France has a, to say the least, good national soccer team. America sucks.
Following an embarrassing defeat to Trinidad and Tobago the United States missed this year's world cup. For those who don't follow sports the world cup is an event bigger than the summer Olympics (which is 75% bigger at 3.5 billion viewers). It is a big deal for certain nations to not make the biggest stage in sports. It would be the end of the world if Germany, Brazil, Argentina, and France did not qualify. But even for the United States, who have a sad soccer history, to not make the world cup is a shock. The last time the U.S. missed it was in 86. I have never seen America miss the cup.
So, last week when my notifications were ringing about the France USA game I refused to look at the updates in fear of watching a young American squad get killed by a super team. I checked ESPN after awhile because Justify won the triple crown, and I happened upon the France US score. To my relief America did not get slaughtered, and we did not lose. The young United States tied the French juggernauts. In my excitement I started watching the highlights and quickly recovered my embarrassment.
France and America have similar jerseys. It took me a second to determine which team was which. One team had a navy blue base that faded to light blue on the sleeves and the other had a white base with red and blue accents and the white jersey had rainbow numbers. And that is how I determined which team was my team. Of course America would use a friendly as a political stage.
Sports are an escape. When any American sports team takes the field, court, or ice I have a desire to see them succeed. Once the national anthems are played the other team might as well have declared war on the U.S. and needs to get the tar beat out of them. I no longer care a single bit about whether or not the person sitting next to me is pro-life or pro-choice. We cheer, yell, and cry as Americans. Red, white, and blue are the only colors I see as an American. And those are the only colors any other nation should see if they look at the team representing you and me.
There is a time and place for possibly divisive conversation. Conversations are good, but nothing annoys me more than when my little sister is running her mouth about junior high drama while, trying to converse, the Cowboys are playing the Eagles.
Awareness months are great. Raising money for cancer or aids research is a great cause to dedicate an entire month to, but identity pride seems to be a political play.
Why does one identity group need a month to showboat? Isn't America the celebration of ALL identity groups? America is where slavery was killed on the battlefield, equality is found through due process, and freedom was given to all who believed in the idea that man has rights that no higher power can take away.
That is something worth celebrating.
It is a disservice for anyone representing America abroad to snuff out American pride with any other form of pride. First off it alienates anyone who does not participate in that identity. A year ago a woman rejected her invite to play for the national team because she as a christian did not support pride month and therefore did not want to wear the pride uniform. If America wins a game it wins a game for the citizens of America not for the 2 spirited first, then the queer, and then the average Joe American.
Why don't our soldiers wear rainbow flags on their uniforms? Could it be because they don't represent that single group? Isn't the American flag representative of all homosexuals with a United States nationality? Could it be that our military represents the protection of gay freedoms (in countries that murder people for being gay) as well as everyone else's freedoms?
It is not wrong to support a certain group, but the manor in which that support is shown can be more detrimental than good.
America is different than other countries and its citizens laude it for those differences. There are issues that need to be resolved, but America is still great despite those issues.
Sports give an opportunity to unite all political groups.
P.S. Jerry's world is a sporting arena not a political one and it should stay that way.
