How About This: Stop "Patriotizing" Sports Altogether

I'm an Army veteran, as is my wife--I feel like I need to get that out of the way before anyone starts complaining about this or that "right" to criticize or protest.

So, we were watching the coverage of the Great Kneeling Debacle of 2017 over the weekend, and we both kind of looked at each other and said, "Who cares?" We don't care if someone practices their right to protest during the national anthem--hell, we don't even get emotionally triggered of someone chooses to burn a flag in protest. We are intelligent enough to understand that we all have a right to our opinions and our peaceful protests against anything, even if the protest has nothing to do with the action during the protest (what does the national anthem have to do with city cops and police brutality?).

And then I proposed a solution with which she agreed: Let's just take all of the flags and national anthems out of professional sports altogether. I mean, I get it at the Olympics, or if it's an international exhibition or something similar, but at every professional sporting event? I hold a federal job, and I see less flags and hear the national anthem less at my place of business than I do on a weekend of thumbing through professional sports.

I don't understand it--what does such "forced" patriotism have to do with professional sports? What does it add to the game itself? I propose that the answer is "Nothing." With that in mind, why do we do it? I don't see a reason AT ALL to do this, other than just to add unnecessary pomp and circumstance and prolong the game.

I don't know a single person, when they purchase a ticket and attend a game, who says that they can't wait for the anthem, or to go see giant flags. While it has faded into the background for many, as we have seen on more than one occasion, it can have the tendency to cause divisive behavior, and people usurp the moments to cause controversy and incite emotional responses.

So I propose this idea to all sports, including non-professional sports: Stop with the displays of patriotism. There's no need for it, and it causes more issues that it does instill a love for country.

This is a divisive issue, so if you comment, please keep it respectful and civil. If this has already been raised in an OP, my apologies in repeating it.

Best Regards.

a reply to: SlapMonkey

There is rich irony in people caring so much about what players, payed $Millions per game, at the fans expense do on the field. Maybe the answer is to stop patronizing professional sports.

I agree with the OP. What has sports got to do with patriotism anyway. I suppose the fact that our country allows such a thing and allows the players and owners to make such big money is the reason they try to persuade us that sports is patriotic.

I would rather respect veteran organizations.

There may be no need for that, the NFL will be: "No Fans Left"

Already been following this advice since 1979 when I quit watching football.

Never been to a live event of the MLB, NFL, NHL, NBA - those folks just don't need my money!

As for the debacle, I'm wondering if the entire orchestration of these protests is to further erode and undermine our "faith" in the political system, the American way or dream, our spirit of independence - if as a nation we can't get a little teary eyed for the national anthem at some sporting event, is there any Spirit of America left?

ganjoa

a reply to: TonyS

That's the beauty of the free market--if someone doesn't like a product, they don't have to buy it.

originally posted by: rickymouse
I agree with the OP. What has sports got to do with patriotism anyway. I suppose the fact that our country allows such a thing and allows the players and owners to make such big money is the reason they try to persuade us that sports is patriotic.

Well, or...

Last year [2015], Flake and McCain disclosed that the U.S. Department of Defense had spent $5.4 million in contracts with 14 NFL teams from 2011 to 2014. Some of those contracts disclosed that payment was for on-field flag ceremonies and tributes to welcome home veterans. One team, the Atlanta Falcons, had made more than $1 million from the department over those four seasons.

The National Guard, which spent $6.7 million on contracts with NFL teams from 2013 to 2015, dumped its NASCAR sponsorship of Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s car in 2014, after the last four years and more than $100 million spent failed to produce concrete information that the marketing led to more recruits.

ESPN

originally posted by: SlapMonkey

originally posted by: rickymouse
I agree with the OP. What has sports got to do with patriotism anyway. I suppose the fact that our country allows such a thing and allows the players and owners to make such big money is the reason they try to persuade us that sports is patriotic.

Well, or...

Last year [2015], Flake and McCain disclosed that the U.S. Department of Defense had spent $5.4 million in contracts with 14 NFL teams from 2011 to 2014. Some of those contracts disclosed that payment was for on-field flag ceremonies and tributes to welcome home veterans. One team, the Atlanta Falcons, had made more than $1 million from the department over those four seasons.

The National Guard, which spent $6.7 million on contracts with NFL teams from 2013 to 2015, dumped its NASCAR sponsorship of Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s car in 2014, after the last four years and more than $100 million spent failed to produce concrete information that the marketing led to more recruits.

ESPN

So....Some of the money from our military go to sports? That is insane, that needs to stop. If anything, the Sports should be giving free time to our Military for their stuff.

The direction our countries society has gone in is severely off the right path. Our whole society is amuck, people will spend seven hundred bucks on a phone and eat Mac and cheese because they are broke. We are going to have widespread delusion taking over our country.

Then you have the health industry telling people to eat way more green, it is ok if it is cooked well, but too much can make people need meds. What happened to listening to your ancestors.

a reply to: rickymouse

Propaganda...it's everywhere.

Must.

Increase.

Spending...

a reply to: SlapMonkey

I think you hit on all the major points in my own thinking.

What does the national anthem have to do with professional sporting events? As far as I can tell, this is something that started sporadically around the turn of the century with baseball games and then became somewhat standard after WWI.

I really don't understand why anyone thinks that forcing displays of patriotism is appropriate in the first place. Who are any of us to tell anyone else how to show their love of country?

I'm all for people publicly displaying as much or as little patriotism as they see fit in whatever way they feel is appropriate.

Thank for you service.

a reply to: theantediluvian

Sure thing (re: "Thank you for your service")

Also, many on here would probably be surprised to know that I'm opposed to the forced recitation of the "Pledge of Allegiance" in schools, too. But with that, I can better understand it because public schools get sooo much money from the federal government, and when you accept money from Daddy Gubmint, you are expected to pay them homage somehow.

This is where we're at in pro sports, too--I'm just utterly amazed that our tax dollars go to these private companies in order to promote patriotic propaganda.

It's almost as if--and here me out--the government isn't confident in its actions causing patriotism, so they feel like it must be force-fed to us everywhere we turn.

Nah, that couldn't be it...

Its all a distraction.

I just don't care enough about what is happening on the football field to take my attention away from real issues or my own business.

Don't like what's happening? Don't watch the games and stop your subscriptions to ESPN.

OP hit the nail on the head with this one.

This is the same thing you get with liberal Hollywood. The reality is, if you boycotted every liberal actor for holding views you don't like, you'd never watch anything ever again.

So either suck it up and go make a snack during the first 10 minutes of a ball game or follow my initial advice.

a reply to: SlapMonkey

Mucho respect for the OP, Slap, mucho respect. A lot of people don't seem to understand that people who served don't willingly sign up with the intention of forcing the population to be patriotic in return for said service, but rather, to ensure they have the freedom of choice of whether or no to be on their own terms (that is, aside from folks who're open about joining to liberate foreigners)

Now, if only the diedhards would listen to & understand you folks' POV :/

a reply to: Nyiah

Thanks, but no die-hard (I call them "extremists") will ever listen to reason when it differs from their opinion. I'm just glad to see that some folks on here still appreciate logical positions.

We should just leave them alone, and let them do what they've always done. Their way.

a reply to: SlapMonkey

You've got my vote. Er, I agree.

originally posted by: SlapMonkey
a reply to: Nyiah

Thanks, but no die-hard (I call them "extremists") will ever listen to reason when it differs from their opinion.

Emphasis is mine. That shoe certainly does fit with the aggressive/abusive reactions & "solutions" posed. Watching people turn into what they claim to be against is comical, but in a very sad way.

a reply to: SlapMonkey

I sort of agree. Certainly forced patriotism, or paying for patriotism is dumb.

But I think there is a place for the anthem at events. It can be done for free by a volunteer, and I don't think teams should have to participate.

But the idea is to remember that this country is great, and that people have sacrificed so we can enjoy a game.

Is it necessary? Not at all. But I see no problem with it and think it is a nice gesture to remember how we are all unified as one country.

The protest isn't specific to one issue, it's just a general expression of hating America.

Don't give them too much credit. If we narrow down the subject too much they might be forced to explain their angst in meaningful terms.

A few dead semi-criminals per year don't outweigh what this country stands for.

a reply to: Grambler

The beauty is that we can agree to somewhat disagree, but I would argue that the protests and controversy over the NFL that we're seeing right now is a problem, and it stems from the fact that the national anthem is played at the start of the NFL games, and players and other personnel are using it as a means of protest in a game that has absolutely zero to do with politics.

You see no problem with it being played, and I don't either, if it's left alone to be played, but when it's usurped for politicized protests, it becomes a problem.

And although it's a topic for a different thread, I don't see our country as remotely unified at this moment.