Like this sentiment? Don't fool yourself. I didn't while I was in Iraq. Me fighting in iraq had absolutely nothing to do with "Defending american freedoms" and everything to do with PNAC.
Plus the standing Army is ~500,000. And soldiers get paid by taxes. You don't want soldiers to get paid the same as NFL Players. It would break this already broken economy.
Also, they know that we will buy merchandise, we will watch the broadcasts. The NFL is a business. Their objective is to maximize profits. Nothing more, nothing less. As every business's objective should be.