Nationalism

In our society cultures often use sport as a medium for patriotic support, through history examples of nations rooting for their representative teams can often be linked to national distress. In my own personal opinion I feel that people choose to support their national teams when it is convenient, and I do not think that this "national pride" is truly representative of one's support. Many people whom cheer for national teams at international events, often do not even follow the sport during the normal season, during the 2008 Olympics all of America was cheering for Michael Phelps, when most of America could care less for competitive swimming. While I understand the desire for one to support their own country I feel that it is often used as another form of international rivalry and superiority.

America, China, Congo, Russia, and every other nation in this world have problems, and these problems are much more complex then I force of power. With this it is much easier for the general population look toward a "battle" for proof of power, rather then actually looking in to the issues and thinking about what is really going on. During the 1980 winter olympics, the American Hockey team face the Soviet hockey team, due to their political rivalry and the Cold War nations were pulling for "their" team to win. Before this year the Soviet Union had one all but one gold medals for the past 20 plus years, but on February 22, 1980 the American team beat the Soviet team. This caused a massive celebration from Americans across the nation, they took it as a sign of power and defeat over the Soviet Union. One could use the phrase " you have won the battle, but have not won the war." This provides a clear and perfect example of national support in my eyes, yes team America beat team Soviet, but the problems be ween the country still existed, and mass excitement was all revolved around a simple game, rather then the real world problems that we were facing.

A game is simple, these is a winner and a looser, it is complete in a short amount of time, and it can always be played again, whereas warfare, superiority, and politics are not so cut and dry and may never be resolved. There are no re-matches, and history cannot be erased. Our society expects results, and they expect them in a timely manner, therefore politics are pulled in to sport and naturally the winner represents power, as long as there are problems in our world, civilians will continue to justify and rationalize the power that their country holds they will continue to view sport as an acceptable representation of the real world problems that we face.

Topophilla

Being a fan of more non-traditional sports, places a tough question about topophilla because often sporting events travel from one venue to the next. With that said I think that the traditional motocross track is a very place for varying demographics of people. The sport is dominated particularly by caucasian or white people, and therefore this is reflected in the attendance of races. Professionally, in America there is only one successful black rider, and it just so happens that he is currently the best in the world. James Stewart has been riding dirt bikes since childhood and has brought light to the sport for fellow african americans.

Overall I feel that motocross is an all encompassing sport, much like other extreme sports, the only downfall is that the participation and spectatorship is not even across the board. In certain areas across the Nation I feel there is a certain level of prejudice, but I feel that these views are not extremely dominant. At my "home track", Budds Creek, there is attendance of both blacks and whites, males and females. For women and girls the track day experience is much different from that of boys and men. Although in amateurs races girls and women= are aloud to race alongside the boys and men, in the professional division this is not so. Most women whom regularly attend races are either mothers, sisters, or girl friends of riders. It is rare that females are even introduced to the sport with out some sort of male influence. At the professional level women working at races are sex icons; wearing boy shorts, heels, and bra tops, these women offer promotions to passers using the influence of their beauty to entice them. For young girls, this is the only example of women in motocross that they are exposed to, therefore influencing them to desire to one day be like them.

Motocross, in my eyes, is not a racially divided sport, but rather a sexually divided sport. I do not think that having women as sex icons is a negative aspect of our society, but when there are no other examples of women in a certain field it poses a problem, and only helps to continue the divide between " real women" and "pretend" dressed up women, whom at the end of the day take off their costumes and continue their lives.

I always root for the United States in any international competition. I root for all my home teams without exception. I am a fan of all sports. I love watching events that rarely get broadcast on television in the United States. I love watching the Olympics, World Cup soccer, cricket, rugby, or anything away from the norm, even if the USA is not palying. I also like rooting for the underdog. When it comes to teams representing a country rather than a city/franchise, many people will root for or against a team for other reasons than just the game, usually for political reasons. I always root for my country becuase this is where I am from and no other reason. If a government makes a political dicision that I do not agree with it does not affect how I feel about their sports teams. If the president of that particular country happened to play on the countries soccer team, than maybe things would be different. To me rooting against the Iranian soccer team because they have a mad man as their leader makes about as much sense as rooting for Landon Donovan in the World Cup because I like Barack Obama. There is no connection. National pride is healthy and the United States is not the only country that attempts to instill national pride into their citizens. I would hope every country around the world would sends messages of national pride in and through sports, and I am sure they do. When it comes to international sports, a team needs great chemistry to be the best. They need a common goal. This chemistry is fueled by the shared desire to achieve the goal of representing their homeland as best as they can. National pride is absolutely necessary in internatinoal sport.

Jeff Garretson

I am a Washington Capitals season ticket holder. Obviously living in Baltimore I do not get to attend many games, but I have been to enough to know what to expect when I do go. I would say that about ninty-five percent of all the fans at the games are caucasian. In terms of social class there is a good mix. You seee a lot of well dressed men and families in the lower level. The upper level, where my seats are, are usually the rowdier fans wearing anything red. Many sport mohawks. You see some African-Americans in both levels equally I'd say, but sporadically. I have talked about the absence of other races with my friends on several occasions and most people simply believe minorities do not attend hockey game because they are not brought up playing hockey. They do not understand the rules and do not care. I believe this to be true. There are very few African-Americans in hockey at any level. I DO NOT believe that hockey games are unpopular to minorities because of racial-based auras around the sport or arenas. Although we discussed how this exists in places around the country, like Fenway Park, there is no history of discrimination at Verizon Center. Last season the Capitals had Donald Brashear. Brashear is one of the few African-American hockey players in the NHL and has been in the league for quite a few years now. Although he was dead last on the team in ice time per game played last year, he was alway a fan favorite. He is know for his energy, scrappy play, big hits, and above all his willingness to protect our stars by fighting anyone. Every time he came on the ice you would hear chears from the crowd and when he made a hit or got a shot on goal the crowd would alway erupt. I would guess Brashear's jersey was the fourth more common on any given night even though he rarely played in the game. This tells me that the overwhelmingly high precentage of caucasians is not a breeding ground for racism that sets up a wall for minority Caps fans, but is more just due to different cultural interests. I would feel badly for any minority Capitals fan that did not attend a game because they would feel out of place because that is definitely not the case.

Jeff Garretson

Personally, I am not that nationalistic towards America in the sporting world. Yes, I do like American sports but I am not going out of my way to root and cheer for them when they are against an international opponent. I am very nationalistic when it comes to American business though. I like to feel that we are the dominant force behind business in the world, even though that is a tough statement to say nowadays. Also, when it comes to politics I feel like Americans are the superior society. I do not have any real information to back me up on this statement, but I have been bred to think this; I think everyone has. There is a certain feeling of opposition when thinking of foreign countries and competition with American sport/culture.

Ever since I was a child I loved to go to Orioles games with my entire family and friends. The stadium is amazing, and so are the fans. From the food to the loyalty of the crowd, Camden Yards is an incredible place to experience a baseball game. This is a great place to see a mix of ethnicities from all over the world. Obviously the other teams' fans do not like attending the game because of the constant hate for the opposition that goes on. Personally, I am an avid promoter for sporting hate but not real life hate. One huge factor which fans disagree with is the “O”, which fans sing during the national anthem. I think it could be a sign of disrespect, sure, but I also think it is a sign of commemoration to the Baltimore Orioles. The disrespect could be focused on veterans of war or war participants. It also shows that the fans have a common interest in the team, no matter how terrible they are performing. My parents always tell me not to sing the “O” and feel embarrassed when I let to fly from my vocal chords. Sometimes that's the price you have to pay to show your loyalty.

Pride is instilled into an individual at birth. Nationalism allows a person to feel accepted and represent their nature born country. Not often does a person from one country cheer for another country unless there given a reason. When rooting for a team there's usually needs to be a connection or a reason to relate. In a Olympic sport setting teams where their countries colors, for the United States the colors are red, blue, and white, the same color that many students growing up pledge to every morning while in school.
Not having the opportunity to travel to other countries, I'm not the position to criticize other countries and their beliefs. Every country has their specialty and conventions and there is no right or wrong game, activity and or beliefs. Growing up I only participated in basketball and football, this is due to the lack of exposure that was given to me as a adolescent. If exposed to a board variety of sport people will be more willing to explore other sports and activities.

When observing sporting events on television, there seems to be an unwanted vibe. There are mascots imitating culture and heritage, there are also a cloud of white males filling the camera lens. Recently I have been viewing sports in a social and racial matter, rather than viewing it for its cover of entertainment. So often black male spectators are over look, only those who are considered celebrities are given their ten seconds of notability. Also the question arises, “does professional teams want people of lower social economic status in their stadium?”, after searching ticket master it is evident that Dallas Cowboy owner Jerry Jones seventy five dollar nose bleed seats are advertised to the lower social class considering that ticket price can be a full day's pay for some people.
Truthfully I have never been to a professional sporting event, I love the game of football but I'm not sure if I would be comfortable giving owners like Jerry Jones my money, so that I can be placed in an unwanted environment. Although I have never been to a professional sporting event I have attended several local events and the level of comfort allows me to enjoy game. During sporting events at Towson University there seem to be a level of respect, a broad portion of spectators are not doctors or high class lawyers but are rather Towson students. During basketball season at Towson University, a large amount of the minority students come to observe the games, and as a member of that minority group it allows me a opportunity to relate with the student athletes and the student body.
I'm not sure what could be done to increase the comfort for all. If professional team attempt to increase comfort for the lower economic audience members, audience members of higher economic status may begin to feel un comfortable. What ways can a positive inviting arena fit the standards for all.

Over the holiday the advertisments just consisted of variety of promotions, door busters and early bird specials for "black friday" more than any other year in my life. The nation is in economic durn town therefore business extended the sales dates out to December 4th that is neoliberal capitalism performing at is optimal level. The nationalism message I decoded from the overall programing that I watched was value the tangible elements of the holidays and spend less time trying to find that perfect gift that holds intangible meaning to the reciever of the gift. Just to buy whats on sale and save money but spend more time in the stores for 12 hours so that you can submit to the temptations of items that have been marked up for month before they take of that addtional markup minus the 15% off that one really gets during that time. Overall the amount time we spend searching for the sale items equals the regular price of that item.

Watching the Lions and Packers on Thanksgiving is American tradition that has been around for over 50 years. This is the real meaning of the holidays this allows the fans of football to watch on a non-cable network while eating great food. But on the other hand the NFL network is one of the worst deals the NFL has been apart of only second to the ESPN Monday Football deal. The game with the teams that has the best records was supposed to be the most competitive was broadcast on DirectTV minimizing the amount of viewers but providing the NFL with increasing revenues. Eventually the NFL will only play the SuperBowl on non-cable television and all other games are going to be play on cable television. Only because the league can make more money along with the cable and satelite companies.

Playing high school football in Baltimore City known more for basketball players versus football. The games on our schedule consisted of division games and playing roughly 2 or 3 dominant county teams during the week of their homecoming or senior day. We had no chance to win these games only opportunity was to get routed by at least 50 or more to give those teams higher seeds for the playoffs, boost the stats of future college players and give the fans a reason to cheer. I felt out of place in the social context, playing at an school that is giving away a car to the winner of the homecoming raffle. This was amazing to me because most of the children at my school use public transportation. Although we lost the game with a last second touchdown. We displayed courage and fought to the end. Which was not the case during regular seaon matchups between two teams with polar opposite socioeconomic status. “ First, all stereotypes fail to recognize diversity among the people who are being stereotyped. Second, so-called positive stereotypes often justify problematic practices.” (Newman 2007). The assumption that our was just going to show up and not compete was the mind set of the population of the entire school, since all of our equipment was mis-matched and worn old uniforms. At the end of the day stereotypes are common descriptions used by people to maintain social norms and reduced the amount of social mobility,.

Rooting for a team primarily because of your own nationality is typical amongst almost everyone. I find myself rooting for my own countries sporting teams, this is especially true during events like the Olympics. It give us, as a country, a sense of power and pride that we dominated at a particular sport. This does not in any way mean that we are more powerful than any other country, just because we win at a sport. It is being trained by our own media and particular leaders of of our country to root and cheer for the country in which we live. There are particular instances where I may root for another country, if I feel that a certain person or team that represents our country is either more dominant, for example the USA basketball team that was comprised of NBA professional players, or a team or participant that misrepresents our country for their own personal views. By this I mean a person that looks for personal gain rather than winning for our country. I can understand why someone would cheer for another country against the one they reside in. People are very proud of there heritage and choose to cheer for those countries from where their families came from. They get so excited that they wear the jersey of that particular country's team or dress up as a commoner you would normally see in that particular country, for example someone may wear a kilt attending a soccer game in which a team from Ireland is playing. It is however important to keep in mind that in rooting for teams that are not apart of our own country we remain sensitive to their culture and not insult by acting in ways we may seem as fun but others from that country deem insulting. Maybe some people choose to root for teams based solely on the colors of their jersey's, it really shouldn't matter what country you cheer for, but rather how the sport is being played.

There are a few places I have topohillia for, one in particular that separates more from the rest is the golf course. At the first moment where the weather breaks in the early spring, usually the end of March I'm so anxious to get out on the golf course. It is a sanctuary for myself to escape from the everyday hassles and spend four hours or so out in the fresh air and in the peace and quite you find on the golf course. There is however a stereotypical perception people make of golfers or spectators of golf. People believe that Golfers tend to be wealthy, white, uptight males that feel they are above the rest of the general public who are not like themselves. Where some of these stereotypes may seem to exist on the golf course, especially at the more expensive courses, does not mean necessarily to be true, but it is obviously there. Times are changing for the better however, with the emergence of Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, KJ Choi and for female golfers such as Michelle Wie there seems to be more diversity on the golf course, but there is still some race issues that exist especially in some of the private clubs where they can distinguish who they want to join there club. “ First, all stereotypes fail to recognize diversity among the people who are being stereotyped. Second, so-called positive stereotypes often justify problematic practices.” (Newman 2007).
There is a definite social class seen out there though. Golf is a very expensive sport not only for the greens fees but also for the equipment and accessibility. For myself I came from a middle class family that was able to enjoy the game, maybe not as much as I would have liked because of affordability, but I was able to experience it. For others who never have experienced the game would feel uncomfortable in participating in this sport. An example would be teaching my wife to play golf. Just this year I decided to take her out on the course, she felt very uncomfortable while playing she didn't want to hold anyone up and make them mad. The ones that were frustrated did express their feelings, which in turn intimidated her and stopped her from continuing the hole. In one instance a man did stop to say something to us about my wife's speed of the game and immediately his wife who was playing with him who was an average golfer yelled at him for complaining saying “you remember when I was just starting out, give her a break.” for the rest of the day he did. Some of the staff (ranger and starter) would portray her. They immediately thought that she would slow the game up and not know what she was doing. She kept with it despite the criticism and now enjoys it as much as I do. Twice I attended professional golf events one was the LPGA Championship held at Bulle Rock G.C. and the other was the Masters Tournament held in Augusta Georgia. Because of the high ticket prices both of these tournaments attracted crowds of middle-upper to upper class groups, which leads to believe that golf likes to keep it's status as a higher class sport.

I have a certain topophilia for going to football games. It is very enjoyable to be hanging out with friends, eating food, and playing sports. Football just tends to be a very hyper-masculine, aggressive sport. I realized this might not be an ideal place for homosexuals. Men have claimed football as their own and overarching masculine ideals dominate football culture. From the ways youth athletes are raised all the way up to the professionals, male ideals have been emphasized relating to toughness, signs of manliness, and superiority to women. Although the NFL is trying to change its image more recently to not objectify women as much and widen their target market. I have also been to many high school sports games, particularly in Hereford and out in Harford County. There were not many minorities at these venues. The stadiums were dominated with white people and a person that doesn't match the majority's skin color will usually stick out and draw unwanted attraction. This kind of environment can be compared to Red Sox Nation since the "community is fairly mono-ethic."

I try to do my best when rooting for the U.S. team during international competitions. I always hope that they do well, primarily because I am American. But, I will root for other countries when I like the way they perform or other characteristics that I value. I feel that some people almost feel obligated to root for this country. It is one of the best places in the world, a land of opportunity, and there is a lot of money to be had. This does not prevent me from being critical of the U.S. This is fact makes me more critical because I want other people to see the U.S. as a fair and just place and not money hungry corporates trying to suck every penny out of its constituents. An example of this extra scrutiny can be seen in the case of Pat Tillman's death in Iraq. Just because the people love the U.S., doesn't mean that we should just sweep things under the rug. In an interview with his mother, Mary Tillman said, "There have been so many discrepancies so far that it's hard to know what to believe." The government is trying to cover something up and the people cannt be jaded be an overemphasis on nationalism. Since I am a part of the U.S., I want to portray myself as the best I could and that's how I feel for my country. I compare my life in the U.S. with others' lives in other parts of the world. I don't think less of them. I think to myself that I would hate to be there because I feel extremely pampered where I am today when compared to others. I just try to take their perspective of life and compare it to mine. It may change my way of thinking. I enjoy the more internationally loved sport, soccer, moreso than the "Americanized" football.

I do feel like I am some what of a nationalist because I love my country. I am happy that I live here and that I have all that I do. I enjoy watching American sports, especially at things like the Olympics and the World Cup, and I do have to say that I always root for the American teams. Unless we are performing poorly, then I root for the next country I like, which usually is England or France. It really is not that huge of a deal to me, if there are other countries better than us so be it. I do feel that the United States is one of the best countries in the world but I am not naive to think that we are the only great country. I keep this in mind when rooting for other countries in international sporting events. My love for my country does not keep me from being critical of things like politics. I think it is because I love my country so much that I am critical. I want America to be a country that I can be proud of and that others can be proud of too. I don't really choose to watch sports because they are "American", I actually don't like football at all and I would rather watch sports like soccer or gymnastics. Those to me aren't really "American" sports because they are not highly publicized the way football and basketball are. I do love my country, don't get me wrong, I just enjoy what other countries have to offer too.

I would have to say a place that I have topophillia is the soccer field. There is no other rush like it when I step onto the field and imagine all of the plays I can make. I absolutely love soccer and it took me not playing anymore to realize how much it really means to me. The soccer field is a place where athleticism is assessed no matter what race you are. If you are good then you are good, and if you suck then that's that. As far as class, soccer can be played by anybody. But if you want to be good then you need to have money to get you all of the best equipment and onto all of the best travel leagues. Class does come into play on the field because others look at what kind of gear you have on and what your team uniform looks like. I can say from experience that higher class teams were very intimidating because they had nicer uniforms and better nets and balls. Class does matter on the soccer field and other teams will take one look at your cleats and your uniforms and decide whether or not you are easy to beat. Gender is important on the soccer field too. Girls don't get the same respect that guys do on the pitch. We are thought of as weaker because we don't go in for all the slide tackles and headers. Many spectators would rather watch boys games because they are rougher and the refs let them get away with more. As far as sexuality, I don't really see how people would know about your sexual preferences unless you make it known. I think that with womens soccer there would not be a problem with lesbians and bisexuals. When I played, one of my teammates was gay. I didn't bother me very much because she was my friend and she was a good player. But i can see where it would make some people uncomfortable. but if you prove yourslef to be a good player they have no reason not to respect you. People with disabilities are automatically looked down on when playing soccer, unless you prove yourself other wise. Soccer, especially for women is a sport where you have to prove yourself in games and in practice to show others that you are just as good.

When team USA is playing any could of sport, I become one of the best fans in the world. When I see that the USA soccer team is going to be playing on a certain night, I always go online to the teams website and I just read over all the news and read all the players names so I know what name to yell out at the TV when I'm watching. Even when team USA women's volleyball is playing, I do the same thing. It doesn't matter what sport it is, they all are important when team USA is playing.
This is important to me because I love this country and so does my family. My grandfather was a marine and he fought for this country. And every time we go see him, he tells us how much he loves this country and why we should too. Also, being a fan for my country is like being a fan for the Ravens. I live in Maryland, and I cheer for the Ravens, I don't like any other team in the NFL. My dad taught me ever to be a band wagon fan. He taught me to put one team and cheer for the team no matter what. And it is the same when it comes to the USA. That is my team, and I will cheer for they no matter what.
When it comes to politics, I ever don't know too much so cheering for the USA does not prevent me from being critical of the United States in terms of politics. And I don't think less of the USA or other countries when they loss. When the USA wins a game in soccer or volleyball against another country, I am just happy that we won. I don't think, will because me just beat Mexico they are the worst country in the world I would never want to go there. I don't do that, I just know that on any given day that any team can win. Last, I watch more then just sports that are “American” sports. Yes, I do love my football and baseball, but I do enjoy watching a good game of soccer. Watching the English Premier League is one of my favor things to watch on TV, but if there is a football game on, I would watch the football game instead. But I do enjoy other sports besides “American” sports.

A place that I have topophillia is the golf course. The golf course is a place that I can get away from everything and just relax. It is a place where people go to have a good time and get away from work. But the golf course is a place who race, class, gender and sexuality is looked at by a lot of people. First, race and class go together at the golf course. Golf is a sport that can cost a lot of money, so people that are in a low class are not found on the golf course a lot. And when thinking about race, if a white golfer saw a black person on the golf course then they could think that that black person has a lot of money. That is racism, people think that just because a black person is playing golf, that he has to be rich or someone important, but if a lower class white person is golfing, no one would think that he has a lot of money or not. People on the golf course should not look at the color of the person's skin, they should just think that that person is like me and just trying to have a little fun out on the course.
Also another thing about the golf course is that it is sexist to women. Yes you do see women playing golf. They get a group of women together and they all go golfing for the afternoon. But for men on the course, seeing a women foursome in front of you when you teeing off, it is a nightmare. I am one that can say that I have done this before. Three of my friends and I went golfing for the afternoon and we had a foursome of middle ago women in front of us, and we knew that it was going to be a long day. And it was a long day, it took us seven hours to play 18 holes of golf. But what we were thinking was wrong of us. Those women were just trying to have fun on the course just like us. It is wrong for men to think that golf should not be on the golf course because most male golfers average a score of 120 when women golfers average 100. If people won‘t stop being racist and sexist, then the golf course is going to turn into Fenway Park. In King-White's article, he said, “61 percent of the fans surveyed were male, 95 percent were white, 64 percent came from Massachusetts, and a whopping 78 percent of those identified as heads of households were college graduates.” Golf is a sport that is might for everyone, no matter your color or gender, it is a sport for people to go have some fun and get away from everything for awhile. If it wasn't, then no one would no who is Tiger Woods.

I think in some ways I am a product of nationalism. When watching the Olympics in the past , I have always rooted for the U.S. I suppose in a sense because I feel they represent me as well as the entire country. Its our way of saying that we are better than the rest of the world at a particular event. After my tour of duty in South Africa , I now root for them as well, I really loved the country and want to see them succeed as well. I wouldn't be to happy if they beat the U. S. but I wouldn't be devastated either. Also after being in another country , it's funny to see how the importance of sports changes. In other countries around the world, cricket, rugby, and soccer are the real sports. Futbol, Americano is a pointless sport almost , no one cares about it or even shows any intrest, its almost the same with basket ball depending upon where you are. However, being home in America , I somehow cant help but be engulfed by the sports around me. I had never even heard of cricket until my anthropology course and probably couldn't tell you any thing about it besides they hit a ball with a wooden stick.
The viewing of America in international sporting events does not stop me from being critical of the u.s. in terms of politics. Everthing about an international sporting event is political and its clear to see. The nationalist messages though, from those sporting events are hard to avoid. Each team is dressed in their countries colors modeling after the flag and when the country receives the gold metal, their anthem is played. Even the scores are displayed on flags. Nationlism is alive and well no matter what country. I.E. south Africa is spending a lot of time and money in preparing for the world cup, and it's not a big deal only because it's the world cup but because it's the first time in history that it's been held there, at least that I know of. So December 2010 is going to mean a lot to their country.

A particular sporting place that I enjoy and others of another social background may not enjoy would be my living room. Although it's not the traditional sporting place, I have only attended two sporting events in my life and I would hardly call those spaces topohillia worthy. If I had to argue for these spaces , one could say that people of a higher class may not enjoy the seats. The area where I sat, I believe were middle- lower concourse seats and it wasn't very diverse. It seemed to be mostly middle working class individuals, mostly white. I found this odd because the team is in Washington D.C, a historically and predominantly African American population. I suppose class trumps race obviously especially in those arenas. I don't think upper class whites would be to fond of the seats because the seats aren't very comfortable, not very close and you actullually have to get up and buy your snacks although there are the occasional vendors. In addition you have to deal with extremely drunk fans yelling behind you at every call or play good and bad. I believe disabled individuals i.e. wheelchair users may not like the sporting space because it's not wheel chair friendly and inconvienant not only to them but to everyone they have to wheel pass if even possible. The gay community would have to offensive terms such as fag and queer being shouted at players having bad luck and in terms of race, you simply have to be careful not to piss any one off thus leading to a fight which probally won't happen because the blacks are far outnumbered in the audience any ways.

I like to think I am a nationalist kind of person. I will almost always root for the United States in the Olympics or any other sporting event. The only exception I can think of will be in 2010's winter games in Vancouver, I will be rooting for Team Canada in the ice hockey event. I have always been a big hockey fan and enjoy watching it on television. Many players on the team are the best players in the league and players that all hockey fans know are talented. With this being said, this is one time where I am jumping on the bandwagon and rooting for Canada, I would like to see them go all the way. I feel they have the talent and players to do so and I cannot wait for the games. I have never been to Canada, but it is where hockey originated and Canada has not won the event in awhile so I think it is time. It is nothing against the United States, I just like Canada's team more. Every other event I root for the United States, hockey is the exception. But I question, does this make me an "Enemy of Freedom" (as George W. Bush would call it)? Just because I am rooting for another country, is it really that bad? I know most people would frown upon it, but why? We are all different and have different opinions, so why should this be any exception? I have looked at the olympic hockey schedule and saw that in the pool play round, Team Canada will be playing against Team USA. That probably will be my favorite game to watch in all of the olympics simply because it is against my home country. Should be quite an event indeed. I still root for the USA any other time besides hockey, I feel that I should root for my home country and do so. Hockey just takes on a deep appreciation, I truly do not feel most Americans like it as much as I do or as people in Canada do. Therefore, I am rooting with people that care, not with people that could care less. I do not feel that the olympics will change how I feel about any country in terms of politics. Politics and situations regarding government do not affect my thoughts on international sport. Mainly because I have not really seen any dramatic event. An event such as boxing in Germany in front of Hitler and winning is a true example of politics and sport, but has there been any event of this magnitude over the last twenty one years I have been alive? I can honestly say I do not think so. Whenever the USA or Team Canada takes on any other country, I tend to like my team more than the other. I do not want to say I hate the other country opponent, but, I certainly have nothing nice to say about them. I cheer on the team I like proudly. I will watch any international event that will not put me to sleep. Events that are boring include: golf and auto racing. If neither of these are the event, I will pick a side and root for that team or person. So in all honesty, I mean what I say, let's go USA! But when USA plays Canada in the olympics in hockey, my eyes will be on Team Canada, not Team USA. I will never go as far as to say "look at the flags, look at the flags" but I will root for my country proudly. So with that being said, let's go USA and Canada hockey!

I also attend Camden Yards regularly for Orioles games during the baseball season and I have got to say, the topophilia is enormous. Many races are shown in the crowd and all types of people root for the Baltimore Orioles. Further, in terms of class, almost all of the fans in attendance are in the middle to working class. Evidence of this can be shown in the low ticket prices (50 dollars for a really good seat). Compare this to a really good seat in New York City and this price increases dramatically (I have seen as high as 2,500 dollars for a seat behind home plate). Therefore, Baltimore chooses to make tickets affordable so that fans can easily access the Orioles. On the other hand, when a team like the Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees come to Baltimore, all of their fans already have the tickets bought up and those fans come in plenty. It is not unusual for there to be roughly 5,000 Orioles fan and over 40,000 Red Sox fans at a Red Sox-Orioles game. The Orioles are open to both genders, I have seen just as many male Orioles fans as women. I do not think the team discriminates based upon gender as both male and females are shown in Orioles commercials and even in on-screen promotions during games. The team appears to be kind and respectful for all teams and their fans. I could walk into Oriole Park and wear a New York Yankees hat and jersey and no one would care because the ballpark would have enough Yankees fans already that it would not make a difference. I am from Baltimore however and root for the home team, but, it has become difficult with the stadium being taken over by the other team's fans and with a losing team year after year. At its current state, there is no way in the world that Fenway Park would ever be dominated by Oriole fans, so why should Oriole fans have their park taken over by Red Sox or Yankees? I do agree with the previous post about the "O" chant during the National Anthem. It is a sign to show that Oriole Park is the venue in which the game is being displayed. However, I disagree with the previous post in terms of respect. I do not think saying "O" during the National Anthem is respectful and have never done in all my attendence of Orioles games (roughly 50 over the years). I believe the National Anthem is where we draw the line between baseball and nationalism. Incorporating a bogus hometown chant into something as prestigious as the National Anthem is downright disrespectful and something I will never do. I feel that this is the main reason why other teams fans may not feel comfortable in Oriole Park. Further, maybe this is a good thing, maybe Oriole Park can actually have some Orioles fans in the future, but my guess is it will probably remain the same as in years past. Even though Oriole fans do have their disrespect with the "O" chant, I feel it is not as bad as "Ole Miss sporting symbolic as a product of the dual processes of a collective conscious and commodity racism." As stated before, Baltimore is not racist per say, but Orioles fans have their share of disrespect for others. That said, I am still an O's fan and would like to see them do well in the future, (it won't ever happen without changing the owner). Even though they are not so high in the standings every year, it is still fun to go to Orioles games for the chance that maybe any given day could be their chance to win a game.

Nationalism doesn't play a large role in my life. I know that I was born in America and that a lot of American ideals are a part of my life, but I usually cut the line there. Earth is filled with all different kinds of people with very different beliefs and ideals. Ever since I was in high school and the U.S. had a highly publicized war, I took a step back and really questioned what it means to be American because the reason we were attacked was because we are American. If other people are looking at us with hate, then something could be wrong especially when President Bush “labeled the enemies of America, ‘Enemies of Freedom' stating, ‘that hate our freedoms – our freedom of religion, our freedom of speech, our freedom to vote and assemble and disagree with eachother (Falcous).” There are all kinds of problems in the U.S. and discovering this on an individual basis has made me understand nationalism a bit better. The way broadcasters, politicians, companies, and even the president blatantly promote America has kind of pushed me to want to redefine what an American is.
When it comes to international sports, I usually root for a talented team that I can relate to which is generally Team U.S.A. There are other times where I will root for talented individuals from elsewhere, but there is usually little information about other countries' athletes available to American sports fans.
Other countries have different sporting traditions which are respectable. Without diversity, there would be little sporting differences. One of the reasons the Olympics can be semi-entertaining to watch is to see the ways different countries actually perform and strategize their events. I am used to the American way of sports so I tend to favor watching baseball, football, and basketball because that is what is on TV and in the stadiums here. I don't think less of other countries because of their sporting traditions because it makes all of the different sports look unique.

Ever since I was a child I have always loved going to Camden Yards to watch Orioles games. The park seems to be pretty balanced socially with a pretty good representation of different races, classes, genders, and (dis)abilities. The park is open to pretty much any type of person because the performance of the team is down. Ticket prices are not expensive and there are a lot of promotions to keep ticket prices down. Members of all classes can be spotted at a game. There are people of all ages out at the games, but at Camden Yards there seems to be a strong college aged crowd in attendance routinely. It is a stadium where all are welcome, including fans from other teams. There has been one thing that has puzzled me about Baltimore tradition and stadium etiquette while attending games in Camden Yards, or any other surrounding venue. The “O” chant during the star-spangled banner has always been an issue of respect for me. I actively participate in the chant because I associate it with the actual Baltimore Orioles team. Some may find the chant childish or unnecessary but I have always enjoyed the feeling of togetherness during the chant. This chant could be seen as disrespectful in the presence of the US military or veterans. I have seen veterans shake their heads right as the “O” is screamed, but I have always wondered why. In a sporting venue, sports rule the atmosphere and there is a sense of competition. In this age, fans are a small part of a team in that they wear the team colors, apparel, and make a lot of noise to distract the other team. The “O” seems like a “welcome to Baltimore.” The National Anthem is a patriotic song that should be appreciated for what it is worth but in a sporting venue a chant of an “O” isn't all that disrespectful. Hopefully the U.S. military and veterans in attendance don't see it in a disrespectful way. Even if it is disrespectful, it is part of a non-violent tradition that is much better than active allowance of disrespect from fans at schools like Ole Miss with mascots like Colonel Reb. with fans that say, “He's a great Mascot. He's the character we all relate to (Newman).” Sporting spaces with real problems are usually publicized and known for their disrespectful natures. Camden Yards isn't really a place with any disrespect.

When it comes to sports and the U.S. is involved I will cheer for them. I do have to have to say that I do not completely agree with Adam. I was born here in the States, but I do not think that I need to love America more than El Salvador which is where my parents and my origins are from. Yes there are more opportunities to succeed in America, but when it comes to sports i see things a bit different. Whenever The U.S. participates in the World Cup or any other sporting event I will cheer for them and wish them the best of luck. But on the other hand I cheer on El Salvador whenever they participate in sports. This summer I was in El Salvador for 2 months and I saw how happy the people in El Salvador where when the National soccer team was to play a game. I have never allowed sports to prevent me from being critical of the U.S. in terms of politics. Of course you always see how the Presidents are at the big games and that to me is a method they use to gain support from the American people. I do not think that America is better than any other country of course I am thankful for the opportunities it has given my family and myself, but I feel that every country or group of people have their own views and that we should respect them. I love both America and El Salvador, but I have a stronger connection to El Salvador, but I do not feel that just because I live here in the United States that I have to love the U.S. more I do not think I owe that to anyone. When it comes to my preference for sports I do not see it as just American sports. I love soccer to me that is not an American sport because it is not as popular here, but if you go anywhere else in the world you aren't going to here any hype about football, basketball, or baseball. Maybe in some countries basketball or baseball is more famous, but it is just a small group of people. Soccer is the world's game, but I enjoy it because of my background and my family members who have raised me to watch it.

I've been to a couple of D.C. United soccer games since the franchise first came about in 1996. I've also been to one Redskins game maybe about two years ago. I have always preferred to go and watch D.C. United because when I have attended these games it has been a good experience for me. I think it is because a lot of the spectators have been minorities just like myself. I felt that I could relate to them because we all were people watching these soccer games who come from similar backgrounds. By that I mean that most of the people that we sat with somehow new each other most of the spectators were current or previous co-workers of my dad and I felt a connection with them myself because if my dad had a connection with them through work it was a situation in which most of them were in the same social class and you can just relate to them and their kids who went to the games because we had the same ideals and manners of thinking. When I went to the Redskins game it was a different atmosphere. My dad had just received two free tickets that were really good seats. when we got to our seats there were a lot of spectators that were Caucasian and of upper class society. Instead of hearing them cheer on their team like other fans do in the upper levels, I just heard them talk about business trips they had been on, and it seemed that they were not paying attention to the game at all and I felt really out of place because of my race, and the social class that we were in. I was not embarrassed of my social class I just felt out of place because I was used to cheering on my team and having other people around me do the same. Just like in Ryan's reading it says "There are degrees of citizenship in sport organization fan communities...Not all people who consider themselves supporters of the Red Sox believe that they need, or have the ability to purchase their citizenship into Red Sox Nation." I felt that there were different types of fans and they were separated by social class and that was something that I did not like, so it allows me to have a preference to be the fan of my teams and sit and love where I sit because that is where I feel most comfortable with.

I feel that I am a nationalist because I do love America. I think that Americans should love their country because it is a country with more opportunities for success than any other country. But, the only time I really show my American pride is during international sporting events. I love rooting for the USA during the World Cup or during the Olympics and I do hate on the opposing country that we are facing. I would never root against America in an international event. During these types of events, I did not think about politics, but this class has definitely changed my perspective on sports and how they affect the world and vice versa. I am very interested about the way I will view America during the World Cup this summer. I will definitely be cheering for the USA but I will be thinking about the way we are presented, they way the announcers talk about America and the way politics are involved. I will also think differently about the way the other countries are viewed through an American broadcast and will have a whole different view on how everything is being presented. In general, the media is what gets into peoples heads about nationalism and it definitely has affected my views. During September 11, I was the most patriotic I have been in my life. It changed my way of thinking and everything that they said, I believed. “Within the ‘manufacturing of consent' they note the effective role of the media as ‘inculat[ing] and defend[ing] the economic, social, and political agenda of privileged groups that dominate society and the state.' Whilst this ‘propaganda model' is frequently subject to criticism on the grounds of ‘structuralism' it has particular resonance with the post 9/11 American ‘media moment'” (Falcous, Silk). This is true and not just when this horrific event occurred, this is also prevalent during international sporting events and the media does the same thing just like what China tried to do during the most recent Olympics: promote nationalism.

I've sat in the lower level of Yankees Stadium just a couple of times, but that doesn't mean that I do not love those seats. Also, these seats are a place in which lower class people do not sit. It is not because they wouldn't want to sit there; it is simply because they cannot afford to sit there. Like I have said previously, this limited sporting space is very exclusive and not very racially mixed. It is heavily populated by Caucasians. I do not have a sporting space that people of different races or classes or sexuality would not want to go, it is just relatively populated by higher class white people. In these seats, people are treated like royalty, not having to move to go buy food or beer or anything that they could possibly ask for. There are literally waiters that serve the people sitting in the field level seats and it is sad that not everyone can experience the feeling of being special like that. Like the woman in the King-White article said about Fenway Park, it is similar in this level of Yankees Stadium. “… in Boston a black woman revealingly joked that when she attended games at Fenway Park (the Red Sox home field) if a ‘photo was taken from the blimp you could point out exactly where I was sitting'” (King-White). But, I do not like this area of the stadium because it is not racially diverse; it is because of the view and the service. I would rather be in an area where I could be more of a college student, where I could yell and heckle the opposing players and fans. In the field level seats, I have to be a lot more subdued and cannot have as much fun as I would in an area of the stadium where tickets are cheaper and thus the classes and races are more diverse. Either way, I love Yankees Stadium no matter where I am sitting, it is just completely different situations depending on the area of the seats.