Sen. Angus King is no Robert Griffin III, and he concedes that backing an effort to strip the NFL of its tax-exempt status will not help that.  

“I’ve always wanted to be the quarterback of the Redskins, and this may be the end of that,” King said. “So, there’s high stakes for me.”  

King, an independent from Maine who caucuses with the Democrats, has signed on to a bill introduced by Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., that would remove the tax status enjoyed by some professional sports organizations, including the NFL and the PGA.  

“[Coburn]talked to me, and I thought it was a good idea, and I said I’d be glad to co-sponsor it,” King said. “It’s just good policy. It doesn’t make sense to have an organization that really is promoting a brand, as opposed to an industry, that gets a tax-exempt status.”  

“How can I tell people in Maine, you should pay a little more on your taxes so the NFL is tax exempt? It doesn’t pass the straight-face test,” King added.  

If you’re wondering why the junior senator from Maine roots for the Washington football team, it’s because King was born and raised in nearby Alexandria, Va. He moved to Maine after graduating from the University of Virginia with a law degree.