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My personal experience with a questionable display of nationalism patriotism goes a little ways back when the American flag was the least of my concerns. I was a member of a roller hockey league, and the league provided every team with American flag stickers. We were to place these stickers on the backs of our helmets. I honestly did not think of this experience till now, but the question why comes to my mind. What could the league officials possibly be trying to say with these gestures? I do not know if they were trying to display a form of professionalism, or if they were trying to create a feel of unity. We were 12 year old boys playing roller hockey. This was pre 9/11 so the gesture has nothing to do with the terrorist’s attacks. No players, at least on my team, refused to put the sticker on their helmet, but what if someone did? How would the league react? How would the players and myself have reacted? I put the sticker on my helmet because I was told to. I believe in patriotism and nationalism, but what is the reasoning behind a tiny sticker on the back of a bunch of 12 year olds hockey helmets? Thinking back on this now, I realize how ridiculous this was for the league to do this. I do not disagree with this but I just do not see any solid reason for doing thing. I could understand if it were baseball, being America’s past time, but youth roller hockey? In A “Kid’s Game”? Little League Baseball and National Identity in Taiwan, author Joseph Timothy Sundeen states, “Little league baseball initially promoted to support a “nationalist” Taiwanese identity based on reunification with the Peoples Republic of China (PRC), ironically reinforced a new Taiwanese identity based on distinction from and incompatibility with the PRC.” Sundeen then says, “This emerging identity, coupled with the introduction of professional baseball, has helped diminish the status of the sport in Taiwan.” (Journal of Sport and Social Issues 251) With regards to forcing our youth to have an American flag on their hockey helmets, makes us think what are we teaching Americas youth? By doing this sort of thing, are we ourselves taking away from the sport and having these young athletes focus more on nationalism or patriotism? I agree with having our youth support the country, but I think we need to be careful in how we do so and think of the image as a whole we are giving to America’s youth.

Nationalism is being demonstrated during sporting events more and more as the wars continue on. While watching the Super Bowl in February I realized how nationalistic sports have become. Many years ago we would celebrate our patriotism at big sporting events with a fly by of the jets but now that we are in a war it seems like they feel they need to do more. Also, when a player happens to be a part of the military that’s all the announcers seem to talk about rather than the player’s skill or anything.

I agree with using patriotism in sports to a certain degree. I love this country and I feel that a sporting event is an appropriate time to show patriotism because people are coming together as a country. Sporting events are a very good way to bring tens of thousands of people together and have them get along which shows patriotism in general. Then to let people know that we should come together as a country they honor all of the people in the military.

I feel that using patriotism as the only way to describe some athletes is a little disrespectful to them because they have put so much time and effort into that sport. I agree that they should be recognized for the time they put in the military but they should also be given credit for their athletic ability. Pat Tillman was not only an American hero but he was also a great football player but many people don’t realize how good he actually was. I wish people knew how good of a football player he was as well as knowing how great of an American he was. “…Pat Tillman, the former undersized and unlikely NFL All-Pro with “bottomless desire” (Smith, 2004, p. 44), who gave up his lucrative career as a professional athlete to serve his country, was instantly turned into America’s most prominent hero of the war on terror.” Nationalism and Patriotism belong in sport as long as all of the other accomplishments of the athletes get recognized as well.

If there is one instance I can think of where patriotism was tied directly into a sporting event I was participating in, it was this past August when the Towson University football team opened up the season against a Division I BCS opponent in the Naval Academy. It goes without saying that the Naval Academy no matter what sport they are playing is undoubtedly going to have some kind of patriotic aspect play out in their competition. For me, one of the most memorable experiences of my sporting career was the Blue Angels flew over the Navy Marine Corp. Stadium. Why did this event have such a profound impact on me? Well, prior to taking this class I would have told you because it made me feel proud to be American. But this class has showed me to dig deeper. Why in fact, did this act make me feel American? And unfortunately, I can not tell you why the flyover had such a tremendous impact on me. All I can really do is take if for what it was. I am not going to sit here and argue that it was a ruthless ploy by the government to promote America by tying patriotism into a sporting event because I truly do not believe that was the case. From an outsiders perspective I guess one could find evidence for that justification. But playing in the game, against the Naval Academy, a team that comprises individuals who fight to protect this countries freedom, was truly something special for me, because of the sheer emotion that the game conjured up for me. Never before in my football career had I felt so much compassion for the team I was playing. Rather than choose to dissect the flyover and the pageantry that goes into Navy football games, I would rather leave it as it is. Because experiencing the excitement and the raw emotion of the flyover is evidence and proof enough for me that the act was truly something special. When tied into the NFL draft, I think people choose not to question acts of patriotism when it comes to sporting event because of the raw emotion that the events conjure up. Whether or not this is a cynical act by the government depends on perception, however, I do not believe it to be.

The next topic of the sporting experience I will discuss is nationalism. Nationalism can be defined as the devotion and loyalty to one's own nation, patriotism. Nationalism can be seen at almost every professional sporting event in America. This is demonstrated by the signing of the national anthem or the flying of the American flag on the flag pole. I have witnessed many instances in professional where the fans demonstrated nationalism however, none was greater than the Philadelphia Phillies against the Atlanta Braves the very first game after 9/11. As I recall the stadium was electric with patriotic fans, many of whom brought American flags to wave.
The greatest memory I have of that experience was the pregame ceremony. When they played to National Anthem before the opening pitch I can honesty it was the first time I realized how lucky and proud I was to call myself American. Looking around the stadium as they played the National Anthem you could see grown men breaking down in tears, some who I am sure lost someone they loved in the 9/11 tragedy, even some ball players were crying. When the song ended the stadium absolutely erupted with loud cheers and U.S.A. Chants, it seemed to last forever. I just remember getting a really bad case of the chills and thinking this is what America is all about.
After the singing of the National Anthem men in military uniform carried a giant American flag across the entire field. The flag covered almost the entire outfield of Veteran's Stadium. As they carried the flag the song “Proud to be an American” played loudly and proudly throughout the stadium. Considering the events that had taken place in New York City only days earlier I feel that the pregame ceremony at Veteran's Stadium was absolutely appropriate. It showed other countries and terrorists that the American people were strong and would never back down. It also was a necessary time for the American people to put aside their differences and come together for a common cause. That cause being freedom.
Although using military personnel at sporting events can be a good thing, I believe that it is often misused or overused. An example of overuse of military personnel is during the 2009 NFL draft. Between the 26th and 27th pick in the 1st round of the 2009 NFL draft men in military uniform paraded around Radio City Music Hall. This event took place because the American media wanted to link the sporting experience to the military. The reason for this is because linking sport and military together represents the best combination of the American dream.
A great example of how the misuse and overuse of the military is prevalent is during the 2008 NFL draft. The media and television program put together a whole special on Celeb Campbell, a safety out of Army. The main topic of the special was that if Celeb Campbell went to the NFL instead of serving his tour in the Army, he would be more marketable to the Army because he would have the power to recruit American soldiers.
This theory that professional athletes who serve in the military are more marketable to the military is absolutely true. Probably the most recent nationally televised case is the case Pat Tillman. Pat Tillman was a multi-millionaire linebacker for the Arizona Cardinals before he opted out of his contract to become an Army Ranger. Pat Tillman was idealized in the American spotlight as being the quintessential man, who gave up millions of dollars to fight for a cause he believed in. Since Tillman was such a public figure the Army developed a recruiting campaign that focused most of its efforts around him. Pat Tillman essentially became the poster boy of the United States Army. Many theorists argue that Pat Tillman, who was killed by friendly fire, was killed because he was going to speak out against the war in Iraq. If Tillman spoke out against the war in Iraq it would be a major blow to their recruiting campaign and image which focused primarily around Pat Tillman.
This situation is evidence how the media and “powers that be” use athletes and sports to promote the military. This is evident by a quote from Pat Tillman's father, Patrick, who said “The administration clearly was using this case for its own political reasons. This cover-up started within minutes of Pat's death, and it started at high levels. This is not something that (lower-ranking) people in the field do” (Collier 2005, pg.6). This quote clearly represents how the military used Pat Tillman for their own political agenda and marketing campaign.
Another quote supports that the Army used Pat Tillman for its marketing campaign is
“The postmortem descriptions and male referents used to inform the public about the identity of this fallen American hero are also telling about the racial and gender politics organizing Tillman’s media spectacle in the post-9/11 America. The photo on the cover of Sports Illustrated issue that marks his passing showcases Tillman in his Arizona Cardinals uniform as an intense “wild man” with helmet off, long hair flowing uncontrollably behind him as he undoubtedly celebrates some sort of team success that just took place on the field. The inset is a head shot of him in his Army Ranger uniform, sitting proudly in front of the American flag”(Kusz 2007, pg. 86).
This quote which was taken from “NASCAR Nation to Pat Tillman: Notes on Sport and the Politics of White Cultural Nationalism in Post- 9/11 America” clearly depicts how the Army used Pat Tillman to market him both as the All-American athlete and as the All-American soldier.

A point at where Nationalism has been seen would be at any sporting event that has ever been attended. This would be in the form of the singing of the National Anthem. This is a minor form of nationalism, but it is a consistent form none the less. With the singing of the National Anthem it creates a sense of unity between the people singing it. In retrospect, most people should agree with the use of the National Anthem. Reasons being that the use of the National Anthem allows for a feeling of pride before the beginning of a game. The National Anthem also has people get into a spirit where they want their team to win, because their team is a team from their area, or a team from America. The National Anthem is also a song that can be personalized to different areas of the nation. In Baltimore is where the best example of how the National Anthem can be made personal is found. Attending an Orioles game or a high school sports game, during the singing of the National Anthem it is known that the O is sung really loud. This is only done in Baltimore, and if one is not from around the area it might not make sense, but it’s believed that this is a way nationalism can be made personal. Nationalism is great because is unites an entire country and it unites an entire audience at a game, but it also can become personal and unite a select group of people.

Every sporting event in America shows their nationalism at the beginning of every game, from major sporting events down to little league teams. There is always an American flag at sporting events and the national anthem is performed before the game begins. This shows how sport and nation are directly related through patriotic symbols.

In game seven of the Capitals versus the Penguins I noticed this much more due to taking the class, sport and society. At the beginning of the game, the whole ice rink was a big American Flag that was projected down from the ceiling. Everyone stood for the national anthem that was performed before the game started. There are a lot of team members that are from other countries but with respect, they stood for the national anthem because they are part of America now. Every team member plays for the nations capital where nationalism is very important.

The sporting events following 9/11 demonstrated a lot of patriotism to show the pride in our country. Falcous & Silk (2005) stated, “The flag was framed as a symbol of future hope, bound with the discursive reconstruction of nation post-9/11…” (p.61). With the major sporting events following 9/11, gave America the hope that the country would stay strong following the tragic events. Seeing major sporting events still take place, i.e. the Super bowl, showed that America could stick together and rise above the evil that had taken place. Having patriotic symbols at sporting events has been part of tradition for a very long time and I believe that this is important. This is showing respect for the military and our country.

The most recent sporting event I went to and nationalism was on display was at a Washington Capitals game. Prior to this sporting event the last one I attended was in Arizona (Phoenix Suns) and they were totally different. Both events were post 9/11 and deemed very different nationalistic undertones.
At the Caps game I was showered in nationalism. The obvious and possible the driving factor of the nationalistic undertone, was the mere nature of Washington Capitals.The organic topophilla at the Verizon Center is a result of the invention of nationa tradition. The symbols/flag, the sporting pastimes itself and the anthems all revolve around celebrationg nationalism. The Caps are located and “represent” the nation’s capital in hockey. The team colors of red, white and blue and the flag inspired uniforms enhance the American symbols. The game of hockey itself is the perpetuation of American sporting characteristics .of being violent, aggressive, male dominated and performing rugid individualism. Beyond the nature of the team, the game experience definitely had a patritiotic feel. First, like clock work at every sporting event, the National Anthem was sung with the American flag flying on the scoreboard and the electrical banners. The sea of red jerseys, as if practiced, all yelled “OOO” during a part of the song, to reinforce their patriotic standing. When the game started, game breaks occurred in which the crowd was updated on the charity work the Caps were performing in the area. A couple of these were military based, like the Caps players visiting Walter Reed. Later on, the jumbotron scanned the crowd stopping in people who were in the military. Reactions to this from the spotlight varied. Some lifted their hats and gave a wave while others portrayed annoynce of being spotted out of the crowd. No matter the reaction from the military personnel, the crowed gave standing ovaitaions to all. Just like “the first week of February 2002 that centered on visions of ‘shared histories and values, Americn nationhood was reasserted,”(Falcous &Silk ,2005). The Caps game was as if I was in an American sporting experience class .
The game that I visited prior to the Caps, was a Phoenix Suns game. This game also took place after 9/11 and was the exact opposite. The only time a nationalistic undertobne appereda at the games was during the national anthem and a NBA Cares segment. I did not feel aspirit to sing along to the song or show patriatic pride. Even during the national anthem no one yelled “OOO,” which I thought was a universal American gaming tradition. This vast differences of two American sporting events in retrospect made me wonder if it was the location, nature of the game or the pot 9/11 “American media moments,”( Falcous & Silk, 2005).
Both sporting experiences nationalistic undertones, no matter the driving force, to me seemed to much and forced. Nationalism defined by Richard Handler of The Nationalism project is:
In principle the individuated being of a nation—its life, its reality—is defined by boundedness, continuity, and homogeneity encompassing diversity. In principle a nation is bounded—that is, precisely delimited—in space and time: in space, by the inviolability of its borders and the exclusive allegiance of its members; in time, by its birth or beginning in history. In principle the national entity is continuous: in time, by virtue of the uninterruptedness of its history; in space, by the integrity of the national territory. In principle national being is defined by a homogeneity which encompasses diversity: however individual members of the nation may differ, they share essential attributes that constitute their national identity; sameness overrides difference,( Handler, 1988).
Nationalism is something that is personal and should not be manufactured or forced. When done so ,what Handler describes as nationalism, is not present. Nationalism was in full swing at the Capitals game but I was not sure if it was organic or manufactured. It sure felt real and helped the team to a victory. I think that the performances of the crowd were organic, but the parade of military on the jumbotron and with the team was manufactured. Manufactured to make us feel united. This seems to be unnecessary since the American sporting tradition practices nationalism. To force it on with no meaning like the NFL draft military spectacle makes me feel like my nationalism is manufactured spectacle. I am supposed to now clap (which I have no problem with) and show my patriotism just because. Just clapping at individuals placed in front of me with no explanation, makes me feel like whoever is charge views us as puppets to the point in which we perform as they expect.
I love my country and have American pride, but when I am constantly reminded of how much we are supposed to be “ American “ and shown the “ American way” its just defeats its purpose.

Aleka Ross

Nationalism is a great thing in my eyes. It is just to bad that is takes tragedy to bring it out of us. We live in the greatest country in the world and we should always respect and honor the men and women who have made it such and continue to do so everyday. It is alright to disagree with some of the polices and practices of the government and thats what makes this country great. In other countries you could be jailed or executed for speaking out against the government. Any chance possible to honor America is a good thing. My favorite part of any sporting event is the singing of the national anthem. I get the chills every time that I hear the Star Spangled Banner. It helps promote fellowship and community as well. A stadium full of people can stand together sharing the same experience. That is worth it to me. After September 11th the flag that was flying on the building that day was brought to many events to show that America could not be beaten and that we will never give up. "The flag was framed as a symbol of future hope, bound with the discursive reconstitution of nation post 9/11, and a part of the wider 'Heroes and Homeland' narrative that reinforced, and legitimated, military intervention Falcous and Silk 61)." I think that it was a good thing to show that flag. Everyone in America felt vulnerable after the attacks on America. If that flag could survive a 100 story plus plunge in to debris and rubble then America could come out of that horrific day and fight back.

When I was in 5th grade I had the great opportunity to go to a World Series game at Yankee Stadium. It was game 4 against the Atlanta Braves and we had just reached our seats. This was pre-September 11th so nationalism and patriotism was not at its elevated high but there was a great display of American pride. The warm-ups went as usual and the players lined up for the playing of the national anthem when Bob Sheppard asked the audience to direct their attention to the corner of the left field upper deck. There, perched on its trainer’s arm, was an American Bald Eagle; the endangered species which is the embodiment of America in all its stature. It took off at the start of the anthem swooping its way down to land at home plate. It was one of the most amazing things I had ever seen or been a part of. The stadium erupted with cheers and applause as they shouted U-S-A- chants and you could feel the power of the fans come together. At that particular moment, no matter Brave or Yankee fan, everyone was together and unified. It was an amazing display of patriotism and nationalism. The eagle itself is the perfect representation of the American spirit and belief. With its huge wingspan, power, breath-taking beauty and physical presence it displays all the America tries to exemplify. There was no better stage to be set for this particular display due to the sell-out stadium and atmosphere of the game. In general, the “nature of major sporting events and their media representations is significant in cultural politics” (Falcous & Silk, 60).

I have been fortunate enough to attend many sporting events firsthand. From baseball games at Camden yards to season tickets to Caps games, one thing that never changes would be the display of patriotism before the games commence. It happens like clockwork- we see the teams on the playing field warming up before their big game, the fans scrambling to find their seats. When the announcer’s voice is heard throughout the arena everyone stands and removes their hats; some cross their hearts. The national anthem has become a staple in our sporting events whether it be the major leagues or little league. To say that I disagree with this spectacle would not be accurate, but I do question the motives behind it. Don’t get me wrong, I would never be critical of the American military, but why are they drug onto the field for every game? In some cases the fans are even in for red, white and blue fireworks, soldiers parachuting onto the field, or huge aircrafts flying overhead, but what does that have to do with the football game that everyone has come to see?
After reading the Pat Tillman article it became easier to tie the two together. Tillman was a great athlete with tremendous loyalty to Arizona State, turning down many offers from the NFL. “A football star at Leland High School in San Jose and at Arizona State University, Tillman was chosen Pac-10 defensive player of the year in 1997 and selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the NFL draft the following spring…His 224 tackles in a single season (2000) are a team record, and because of team loyalty he rejected a five year, $9 million offer from the St. Louis Rams for a one-year, $512,000 contract to stay at Arizona the next year.” Despite Tillman’s love for the game, he decided he wanted to “fight al Qaeda and help find Osama bin Laden” after the attacks on September 11th.
We all know the story from here. Tillman was quoted as being “an American original- virtuous, pure and masculine like only an American male can be” (Ann Coulter, 2004). If Pat Tillman’s story does not represent patriotism, then I am not sure what will. I realize that this is just one of millions of stories that could sway one’s opinion to making sense out of why patriotism has been such a prominent aspect within sports, and with Tillman’s story there are more out there that would contradict my argument. It is easier to rationalize why patriotism exists during sporting events because of athletes like him, but the United States seems to go about it in an "in your face" kind of way, as apparent in the NFL Draft of '09. There was no real need to have soldiers parade around on stage inbetween draft picks.

While I attended Rutgers University, every year the Student Athlete Advisors Committee (SAAC), which I was a member of, created the 'Color Games'. It is an event for athletes only, with the intended goal to bring the athletes together to meet each other and socialize in a fun, relaxed competitive environment. Color Games are like a mini Olympics, teams participate in 15 or 20 events against other teams and whoever has the most point’s wins. All the athletes look forward to this every year, it's a day to get away and have fun with people that share your same interests. The last year I participate was after The Virginia Tech killings. The faculty asked us to all get in a picture where we were holding up signs that said positive reinforcements and support for the school. The picture was put on the Rutgers website, planners, etc. Along with this, my team in particular had to wear VT scholars in our hair for all of our games. I always wondered, what exactly are we trying to do in showing our public support for the University? Falcous and Silk quoted "analysis of political rhetoric, these sporting events offered an expanded ‘us’, an ‘unprecedented global consensus ... defined against a paradoxically diminishing “other” Johnson, 2002. The picture we took and the ribbons in our hair portrayed a sense of togetherness, and a statement that said we haven't forgot about you. However it is deeper than that, there are always motives behind any public statements, especially when it is coming from an athletic organization that is always been watched and judged. I was glad that we took the time to show our support, but in reality how support does nothing for that school or those students who lost friends and family. It was a way for our University to publicly show our compassion, in a way that benefits our school. I know there was no togetherness when we were on the field playing VT. The ribbons and picture did not matter anymore, now we were back to our goal to defeat. The question arises wondering where the support is today, those lives are still gone, and those students are still worried while they walk on campus. The underlying goal was to change the perception of our organization through the use of their hardship. The effort we took to make that picture public is where compassion stops and greed begins. It would have been one thing to take the picture and send it to the Virginia Tech athletic department and that would be the end of it, but it had to be publicly known what we had done, and in my mind is morally wrong.
-Katy Lawrence

Another main undertone in all sporting events is the issue of Nationalism. Nationalism is constantly in the face of Americans at sporting events. Every major sporting event begins with the National Anthem to reestablish the dominance of America and show how great this country is. However, the issue between Nationalism and sports is manifested in a dialectic relationship. The media continues to portray America as the greatest country without any flaws. Everything that is being feed to the public is the good of America; nobody ever reveals the bad aspects of America because they would be socially scrutinized.
Looking back at my sporting experience, my most memorable experience regarding sports and Nationalism was with Chris Jackson. Chris Jackson was a Denver Nugget player, who was well liked and a decent player. I even went to one of his basketball camps. However, in the early 1990’s Jackson converted to the Muslim religion and changed his name to Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. In the mid to late 1990’s Rauf decided to not stand for the National Anthem. There was huge controversy in Denver over this situation because many people felt as if Rauf was disrespecting this great nation. Soon after the incident, bad publicity came out regarding Rauf. Many articles and people were talking about how he is a bad American and shouldn’t play in the NBA anymore. People in Denver started to hate Rauf, with his Muslim believes they believed he might be some crazy Middle-Eastern. I jumped on the ban-wagon. Jackson used to be a player that I would follow then after all the media attention I began to lose interest in him.
Here you can see how once somebody goes against the fundamentals of they nation, questioning what America is about, they get black-mailed by the media and society. The media created this notion around Rauf that he was Non-American, and if you love our country and have pride for America, then you should also hate Rauf.
People just followed along with this idea because they did not want their love for the country questioned. The media did the same thing with the Pat Tillman situation. The agenda of the government resided above all. The governments’ agenda exploited the Pat Tillman story in order to affect the populous, gaining more support for the US interests. During this time, the media was using Tillman and others as signs to promote US interests. This is how the media shapes our perspective on culture as we know it. Falcous (2005) describes this agenda best, “the effective role of the media as inculcating and defending the economic, social, and political agenda of privileged groups that dominate society and the state” (p. 60). This theory was played out at the 2009 NFL Draft. Football is the American sport and this action at the draft confirms the nationalism of football.

Ryan Kannegieter

The Washington redskins are the biggest supporters of patriotism/nationalism. My friend is a huge skins fan so he takes me to a lot of games each year. I swear, before every game, they have the army or military come out holding a huge flag and either sing the national anthem or stand right next to the person singing and look super cool. If not involved in the national anthem then just applauded and noticed at the beginning of the game. It is just not necessary to celebrate them each game. People do not forget they are over there fighting so showing our support maybe at the first game of the season could be enough support. Why should people who don’t agree with the war be looked so down upon if they do not celebrate and get all hyped and congratulatory every time we see army people. It is their choice to go over and fight this war and if they come out of it alive I may applaud but I’m not going to celebrate them over and over again. Of course Washington wants to be known as the biggest supporters of patriotism and nationalism because there the country’s capital, but I strongly feel they do it a bit more than most teams.
I do not mind patriotism and showing our country we care, but sometimes how much we show can look a little cocky. I mean no wonder were the most hated country. We do act like we are the shit and celebrating our dominance at every game may not give us a better liking.

I cannot really think of a specific event in sports relating to nationalism, but what does come to mind is the nationalism expressed on the high school level, and perhaps the club sports level at colleges. When I was in high school I can recall only 2 games, including both football and lacrosse, where the National Anthem was played before the contest. These games were the state semifinals and State Championship game I played in, in my junior year. Most of our games consisted of a very small crowd, and we never had the National Anthem played probably because of this. On the bigger stage of state playoffs, where the crowd was in excess of thousands of people, the anthem was played. In college, as a club lacrosse member, the same is true. We made it to the National Championship my first 2 years, and those games are the only games where the National Anthem was played. It is almost as if it is pointless to play it if there are less than a thousand spectators in the stands. When there are people, schools want to make sure they look like they are patriots and support nationalism and America, so they play the National Anthem. Does this mean that when no one comes to watch a high school football game then the school gets to take a break from nationalism? I think it is a joke to play the National Anthem at some contests but not others. Schools only want to show their nationalism when the public is viewing them. This is very similar to the way the Army handled Pat Tillman’s death. The Army wanted Tillman to be viewed by the public as a war-supporting, high on nationalism soldier. The truth, as pointed out by Collier, was that he had a “unique character, which was more complex than the public image of a gung-ho patriotic warrior.” (Collier, 7) The entire goal is to make everything, whether it is soldiers, high schools, etc. seem patriotic in public view, at any cost necessary. Another thing that comes to mind is the use of American flag stickers on the back of athletic helmets. My lacrosse team had them, and I had no real idea what the point of it was. In retrospect, it is clear that the athletic department wanted to make our team show their support for America. I do not see how throwing a sticker of our country’s flag on the back of a helmet necessarily does this. I suppose it made up for not playing the National Anthem at all of our games.

There are numbers of sporting events where nationalism and patriotism are clearly demonstrated. For example the Super Bowl, Olympics, and just about every other sport competition that begins with the national anthem, and has the American Flag flying. One particular sporting event I have experienced nationalism is the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. While watching on Television I found myself cheering on my fellow Americans, who I have never even met, or seen before. Constantly checking how many gold medals we won, and world records we broke, it is safe to say everyone in the United States was counting on Michael Phelps and Shawn Johnston to represent how great we are! In this lecture we learned about imagined communities and Benedict Anderson says it best: “imagined because members of even the smallest nation will never know most of their fellow-members, meet them, or ever hear of them, yet in the minds of each lives the image of their communion.” As if we are the same, and share the same beliefs just because of the country we are from.
Another Sporting event that comes to mind when thinking about nationalism and patriotism is the 2002 Super Bowl ironically between the Patriots and the Rams. According to the Falcous and Silk article:
Fox constructed a highly selective pastiche of the past, which was acted out through the sporting spectacle. Framed through the retelling of the ‘Home Depot Declaration of Independence’ and through various ‘representative subjectivities’ of the US nation (American footballers and Hollywood stars spliced with political leaders such as Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense, and all living past Presidents). Fox announced that the United States was ‘united more than ever’ (p. 61).
What I remember most about this Super Bowl was the halftime show. Not the fact that U2 played renditions of "Beautiful Day" and "MLK", but the part when the band launched into "Where the Streets Have No Name," and two backdrops came up with the names of victims of the 9/11 attacks floating into the sky behind the band. I remember everyone at my house begin to tear up as they searched for the names of friends and family they had known. This is nationalism.

Kristen S

There is certainly a generalization about officers in the army and that because they are in the army that he or she has wanted to contribute all that they can for the sake of the nation. Patriotism is undoubtly in abundance in regards to the armed forces but just like any population you can't assume that all participating agree with the cause and or love America and its decisions. That's why the Pat TIllman story is so intrigueing, everyone wants to see him as that glorified, rugged individual hero devoting everything for the American cause, which he did; but in contrast his own personal opinion about the war were very contradictory to the plans of the way. Glorifying army personnal at events such as the NFL draft without giving reason of their accomplishment, is a travesty and without a doubt plays an important roll in the recruiting process of past soldiers and new soldiers to come. Personnally, I do not have a problem with rewarding soldiers who return to the states after serving by allowing them to attend sporting events. In any case the reason, the reasons they are fighting all circle back to protect capitalism and there for events just like the NFL DRAFT....- Mychal

Nationalism is always evident when at sporting events. The national anthem being sung before every game is an example. Baseball teams having military days where whole sections of stadiums are filled with military personnel are another example. After the events of September 11 2001 nationalism was at an all time high. This is when events like the singing of God Bless America started. I am from New York and the return of sports to our area was so important that it cannot be measured what it did help people who were suffering. The return of baseball to New York allowed people to get back to watching their team and something that was normal, something they could count on to be the way it was before the events occurred. The first game played in New York after the horrific events was a Mets, Braves game in the height of the rivalry between the two teams. The Mets had rallied to come back to within a few games of the Braves in the standings after trailing by a lot earlier in the summer. Rudy Giuliani threw out the first pitch of the game, a hated Yankee fan that usually was booed when seen around Shea Stadium. However on that night the sell out crowd at big Shea chanted “Rudy, Rudy” over and over again. With the Mets losing late in the game, Mike Piazza stepped into the box and with one swing of the bat shook New York with a go-ahead home run over the 410 mark in center field. I remember the cameras panning over the crowd showing people hugging and crying and jumping up and down. My aunt was staying with us and she was working in downtown Manhattan on September 11th. She saw the second plane hit the tower as well as some other traumatizing sights that day. She started crying too when Piazza hit that home run. I was only in Middle School and while I understood what was going on I was just happy the Mets were winning. It is a moment that will stay with me forever and will always be one of my favorite moments in sports history.
When I entered my high school they were completing a huge project to rebuild our football stadium. They build bleachers my freshman year and replaced the grass on the field with field turf. My sophomore year they introduced lights so our team could play their games at night. The first ever night game was our homecoming game against Horace Greeley high school, our long time rival that was always ranked very high in the state. The new stadium received its name that night. It was named after the father of three students in our high school who was a victim of the September 11th events. The crowd that night was much larger than anyone expected with people pouring out of the bleachers and onto the hill that surrounded the field. While they dedicated the stadium and played the national anthem I remember the massive crowd together chanting USA, USA. Being there and hearing that gave me chills. So many people chanting together with national pride really made me realize how proud I was to be American. Nationalism does belong at sporting events. Sporting events are places where people can come together and bond with each other based on the fact that they are from the same country and they are proud of it. At the same time sporting events can boost nationalism such as the 1980 Olympic hockey team. And, at times, sports, and nationalism, can help people recover when they are down, and can bring stability back to their lives.
-Josh McGrath

Every sporting event I have ever been to they play the national anthem before the game starts. This is clearly a case of nationalism and sport coming together. This is simply a way to encourage citizens to appreciate their country and a way for citizens to show respect. The playing of the national anthem before sporting events is a positive thing. Even if you do not agree with what the leaders of your country are doing, you can still show love and respect for your country.
Another example of nationalism I experienced was at a West Virginia University football game. It was near the beginning of the Iraq War and they asked all of the military members in the stands to stand up and be recognized. At this time the country’s support of the war was high, so the military members received a loud round of applause. As stated by Keller, “Entire networks such as Fox and the NBC cable networks provided little by propaganda and one-sided patriotism as did, for the most part, CNN”. The crowd at the football game was receiving this sugar-coated message about the war, therefore was largely in support of the war and definitely in support of the troops. If they were to do the same thing today, the reaction would no doubt be different. The crowd would still be somewhat supportive of the troops but not as enthusiastic because of the negative feeling surrounding the war today. People should be supportive of the troops, but we should be wary of the government using our support of the troops to manipulate the public.

The most obvious display of patriotism I can think of is the playing of the national anthem before almost every single sporting event. It is a nice gesture to celebrate our great nation, but I think it loses its value over time. As someone who frequently attends sporting events, I find myself noticing that it becomes less significant and moving the more times that I hear it before a game or event. It seems like everyone around me is just going through the motions and doesn’t put as much attention or effort into appreciating the significance of the national anthem. A possibility might be to restrict the playing of the national anthem to strictly games of national importance. That might bring a much more significant attitude towards the playing of the national anthem and people would come to realize the importance of national pride and not just take it as something that is played before every sporting event and not question why that is.

-DJ Walker

One experience that caught the attention of some was at an Oriole game when before the game started they decided to honor a couple of world war two veterans before the game and had them each throw out the first pitch. It sounds like a great gesture on behave of the ball club but it did not feel right to me or any of the others sitting in the same section. When the announcer for the game greeted the veterans on the field, it almost sounded like he was only reading what was on the paper in front of him and he did not show any emotion for these two heroes. Now when everybody heard him, they all assumed that maybe he was sick and his voice was not cooperating with him, as did I, but when it came to announce the starting line ups for the baseball teams he was full of energy and showed real emotion as he welcomed all the players on to the filed one by one. This is just sad that the Orioles tried to do a good thing by honoring the world war veterans and the announcer had no interest and decided that honoring them was not the most important thing going on at the game. The team wanted to show their patriotism to the USA by honoring these two gentlemen but nobody at the stadium even gave a second thought to them after the game started and the teams took the field. In the Falcous article it talks about how the at the Super Bowl they showed live satellite images of the Louisiana Dome and Afghanistan to show our troops stationed there and basically show every one that even in these tough times that the NFL was supporting our troops that were supporting the game. This is the same thing I experienced at the Orioles game, the people were honored before the game but once the game started did anyone even think about the images they saw in Afghanistan? People in sport would like you to think they are honoring the country and in some ways they are but this is another classic case to draw more people into the sport and get higher ratings.
Corey Cline

Going to the stadium to watch my national soccer team is, by far, my favorite sporting event. These games are a pure and unique manifestation of patriotism and nationalism for several reasons. Firstly, the main national symbols in this event are the anthem and the flag. Before the game starts the anthem is played and also sung by every spectator. Also,a huge flag is showed on the field, many others circulate around the stands, little flags are given to spectators and some of them even paint flags on their faces. Moreover, during the half time traditional music is played and there are performances of the most popular folkloric dances. Additionally, important political figures can be seen at these games such as the President and Prime Ministers so the media coverage is very extensive. These games have an impressive ability to get the entire nation together, regardless the social class, gender, race, or religion; here everybody belongs to one team and strives for its success.
The nationalism is very vivid in every international game but especially when we play against Chile. Given the circumstances, the last game we played about a month ago is probably the best example of nationalism I can think of in my country. First of all, we have a long history of disputes that go back to the 19th century. Currently, even though we are involved in a lawsuit over a maritime border, we have normal bilateral relations. However, because of past issues we still hold strong feelings of grudge towards Chileans that are fully manifested when we play against them. At the beginning of 2008 the South American World Cup Qualifiers began and unfortunately Peru has had the worst campaign of the history. We had only one win out of twelve possible, we are in the last position of the table and therefore we are already eliminated even though there are still many more rounds to play. Logically, the entire population is extremely disappointed and frustrated, so the fans decided to boycott the games hosted at home by not going to the stadium. For this reason, earlier this year, the games against Bolivia and Argentina were played in an almost empty stadium. This story changed, nevertheless, when we hosted the game against Chile about a month ago. This time, it did not matter the fact that we were the last team in South America, that we were already eliminated from the world cup or that the team had been playing at a very poor level. It was just the fact that we were playing against our eternal rival and what it represents to all Peruvians that made everybody want to support our team again; the tickets sold out in only a few days and the game was played in a full stadium. As I said before, this kind of events unite the country in a positive and healthy way. So, as long as there is respect and no violence towards our opponents I am in favor of promoting nationalism.
Evelyn Izaguirre

The most obvious act of patriotism at any sporting event is the national anthem, which is played before pretty much every sporting event at almost all levels. I would have to say that the most memorable patriotic event I have experienced was right around the time Pat Tillman was killed. I was at a Ravens game and before kick-off they usually have veterans from various wars march out to the song “Proud to be an American” followed by the national anthem and sometimes a fly-over. This game was different though. This time they decided to have a moment of silence for Pat Tillman and they talked about how he was a great American. Personally, I have absolutely no problem with them honoring him like that. Sure, they lied about what happened to make it a better story and that was wrong, but the fact of the matter is, he still gave up millions of dollars to go fight for what he believed was right. Some people may disagree with what he did, but it was his choice. I don’t know if I could give up the chance to play football for millions of dollars to go fight, even if I really believed in it. A lot of people view him as a “gung-ho patriotic warrior”, so why not give him a moment of silence and talk about what a great man he was (Collier, 2005). As far as the fly over goes, I think that just gets the crowd into it more than anything. It always seems like they do that for a big game and the fans always seem to love it. I also do not have a problem with the “Proud to be an American” song before the games. It is like the Pat Tillman situation where they are honoring the veterans for their service by allowing them to march out of the tunnel with flags and be applauded by 70,000 fans. When I look around, there is not a single person sitting down when they come out. I guess you can say that some situations like the draft are just used to keep an allegiance to the military, but if they really are willingly risking their lives to fight for my country, the least I can do is stand up and clap for them.

I have never really had a problem with the obvious patriotism that goes hand in hand with our professional sporting experiences. In fact, I find it to be a good reminder to all of us that we are Americans and that being American is truly something to celebrate and be proud of. There are countries all over the world that do not have the infrastructure, freedom, and strength to have professional sports for entertainment value, it is something to cherish really. One specific instance stands out more than most for me in recent history. Last year I was lucky enough to attend the Preakness right here in Baltimore, Maryland. With everything that was going on in the infield it was easy to get lost in the circus. At one point during the day, before the main event, I began to hear an extremely loud sound coming from above. As I looked up I noticed an American Stealth bomber speeding over the racetrack. It was one of the most majestic and magnificent things I have ever seen. As soon as the roaring from the bomber's engines died down the whole infield erupted into applause. I found it inspiring to see how this one plane could bring everyone together even for just a few minutes. It was a sight that is still vivid in my mind and one I will never forget. Finding common ground to bring people together is what the sporting experience is based on. While we might be fans of different teams, everyone is there to enjoy the same game. Bringing a sense of nationalism and pride into the arena just allows the fans to become even closer.

Since I am an athlete at Towson university I was apart of the athletic talent show. The rules of the talent show were that at least one person from each team had to be represented at this show. We being the gymnastics team all participated. But before the talented show even started the announcer said can you all please stand for the singing of the national anthem. At that very moment I could not understand why they felt the need to have someone come and sing the anthem. It seemed very unnecessary especially since we already started 30 minutes late. But as I thought about it made sense as to why they played this song. I truly believe that the national anthem should not express power; I believe it represents the struggle and the perseverance of the American’s who fought for this country to be free from Britain. It should remind us of the shoulders today fighting. What they fight for is different in each person for example Pat Tillman fought for his own reason as well as the many others. It was said that Pat Tillman was a “gung-ho patriotic warrior” (Collier, 2005). And I am sure another man was a power house warrior. President Bush would have appreciated the playing of this song since he believes that “the United States…the greatest force for good in world history” (Falcous & Silk, 2005, pg. 59). Yes we try and help other countries, but in terms of the War in Iraq we were just in war for selfish reasons. So, I don’t believe that the anthem should be played for that war. Bush and many more believe that the national anthem evokes power and Bush also attempted this when he was expressing to the public that we were going to war with Iraq. “Bush could only invoke fear and a moralistic rhetoric, attempting to present himself as a strong, nationalist leader” (Kellner, 2004, pg.330). It’s funny hearing that President Bush was trying to be powerful. Well I guess in many ways he was. So, after thinking about it I think the national anthem was rightly played because it reminds us of all of the people who lost their lives for us.
Alise McDonald
A

In particular one sporting event stands out when it came to emphasizing nationalism and patriotism that I attended. On September 11, 2005 I attended the Washington Redskins week 1 home football game versus the Chicago bears. I remember that I actually forgot it was September 11th that day until I got to the game. The game had a very special opening where they sang 2 or 3 Nationalist songs and they did it with the help of Texan Jessica Simpson singing along with then husband Nick Lachey. The pre-game also had a jet fly over right before kickoff and they had a special on field military tribute to our troops in the war. I think they also may have had a police and fireman tribute because of how they rescued and helped so many people on September 11th 2001 in Lower Manhattan and Arlington, Virginia. The game being played on September 11 had huge meaning and also the fact that the game was being held at FedEx Field in the suburban Washington DC area is located only about 20 miles away from one of the 9/11 terrorist attack sites (the Pentagon). During the game both teams wore a decal memorial patch or sticker of 9/11 on their jerseys and helmets. As for the game the Redskins won a defensive struggle 9-7. The sentiment in the stadium was still pro-war at a time even though President Bush had a bad approval rating of 45. After almost 4 years I look back at the many patriotic and nationalist displays at that game and I totally agree with their use. The entire NFL had their opening games on the same day so every game probably had some nationalist pre-game ceremonies and rituals to honor our lost souls and current troops and rally people to continue supporting the war. I think that a large majority of people at NFL games on 9/11/05 supported the war (on that day specifically), but on September 12th maybe they felt different. The pre-game ceremonies and tributes of this game were obviously supporting the current war in Iraq and the President who sent us into that war (Bush). The NFL chose to show their support for Bush so openly because they wanted to protect their conservative corporate sponsors, they needed to rally support for the failing Bush Administration using the most popular sport in America, and to promote nationalism and patriotism of course.

In 2002 the sporting news media used the super bowl pre-game show as a propaganda model for “the forefront of support of the Bush Administration and its political allies” (Falcous and Silk, 60). The pre-game show had a live satellite feed to a Kandahar, Afghanistan military base where US troops on active duty were shown gathered together to watch the big game. The Fox television network used a consistent and overt metaphor throughout their broadcast that tied American football with the military. These same tactics were used in the 2002 Salt Lake City winter Olympic games; NBC commentators at these games overtly supported Bush’s coalition against terror and critically demonized the ‘Axis of Evil.’ I know today that athletic events held on September 11th these days aren’t performed the same as years ago, but the major sports should still have some sort of tribute for 9/11 for many years to come.

Evan Johnson

Obviously, the national anthem is played before every sporting event, and that is a blatant show of nationalism. One time I remember however that was not something that happens every game was during an Orioles game at Camden Yards. I do not remember the exact year, but I believe it was sometime within the last 2-3 years. I was sitting lower level for the game and did not know that this game was something special. About 10-15 minutes before first pitch I look up into the upper deck and notice a row of seats being occupied by Army personnel. Then the row behind them was taken, as well as the row behind them, and so on. Soon enough almost the entire section was filled with men and women dressed in Army uniforms. Shortly thereafter in a different section in the upper level, Midshipmen dressed in Navy uniforms filled another section. I figured out that this was some sort of Military Appreciation Day, though I cannot recall the exact name of the event. There were sections throughout the upper deck filled with Army, Navy, and Marine personnel. Over the course of the game the different groups would be shown on the big screen, greeted by a roar of applause from the crowd. Then at some point later in the game in between innings an announcement was made that this day was in fact their Military Appreciation Day and that a number of military personnel were in attendance as we all could see. By the time the announcement was over the whole stadium was standing and cheering, giving the soldiers a standing ovation that lasted the entire commercial break. As I think back to this event, I agree with its use during the Orioles game. Unless we enlist ourselves, none of us will ever know the things these young men and women go through when entering their respective military branch. It is nice to see them honored for all of their hard work, and for all that they do while helping provide security for this country. Whether or not you agree with the war, I think everyone can appreciate these soldiers and what they do, and could give them applause at a sporting event. Another small example of nationalism during sports is on Sundays during football season. It is impossible to watch an NFL game during the regular season on FOX without them cutting to a camera shot of 10-12 soldiers in Iraq who are watching the game live; regardless of what time it is over there. It is obvious in America that the “nature of major sporting events and their media representations is significant in cultural politics” (Falcous & Silk, 60). Sports in America are the grandest of stages, and if you want to reach a large audience, doing it through sports is a great way to be heard.

Other than singing the national anthem at a sporting event, I cannot say I remember seeing blatant patriotism. Maybe at an Orioles’ game they now play “God Bless America” along with playing “Thank God (I’m a Country Boy)” at the seventh inning stretch. The national anthem is just that, a song that unites a nation, whether it is a nation-state or The Red Sox Nation, the song stands for something to a large number of people. And the playing of the national anthem did not start because we were attacked on September 11th; people just became more aware of the significance of the song and what it stood for. In times of peace and war, though people say the world is in a constant state of war, the national anthem is played at all levels of sporting events.
I know I cannot be the first person to suggest this, but maybe the national anthem should not be played at the beginning of sporting events here, unless it is the American team (a team made up by only American citizens). I suggest this change because even if the game is “America’s past time” or “America’s game”, there are players on (I say without complete certainty) every team in all sports leagues who are not American citizens, so why must we espouse our nation’s anthem to a non-citizen. The example I give is the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), each team has its own song; its own anthem. Each team’s anthem is played at the beginning of the game, just as the American and Canadian anthems are, because they are a team united by common goals, beliefs and cultures (to a certain extent), they are a nation united by soccer. So why can’t National Football League teams have their own “official” anthems (I do not include MLB because many teams have “official” songs played at the seventh inning stretch).
The more I think about using the national anthem at sporting events, unless it truly is one country playing against another country, the more I think people should rethink playing it at games.
~Cory Joiner

The singing of the national anthem at sporting events always stands out to me as a sign of nationalism/patriotism. Also the flying of jets before a sporting event over the event represents nationalism/patriotism to me. The presenting of the flag is another representation to me. However, an instance where nationalism/patriotism really stands out to me at a sporting event that I attended was armed forces day at Camden Yards. It was a game between the Orioles and Yankees and the stands were filled with people from all the divisions of the armed forces. The people could be clearly identified from their uniforms and were mentioned several times over the stadium speakers. They were also asked to stand for a moment and were cheered by everyone else in the stadium. In addition, through out the game many people would go up to them and thank them for their work. In retrospect I did agree with the event because it honored members of the armed forces. It allowed people to show their gratitude and support for the members of the armed forces and the jobs they do. I believe it is a nice notion by the Orioles organization to conduct a day where the armed forces are honored stadium wide. I do not believe there is anything wrong with it. I think it is good that Orioles showed public support for the armed forces. Supporting the armed forces does not mean you have to support the war or the government’s decisions. I believe armed forces day gave people a chance to have one on one interaction with the members of the armed forces and be able to personally express their gratitude.

Travis Macklin