If you weren’t already aware, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Encouraging people to be conscientious about the health of their breasts through the usage or things like pink ribbons or pink lit up buildings, implementing Breast Cancer Awareness initiatives into your company is admirable. And the NFL has done just that by splattering pink all over the normally macho playing field with things like pink cleats and pink jerseys.  Or have they?

Because they’ve also been selling and profiting off pink gear in their store with the tagline of “a crucial catch.” The NFL attests that part of the proceeds for the items are going to finding a cure and the American Cancer Society. According to the Business Insider, the amount is minimal compared to the amount of money the NFL makes off the purchases–only 5%.

The Business Insider gives these exact numbers as an example:”For every $100 in sales of pink gear, only $3.54 is going towards research while the NFL is keeping approximately $45 (based on 100% mark-up).”

“Since the program’s inception four years ago, the NFL has raised $3 million for breast cancer. In 2009, the League made $8.5 billion. Last year, they made $9.5 billion. Commissioner Roger Goodell has set a revenue goal of $25 billion per year by the year 2027. A million per year out of between $8.5 and $9.5 billion in revenues?”

So, here’s the question: should the NFL be admonished for “profiting from breast cancer” or the should they be saluted for making breast cancer awareness so visible to a diverse range of people–including men who can also get breast cancer?

–Nadia Noir, CBS Radio Los Angeles