This is why you don’t hear anything about Congress investigating The National Football League for steroids.
The San Diego Chargers are hardly professional football’s most prolific team, having advanced to just one Super Bowl – they lost the game – in 43 years.
When playing politics, however, the Chargers are untouchable: Team owners, officials and players have combined to contribute more than $2.4 million to political candidates and committees since the 1990 election cycle, a Center for Responsive Politics analysis of federal campaign finance data indicates.
That’s nearly four times as much as the runner-up Houston Texans, whose associates have contributed more than $623,000 to federal candidates and committees during the past two decades.
Team | Total | Democrats | Republicans | Dem % | Repub % |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
San Diego Chargers |
$2,455,200
|
$40,773
|
$2,414,427
|
2%
|
98%
|
Houston Texans |
$623,456
|
$4,000
|
$615,256
|
1%
|
99%
|
Arizona Cardinals |
$337,096
|
$85,950
|
$251,146
|
25%
|
75%
|
Washington Redskins |
$323,000
|
$8,550
|
$314,450
|
3%
|
97%
|
National Football League |
$322,373
|
$224,798
|
$97,075
|
70%
|
30%
|
New York Jets |
$261,403
|
$26,011
|
$235,392
|
10%
|
90%
|
New Orleans Saints |
$257,913
|
$18,150
|
$239,763
|
7%
|
93%
|
St Louis Rams |
$234,800
|
$230,050
|
$4,750
|
98%
|
2%
|
Pittsburgh Steelers |
$229,307
|
$128,892
|
$100,415
|
56%
|
44%
|
Jacksonville Jaguars |
$201,066
|
$36,564
|
$164,502
|
18%
|
82%
|
Philadelphia Eagles |
$183,500
|
$156,400
|
$27,100
|
85%
|
15%
|
Dallas Cowboys |
$164,467
|
$29,600
|
$134,867
|
18%
|
82%
|
Minnesota Vikings |
$131,175
|
$14,600
|
$116,575
|
11%
|
89%
|
Kansas City Chiefs |
$130,300
|
$20,950
|
$109,350
|
16%
|
84%
|
Cincinnati Bengals |
$126,200
|
$1,750
|
$124,450
|
1%
|
99%
|
Cleveland Browns |
$125,526
|
$41,126
|
$84,400
|
33%
|
67%
|
New England Patriots |
$122,400
|
$88,200
|
$24,200
|
72%
|
20%
|
Indianapolis Colts |
$117,150
|
$56,150
|
$61,000
|
48%
|
52%
|
San Francisco 49ers |
$111,121
|
$93,015
|
$18,106
|
84%
|
16%
|
Denver Broncos |
$110,413
|
$36,850
|
$73,563
|
33%
|
67%
|
Miami Dolphins |
$108,001
|
$92,000
|
$15,751
|
85%
|
15%
|
Baltimore Ravens |
$92,471
|
$34,871
|
$57,600
|
38%
|
62%
|
Carolina Panthers |
$89,018
|
$34,500
|
$54,518
|
39%
|
61%
|
Atlanta Falcons |
$77,350
|
$25,950
|
$51,400
|
34%
|
66%
|
Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
$71,883
|
$34,600
|
$36,583
|
48%
|
51%
|
Los Angeles Rams |
$52,250
|
$47,250
|
$5,000
|
90%
|
10%
|
United Football League |
$41,100
|
$41,100
|
$0
|
100%
|
0%
|
Buffalo Bills |
$38,506
|
$25,006
|
$13,500
|
65%
|
35%
|
Tennessee Titans |
$36,050
|
$4,450
|
$31,600
|
12%
|
88%
|
Detroit Lions |
$32,751
|
$20,750
|
$12,001
|
63%
|
37%
|
New York Giants |
$31,000
|
$8,700
|
$22,300
|
28%
|
72%
|
Chicago Bears |
$28,100
|
$13,050
|
$15,050
|
46%
|
54%
|
Seattle Seahawks |
$24,402
|
$13,000
|
$11,402
|
53%
|
47%
|
Green Bay Packers |
$8,750
|
$2,550
|
$6,200
|
29%
|
71%
|
Oakland Raiders |
$6,800
|
$4,050
|
$2,750
|
60%
|
40%
|
Pro Football Hall of Fame |
$6,400
|
$2,650
|
$3,750
|
41%
|
59%
|
NFL Network |
$6,000
|
$1,900
|
$4,100
|
32%
|
68%
|
NFL Properties |
$3,000
|
$3,000
|
$0
|
100%
|
0%
|
Arena Football League |
$3,000
|
$1,000
|
$2,000
|
33%
|
67%
|
Pro Arena Football |
$2,300
|
$2,300
|
$0
|
100%
|
0%
|
Los Angeles Raiders |
$2,000
|
$2,000
|
$0
|
100%
|
0%
|
Detroit Super Bowl XL Host Cmte |
$250
|
$250
|
$0
|
100%
|
0%
|