A Moment of Nationalism

As time runs low on the clock an eruption of cheers, claps, horns, and screams fill the stadium with excitement. Simultaneously the stadium is filled with regret, sorrow, and tears. Everyone always wants to be the winner, but only one will finish on top. Sport is something that can unite nations around one team representing the people. This is a subject discussed in the blogging heads video featuring Bryan Curtis and Eve Fairbanks. In many nations around the globe the most powerful aspect of nationalism is international sport.

But when a nation has high expectations most likely it will cause a negative effect on nationalism because of the Ricky Bobby state of mind, "if your not first, your last." Take for example most of the big name countries known for being good at fútbol, Brazil, England, France. In this previous world cup these countries and many more went home filled with disappointment. It is because what they pride there selves most off of is there teams. The meaning of being the best in fútbol is so much more to those countries. The success of the team has a large impact on the people, and if the team succeeds the confidence and morale of the nation at a whole is boosted.

The amount of support a country builds over a sport varies from country to country. The United States has been getting better at soccer or fútbol over the years with the support growing and growing every year. But the true things that America unites over the most are the sports that we are known to be good at. We are pretty much the biggest fair-weather fans on earth. After the years of the Dream Team in mens Olympic basketball, The United States had given up on USA basketball. Until the previous Olympics in Beijing where the Redeem Teamwon it back for the USA. USA basketball was back in the spotlight and all of a sudden people saw the Redeem team as America. It was seen as the time for the US to make a comeback and 'redeem' ourselves for all of the problems we have faced in the previous years.

One of the biggest rivalries in the 2008 Olympics was the battle between the US and China. The host country China had spent years preparing for the Olympics hoping it would be the best yet. They trained like non other had one of the most extravagant ceremony the world has ever seen. But to many it could be seen that this rivalry was more of a war. Super power vs. super power. whoever ended up onto would emerge as the greatest super power in the world. The countries support for their nation was now so much stronger. But by the time it was all over it seemed that everyone just moved on with their regular lives.

International sport does have an impact on nationalism, but its not always a lasting one. It's not always going to be a positive effect or make everyone hold hands and sing 'We are the World'. But what international sport truly is is on opportunity for everyone to unite under one roof and hope to come out on top as they chant USA, USA, USA.