Sports and patriotism

[smzimbabwe]

I consider myself a patriotic person, love my country and all that, but does that patriotism mean I have to root for American athletes and teams in major competitions such as the Olympics? Because I don't. I was recently called unpatriotic for saying I don't cheer for certain American teams in international competition, but I never felt that rooting for Americans or their teams was a part of patriotism.

[dont care]

If you are actively rooting against them then yea that's unpatriotic, but if you root for another team because you like a player or something. Like rooting for usain bolt that's fine.

[HedleyLamarr]

17 minutes ago, smzimbabwe said:

I consider myself a patriotic person, love my country and all that, but does that patriotism mean I have to root for American athletes and teams in major competitions such as the Olympics? Because I don't. I was recently called unpatriotic for saying I don't cheer for certain American teams in international competition, but I never felt that rooting for Americans or their teams was a part of patriotism.

I'm not gonna sit here and listen to you bad-mouth the United States of America!

 

 

 

[HedleyLamarr]

17 minutes ago, smzimbabwe said:

I consider myself a patriotic person, love my country and all that, but does that patriotism mean I have to root for American athletes and teams in major competitions such as the Olympics? Because I don't. I was recently called unpatriotic for saying I don't cheer for certain American teams in international competition, but I never felt that rooting for Americans or their teams was a part of patriotism.

I'm not gonna sit here and listen to you bad-mouth the United States of America!

 

 

 

[cmm]

I rooted against Team USA in the first World Baseball Classic. There was no way I was going to root for a team with Roger Clemens, Alex Rodriguez, and Yeah Jeets. If that makes me a bad American, so be it.

[OnWis97]

I think pretty close to a majority of Americans rooted against the 1992 Dream Team in basketball.

 

I thought, based on the thread's title that this was gonna be about all the overt showings of patriotism at US sporting events.  Ironically, while I am against almost of off that, I cannot think of a time I rooted against the US in any international competition.  I was even glad the 1992 Dream Team happened because after 1988, there was talk of how the world had caught the US.  I wanted the team to show otherwise.  Ironic, given that there were folks more flag-waving then me who were OL with taking the bronze as the only country not to bring its best players.

 

In short, none of it matters.  Being patriotic is not about how much we wear it on our sleeves or or thoughts on international sports.  Though I admit I would be curious as to why you cheer against some US athletes.

[Viola73]

10 hours ago, smzimbabwe said:

I consider myself a patriotic person, love my country and all that, but does that patriotism mean I have to root for American athletes and teams in major competitions such as the Olympics? Because I don't. I was recently called unpatriotic for saying I don't cheer for certain American teams in international competition, but I never felt that rooting for Americans or their teams was a part of patriotism.

Well, when it comes to the Olympics, for me, there have been individual US athletes that I rooted against for certain reasons such as: the athlete is a total tool and can only think of themselves rather than the sport, the Olympics, or even the country they represent. The other may have a part the media plays in it. Exposes and features surrounding a certain athlete can cause a deluge of hyperbole around the individual to the point that you actually want to see that person fail in competition.

I can think of a few US sprinters that come to mind.

As for teams...I remember a US bobsled team that was made up of former NFL stars that feel flat on their faces at the games and I laughed my butt off. The media made a big deal out of them and it seemed like a promotional stunt rather than a true team.

 

[DG_ThenNowForever]

1 hour ago, OnWis97 said:

I think pretty close to a majority of Americans rooted against the 1992 Dream Team in basketball.

 

 

Say more about this. That's not how I remembered it at all, but I was young.

[Viola73]

1 minute ago, DG_Now said:

 

Say more about this. That's not how I remembered it at all, but I was young.

I was a senior in high school, and ran track, so for me it was, "You know they play other sports at the Olympics....you know?" 

The coverage, at least in the US, was nothing but the Dream Team. Also, there were certain players, Charles Barkley comes to mind, that demonstrated arrogance      on and off the Olympic court. It was also the first time, that I can remember, an athlete protested, sort of, the uniform supplier to the US Basketball team. I didn't really root against them, but I was thinking, "Sheesh...just give them the gold and be done with it."

That's how it was for me at least.

[JayMac]

I agree with the one post about individual athletes. I don't like the one swimmer who had his own reality show. He is a jackass. Not a huge fan of Phelps either, though.

[OnWis97]

1 hour ago, DG_Now said:

 

Say more about this. That's not how I remembered it at all, but I was young.

It was probably because Laettner made the team?

 

Actually it was not about the plates but the concept of NBA players participating.  A lot of people were upset about them playing in an "amateur" event.

 

I am not 100% certain but I think I had a Trivial Pursuit question referencing a poll that the majority of Americans were rooting against them.

[chcarlson23]

I definitely agree that not always rooting for your Country is unpatriotic... I can't stand Patrick Kane, but he's American...

 

I'd also root for Finland over the US depending on the players on each team. Like when Mikko Koivu and Mikael Granlund are playing against the US team that doesn't have any of my favorite Americans on it. (Almost like this years IIHF world's...)

 

I think being unpatriotic would have to be a little more serious, like burning the flag, or being a Benedict Arnold... Doing things that show hate towards your county. Not cheering for the sports team is kinda whatever...

[BBTV]

3 hours ago, DG_Now said:

 

Say more about this. That's not how I remembered it at all, but I was young.

 

I was 15, and don't recall anybody rooting against that team.  They were over big time - I mean they even had McDonald's cups.  That was at the absolute peak of NBA popularity too - Magic, Bird, Jordan, Barkley, Ewing, Malone, Stockton, Robinson, etc, all in or around their primes (and faces everywhere) and 

 

I've rooted against subsequent "dream teams", mostly because I think the players are dicks, and because it makes for  a good story when they lose.

 

I have never felt that athletes represent me or my country.  They compete under the banner, but nothing that athlete says, or does, whether win, lose, or cheat, is any reflection of me and my beliefs, or the country's in general (unless our government roids up all of our athletes, like a certain other one does.)

[chrysleraspen08]

It's not a bad thing at all in my opinion. I'm Canadian and I love my country, but I don't always cheer for Canada. When it comes to the Olympics, I usually cheer for Canada, but that's about it. As a hockey fan, I absolutely HATE when people decide to cheer for another Canadian team in the playoffs only because it "brings the cup back where it belongs". On that note, I also think that the World Cup of Hockey is kinda dumb and I'm hoping for a Team Europe vs Team North America final.

[CubsFanBudMan]

5 hours ago, OnWis97 said:

I think pretty close to a majority of Americans rooted against the 1992 Dream Team in basketball.

 

I thought, based on the thread's title that this was gonna be about all the overt showings of patriotism at US sporting events.  Ironically, while I am against almost of off that, I cannot think of a time I rooted against the US in any international competition.  I was even glad the 1992 Dream Team happened because after 1988, there was talk of how the world had caught the US.  I wanted the team to show otherwise.  Ironic, given that there were folks more flag-waving then me who were OL with taking the bronze as the only country not to bring its best players.

 

In short, none of it matters.  Being patriotic is not about how much we wear it on our sleeves or or thoughts on international sports.  Though I admit I would be curious as to why you cheer against some US athletes.

I don't remember it that way at all. The U.S. got bronze in 1988 and the mission with NBA players was to destroy all competition and win gold. I don't remember any blowback to that at all, quite the opposite. It was time to reclaim the throne the U.S. should have never lost (amateurs vs. non-NBA pros).

 

America did fall in love with the Lithuanian team and their tie-dyed t-shirt jerseys... but not to the point where America didn't want Team USA to dominate. 

 

Also, the 1992 team is the only true Dream Team.

[goalieboy82]

16 hours ago, HedleyLamarr said:

I'm not gonna sit here and listen to you bad-mouth the United States of America!

 

 

 

 

[Nyk33]

I usually root for American athletes in international competitions unless the player(s) involved are complete toolbags. 

 

7 hours ago, OnWis97 said:

I think pretty close to a majority of Americans rooted against the 1992 Dream Team in basketball.

 

The only basketball team I remembered people rooting against was the 2004 Olympic Team in Athens. 

 

That team was infuriating to watch. 

[Dynasty]

I can't remember a time where I didn't root for a team from the USA. Although there are a few players I root against when it comes to individual competing, whether I'd consider them to be too dominate or just a complete douche.

[AnPheitseog]

I find it very, very hard to cheer for the USMNT considering the spitting match currently going on with the women's team. I do it, but it is hard. 

 

[2001mark]

The only time I root against my home is when I might root for Northern Ontario at The Brier, & that's a reach because I'm as Ontarian as they & have family there.