This summer marks 250 years since our country was founded. In those 250 years, America has gone through significant changes. The nation today is almost unrecognizable. From territorial expansion to technological advancements, America has changed immensely. But the one common theme has remained: sports.
In the words of the late, great James Earl Jones, “The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It’s been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again. But baseball has marked the time.”
Sports and patriotism are in lock step. Before every event, we sing the national anthem. Some larger events even have flyovers. Many teams and leagues honor America and her veterans through specialty uniforms. Many politicians will show their support for a hometown team. There is even a congressional baseball game played annually.
It is true that almost every country and culture possesses an athletic tradition, but American sports offer something different. The pageantry of athletics is unmatched anywhere in the world. When sports and patriotism are intertwined, the results are magical. There is perhaps no greater example of this than the annual Army-Navy football game. I get goosebumps every December when the game gets played. It is famously the only game where everyone playing is willing to die for everyone watching.
Patriotism can take many different forms. Patriotic acts can range from sacrificing a career to fight in a war to something as simple as winning a game. Many moments stand out historically, but a few will be forever immortalized.
5. Rocky IV (spoiler warning)
This is a fictional event but it fits the patriotic theme perfectly. Rocky IV is the perfect story set in the perfect time. Released in 1985, the movie follows Rocky Balboa and his fight against Russian fighter Ivan Drago.
Drago previously killed Balboa’s friend, Apollo Creed, in an exhibition boxing match. Balboa demands revenge. The match is set for Christmas Day and Balboa is seen as a massive underdog.
The film displays the difference between how Balboa and Drago train for the fight. Drago is being supervised by the leading Soviet scientists in a lab-like environment while being injected with steroids. Balboa is training in a cabin in rural Russia without any fancy equipment and only has his trainer Duke and eventually his wife, Adrian.
Balboa takes a beating early in the fight but shows his American resilience in the later rounds. His willpower eventually turns the Soviet fans to Rocky supporters, as chants of “Rocky” echo through Moscow. Balboa lands a knockout to Drago in the 12th round and avenges Creed's death. Although a fictional event, the film reflected the events of the latter half of the Cold War. The film is available on Netflix.
4. Whitney Houston sings national anthem in wake of Desert Storm
On January 17, 1991 United States military forces entered Iraq for the beginning of Operation Desert Storm. This move came after months of buildup with operation Desert Shield.
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Ten days later, Super Bowl XXV took place between the Buffalo Bills and New York Giants in Tampa, Florida.
Whitney Houston was tasked with singing the national anthem as part of the pregame ceremonies. The artist is noted for her outstanding vocal ability, and the Rolling Stones Magazine ranked her second on their list of top 100 singers of all time.
Houston lived up to the moment. In under two minutes she was able to bring goosebumps, if not tears, to millions of people across the nation. Her performance remains iconic and is the gold standard for national anthem performances.
3. Famous first pitch
After the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center the sports world shut down. But in the ensuing weeks, they returned. Baseball was nearing its conclusion and the postseason was on the horizon. The World Series was to feature the Arizona Diamondbacks and the New York Yankees. The Yankees participation was poetic in a sense. It also allowed for one of the most iconic moments in baseball and U.S. history.
During Game Three of the series, the first in New York, president George W. Bush threw out the ceremonial first pitch of the game. Bush, who was wearing a bulletproof vest, was told by Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter that he needs to throw a strike or he will be booed by the Bronx crowd.
The president did just that. A perfect strike, right down the middle and right into Todd Greene’s mitt.
The moment showed resiliency and proved the American spirit even in a time of disaster.
2. Rick Monday saves American flag
On April 25, 1976 Chicago Cubs outfielder Rick Monday became a national icon after preventing an American flag from being burned in the Dodger Stadium outfield. Monday had previously served six years for the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve.
Two protesters, a father and son, were doing this act in response to the matriarch of the family being put in a mental hospital. As the protesters were dousing the flag in gasoline, Monday came in and grabbed it, saving the flag.
This garnered significant applause and acclaim for Monday both in the moment and in the media after the game. The flag was eventually sold and Monday spent the following years raising over a half a million dollars for military charities.
Honorable mentions
Some moments in sports are not inherently patriotic, but show the uniqueness of America in a different way.
- 1968 civil rights protests
In 1968, the Olympic games were held in Mexico City. American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos won gold and bronze medals respectively in the 200 meter run. 1968 was a tumultuous year for the U.S. The Vietnam War ravaged on, political violence was prevalent and unrest was commonplace. Smith and Carlos used their stage to show their support for civil rights.
- Henry Aaron breaks MLB all-time record
Henry Aaron is considered one of the greatest baseball players of all time, and until 2007 he held the all-time home run record in the MLB. But it was how he broke the record that is iconic. On April 8, 1974, Aaron hit a home run, his 715th, that broke Babe Ruth’s previous record. Aaron received a standing ovation and widespread praise for the act. Vin Scully's call of the event shows just how powerful sports can be.
- Pat Tillman
I would be remiss if I did not mention the Pat Tillman story. Tillman was a safety for the Arizona Cardinals of the NFL, and in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, Tillman enlisted in the U.S. Army. Tillman turned down a $3.6 million offer from the Cardinals in order to do so. Unfortunately, Tillman was killed in Afghanistan in 2004, but his loyalty to his country and legacy live on.
1. Miracle on ice
In the 1980 Winter Olympics, the U.S. men’s national team was made up of amateur players and did not figure to be a contender in the games. On the flip side, the USSR had a team of much older, professional players who had won the previous four Olympic gold medals. It is also important to keep in mind that 1980 was the height of the Cold War. The Soviets had recently invaded Afghanistan and tensions were the highest they had been since the 1960s.
In the semi-final game, the U.S. did what no team in the Olympics had done in 16 years, they bested the Soviets. They won 4-3 and eventually secured the gold medal. Al Michaels’ famous call, “Do you believe in miracles” is still iconic 46 years later.
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