OWENS WINS FOUR GOLD MEDALS IN NAZI GERMANY
We begin in the summer of 1936 at the Olympic Games, when Jesse Owens stood atop the podium as the gold medal winner in Nazi Germany. Adolf Hitler wanted to use the Olympics to display the superiority of the Aryan race, but Owens, a black American, won four gold medals with the German dictator watching. Owens stood with his right hand saluting the American flag as he donned the gold medal, while the Germans all around him had their right arms out, hailing toward their ruler. It was a statement sent around the world, and that image still stands today as one of the most iconic moments of sports and politics intersecting.
USA HOCKEY DEFEATS RUSSIA IN 1980 OLYMPICS
Fast forward thirty-four years, staying with international athletics, as the United Stated pulled off the ultimate upset, defeating the USSR in men’s ice hockey at the 1980 Winter Olympics.
During the Cold War, the Russians were a global powerhouse on the ice, as they were politically. With a state-backed national hockey team, the USSR’s roster was made up of literal soldiers, whose full time job was to become the most dominant hockey team in the world, and be a symbol of Communism’s successes at the international stage. From the time players were little, as young as six-years-old, Russian kids were identified as potential future Red Army players. From that point forward, their education was centered around their hockey training. Not to mention, with the funding of the federal government, the Red Army constantly had the latest, greatest equipment for their players.
The Russians had won gold in the previous four Winter Olympics, but the United States hosted the 1980 Olympic Games, and the home-country crowd in Lake Placid, NY witnessed history. After the Russians beat Team USA in an exhibition game before the tournament, Herb Brooks led his team to victory in the semifinal, 4-3. Al Michaels’ call of the game’s final moments ticking away perfectly captioned one of the most memorable moments in Olympics history:
“Do you believe in miracles? Yes!”
WHITNEY HOUSTON PERFORMS STAR SPANGLED BANNER AT SUPER BOWL XXV
At the climax of the Persian Gulf War, one of the greatest singers of a generation performed one of the most epic renditions of the Star Spangled Banner at Super Bowl XXV. Before the Buffalo Bills and New York Giants took to the field, Whitney Houston and the Florida Orchestra took center stage with a timeless performance of the United States’ National Anthem.
It was a highly anticipated Super Bowl in January 1991. There’s no need to go any further into what transpired beyond the opening ceremonies, as Whitney Houston’s performance left an impact on Giants and Bills fans alike, with nostalgia still felt today.
With the state of global affairs, this powerful yet elegant arrangement of the quintessential patriotic song on a national stage brought tears to the eyes of those watching in Tampa Bay and across the country. As F16s flew over Tampa Stadium, a rush of pride for America was felt from sea to shining sea.
PRESIDENT BUSH THROWS FIRST PITCH AT YANKEE STADIUM AFTER 9/11
Less than two months after the attacks on September 11th, 2001, the country was galvanized while the New York Yankees went on a run to the World Series. The Fall Classic shifted to New York City for Game Three, to one of the most iconic sports landmarks: original Yankee Stadium. On October 30th, In front of a crowd of 55,000, President George W Bush was introduced to throw the ceremonial first pitch.
While New Yorkers were still reeling with the aftermath of the terrorist attacks, the pressure was on the President. As Yankee captain Derek Jeter told him before the game, President Bush had to throw it from the mound, and reminded him, “don’t bounce it- they’ll boo you.” With the eyes of the nation upon him, the Commander In Chief delivered a perfect strike, from the rubber on the mound, igniting a roar from the crowd.
Whether you're a Yankees fan, a Bush fan, or neither, that moment and the message it sent across the world was extremely powerful, and just as iconic twenty-three years later.
COLIN KAEPERNICK TAKES A KNEE, IGNITES A MOVEMENT
The most recent example of sports and politics intersecting is a moment that has turned into a movement that continues today. It started in August of 2016, when San Francisco 49ers Quarterback Colin Kaepernick refused to stand for the national anthem ahead of a National Football League preseason game.
After the game, Kaepernick responded to the media, saying, “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color…To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way.”
The decision to eventually start kneeling in protest of police brutality, sparked polarizing, and in some cases, vitriolic conversation across the country. That moment sparked a movement that has spread across all professional, and even collegiate sports, continuing in some cases still in 2024.
