Dear RSL Nation,
Many of you may have seen the recent national and local media coverage pertaining to a report from Arizona Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake regarding the National Guard and major league sports partnerships, which included a $75,000 sponsorship that Real Salt Lake has with the Utah National Guard.
In response to the report and the local media coverage, I’d like to set the record straight regarding the club’s relationship with the Utah National Guard. Any insinuation that Real Salt Lake has been the benefactor of “paid patriotism” is inaccurate, a mischaracterization, and simply political and journalistic sensationalism and fodder during a slow news week.
First and foremost, Real Salt Lake is very proud of our marketing partnership and association with the Utah Army National Guard. The Utah National Guard is one of the premier Guard organizations in the United States. The outstanding leadership team and recruiting officers at the Utah National Guard continually outperform their peers in fulfilling and exceeding their annual recruiting objectives. Our marketing agreement with Utah National Guard met the strict criteria of the local leadership and was sent to the National Guard Bureau in Washington DC where it was further scrutinized and subsequently approved and funded. We went through the same collaborative process with the National Guard that we do with all of our partners: One that is customized to meet their specific marketing objectives and metrics and which delivers return on their investment. We are honored to be deemed worthy partners in helping the Utah National Guard maintain its high levels of visibility and readiness.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call or email me for further discussion. Thanks very much for your continued support of Real Salt Lake.
Warm regards,
Real Salt Lake Chief Business Officer Andy Carroll
