NFL Kleptocracy

As if it weren't bad enough that taxpayers have lost an estimated $4 billion since 1986 funding stadiums for billionaire professional sports owners, the leagues have the enforcement arm of the federal government at their beck and call to protect their merchandise sales:

An investigation encompassing everything from fake NFL game jerseys to counterfeit Super Bowl tickets ended with more than $17 million worth of items seized and 41 people arrested, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The federal agency began its probe -- which it dubbed "Operation Red Zone" in reference to the area between the 20-yard line and goal line for a football team's offense -- on September 1, 2012, and wrapped it up on February 6.

One would think that securing the borders would be a higher priority than making sure that consumerist sports fans purchase "official" jerseys made in Asian sweatshops instead of cheap knockoffs made in Asian sweatshops, but then again, distracting ICE from enforcing current immigration laws is in these corrupt sports' pashas' interests as well: