NFL Favors GOP; Dolphins and Buccaneers Line Up Left

NFL players, owners and executives, and spouses contributed at least $1.4 million to federal candidates and political committees since January 2009, according to a study by the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Responsive Politics.

About two-thirds of the money went to the GOP, according to the center, which is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research group that tracks money in politics.

Among Floridas three teams, the Jacksonville Jaguars went wide right, as 57 percent of the donations linked with the team went to the Republican Party or a Republican candidate. Democrats received 10 percent of the Jaguar money.

From the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 29 percent of donations went to Democrats, yet none went to a Republican candidate.

The Miami Dolphins final score was 52 percent Democrat, 45 percent Republican.

The Dolphins also had the most political money spread around by the Florida teams. Miamis contributions totaled $100,350, to $32,400 for the Jaguars, while Buccaneer-related contributions stood at only $13,600.

The Dolphins were fifth in the NFL in terms of overallpolitical contributions, trailing the Houston Texans ($293,100), San Diego Chargers ($171,523), New York Jets ($147,850) and Arizona Cardinals ($119,540).

At the bottom of the list, the Cleveland Browns had a combined grand total of $750 in contributions.

According to the study, the teams that favored Republicans with campaign cash included the Texans, Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Carolina

Panthers, Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Redskins, Detroit Lions, Jets, Chargers and the Baltimore Ravens.

Meanwhile, the teams that favored Democrats most with their political donations included the Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams, San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants, New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints.

Here is the list of the top 10 individual NFL-related political donors since January 2009:

Robert McNair Sr.,Houston Texans,$215,200.

Robert "Woody" Johnson IV,New York Jets,$130,550.

Alex Spanos,San Diego Chargers,$121,923.

Philip Burguieres,Houston Texans,$106,400.

Stephen Ross,Miami Dolphins,$74,600.

Arthur Blank,Atlanta Falcons,$60,300.

William Ford,Detroit Lions,$59,650.

Michael J. Bidwill,Arizona Cardinals,$56,200.

William V. Bidwill Sr.,Arizona Cardinals,$52,000.

Robert Kraft,New England Patriots,$33,600.

Ross, Kraft and Blank were the only members of the top 10 that gave more to Democrats.

NFL players, with an average salary of $1.9 million a year, were little represented on the list of NFL-related political contributions.

But a few stood out:

Peyton Manning, the quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts, who donated $5,000 to Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.).

Julius Peppers, a defensive end for the Chicago Bears, who donated $2,400 to Kevin Powell, a Democratic candidate in New York's 10th Congressional District.

Brett Favre, the now-retired, longtime quarterback of the Green Bay Packers, donated $2,400 to Rep. Gene Taylor (D-Miss.), who lost in November. (Favre's wife Deanna also donated $2,400 to Taylor's unsuccessful campaign.)

As for the lobbying efforts of the NFL and the NFL Players Association, during the first six months of 2011 the league has spent $820,000, versus the players union's $120,000.

In 2010, the NFLs lobbying tab hit $1.4 million and the NFLPA stood at $450,000.

The NFLs Gridiron PAC, formed in 2008, donated more than $505,000 to federal candidates during the 2010 election cycle -- 59 percent going to Democrats and 41 percent to Republicans.