Section Four: Sports are often used as vehicles for nation-building and nationalism. What are some examples and implications of this?

The industry of sports entertainment is among the biggest in the world, and makes up a very significant part of media, as well as culture. Because of the popularity and effect on society that sports has, sports are often used as vehicles for nation-building and nationalism. This is quite prevalent in the United States particularly. There are many different ways in which sports contain nationalistic content. One example is a nation's anthem or a patriotic song being sung at a sporting event. In professional sports including football, hockey, baseball, etc. it is quite common for the national anthem to be sung before the game begins. During the 1918 Boston vs. Chicago MLB World Series, the Star Spangled Banner was sung during the 7th inning stretch, for the first time. This game was during World War I and the song was sung to show support for the American troops fighting overseas. Since this event, there has been a direct correlation in the nationalism seen in sports and war and other political events. During the second world war, the Star Spangled Banner proceeded to be sung at all regular season baseball games, and not long after, all other sports followed suit and began to include the song in their games as well. Next, during the Vietnam war, the 1972 Superbowl was patriotically themed and the half-time show contained a military fly-over, as well as dancers dressed as 'Aunt Sam'. It was this same year that the NFL surpassed the MLB in becoming America's most popular sport. In 1991, during the Gulf War, there was also a large presence of patriotism in sports. The Superbowl that year was dedicated to the American troops, and each spectator was given an American flag to hold during the game. During the 1991 Superbowl, Whitney Houston sang the American national anthem, marking the first time that a celebrity sang an anthem at a sporting event. This is important because it symbolizes the growth of the spectacle that is a sporting event, as well as the dedication to patriotism and nationalism that is involved in these spectacles. After these events in 1991, organizations such as the NHL, NFL and NCAA, began to show their support to the troops by wearing American flags on their jerseys or helmets. Most recently, after the incidents on September 11th, 2001, there was an enormous portion of nationalism in sporting events. Many sporting events dedicated themselves to the victims and the troops involved in the war on terrorism i.e. The 2002 Superbowl. All of these occurrences are similar in their nature, but why are they significant? Nation building is the material and symbolic promotion of national unity used by those participating in projects of identity construction that focus on the nation. This is involved in sports not only because of the magnitude of the sports industry, but also because of the uniting spirit of sports. People come together to watch sporting events, and there is a passion that comes with being a fan of sports. This is why it is so effective to use sports as a vehicle for nation building and nationalism. If the same competition, passion, and dedication that lies within the sports community can be linked with a nation, then those feelings are linked with nation as well. Sports fans who are passionate about a game, in turn, share that passion for the nation. This is what creates the connection between patriotism and sports, and allows sports to be used as a propaganda tool.