Top 10 Patriotic Sports Moments to Remind You Sports Didn’t Always Hate America
It may be hard to believe—as NBA players shill for Communist China, the MLB declares economic warfare on American cities, the NFL continues to kneel for the National Anthem, and our so-called Olympians refuse to even acknowledge our Star Spangled Banner—but there was indeed a time when the athletes, professional leagues, and the people who filled the stands didn’t hate America.
Here are the top ten moments to transport you back to those days, and to give you hope that, one day, sports will become watchable again:
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#10 — There wasn’t a butt on a seat or a kneeler in sight when Whitney Houston delivered this iconic rendition of The Star Spangled Banner ahead of Super Bowl XXV in 1991. Her rendition came at a particularly patriotic time, just after the onset of the Persian Gulf War, and was re-released as a single 10 years later following the September, 11th attacks in 2001.
#9 — In our current day and age, as even American athletes refuse to acknowledge the playing of our National Anthem, this iconic Olympic moment from Jamaican national Usain Bot puts their shameful act of disrespect into perspective.
#8 — It’s been said that it’s easy to stand with the crowd, but it takes courage to stand alone. NFL Player and Army veteran Alejandro Villanueva embodied that virtue in 2019—when BLM inc. pressured players into taking a knee, most players & teams caved…but not Villanueva.
#7 — Honestly, this video speaks for itself. When the mic cut out at this NHL match, the crowd stepped up in a BIG way.
#6 — I posed a rhetorical question on The Charlie Kirk Show recently about whether or not another 9/11 moment would unify the country this time around. Ask yourself, if that happened today, would a Sammy Sosa moment like this one take place—would the MLB even allow it?
#5 — This moment with Muhammed Ali from the 1996 Games in Atlanta serves as a powerful reminder that, even though an athlete may have their disagreements with our country—and ‘The Greatest’ certainly did, America still deserves our respect and gratitude.
#4 — Say what you want about George W. Bush, and I certainly have, but few things will ever top this moment, in Yankees Stadium, deep in the heart of New York City, just months after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, where he showed the world what American resilience and grit looked like. With a simple strike down the middle of the plate, 43 sent a message to our enemies & allies alike that America was back and we were ready to play ball.
#3 — As Americans are struck with the image of Gwen Berry turning her back as the National Anthem plays, this clip from four short years ago should serve as a reminder that not all Olympians take their opportunity to represent Team USA for granted.
#2 — Marine Corp veteran and Chicago Cubs outfielder Rick Monday delivered arguably one of the greatest pro-America sports moments of the 20th Century when he snatched a flag from two hippies in the heart of Los Angeles at Dodgers Stadium in 1975. There was a time when America’s Pastime was played by real Americans. The MLB would do well to return to those days.
#1 — And at the top of the list, watch—but more importantly, listen to the clip below. As the flag recovered from the rubble of The Twin Towers is brought in to Olympic Park for the start of the 2002 Salt Lake City Games, you could have heard a pin drop right up until the moment the Mormon Tabernacle Choir begins a stirring rendition of the National Anthem. This is what it means to respect the flag, to honor those who died defending it, and to acknowledge that being an American is something worth being proud of.
