Patriotism
Like many, I have been watching the Olympics. I truly enjoy some of the categories and, while others are not my favorites, it is even fun to watch “the best” in those sports. It difficult to imagine the time and effort expended to achieve the level of perfection displayed by all the athletes.
Some of the competitions are simply amazing… it is remarkable to see the difference between first, second, and third places being a fraction of a second or some seemingly minor variance!
Once again, I notice the high level of patriotism displayed when the winners are standing on the podium, receiving their medals, and listening to the national anthem being played. And, in interviews after their performances, the athletes talk about how proud they are to represent their country in the Olympic Games. They worked hard, stood out from the rest of those who wanted to go to the games, and were selected… and you can clearly see they are proud to be “the chosen ones”.
It seems that sports is one of the last areas where public display of patriotism is commonplace. It has been largely driven out of the classroom and many public arenas… but still is common in many sports.
Why?
What makes sports activities an acceptable venue for displaying patriotism while others are not?
