-military propaganda: game sponsorship, military appreciation nights, welcome-home promotions for soldiers, on-field color guard performances, enlistment and reenlistment ceremonies, performances of the national anthem, full-field flag details, ceremonial first pitches and other acts that any viewer would have thought were the idea and paid for by the teams. Turns out, no, those moments of patriotism you've been watching on TV, are just theater.