I’ve read this before and it’s good and I agree. As a non-American fan this was the number 1 reason preventing me from pulling for Team USA, which had several of my favourite players in the whole game on it!
However, can we just pause to reflect on this: “Cal Raleigh’s t-shirt was emblazoned “FRONT TOWARD ENEMY,” the same printing found on M18A1 Claymore mines that America keeps in its arsenal specifically because it circumvents the Ottawa Treaty, something the country hasn’t even signed but pretends to adhere to”
– hit .000 in the tournament – benched – made a weird spectacle of himself with hardo shit like the non-handshake and this
Pathetic stuff!
Also, Skenes dropped out of the Air Force academy, why is he still slobbering over the military when he’s never served? What a weird bit.
k3y13n_102731
Most of the teams this tournament had fun and played with passion. The US played like they were going to war and felt corporate and sterile. I don’t want to hear « dream team » ever again from the US so long as Judge is the captain and players like Cal Raleigh keep their heads up their asses!
MarlKarx777
This is very good. As the author states, we’re not bringing politics into this by finding it uncomfortable. The USA brings politics into it by bringing military might into a baseball game.
I’ve always thought it’s extremely cringe how much Americans talk about military. It’s a very odd thing to make your national identity. But I guess when you’re bombing half the globe, what else do you have to brag about?
FootwearFetish69
This tournament (and by extension the shit show that was the US Hockey team) just feels like it’s putting a huge spotlight on the cultural issues plaguing America today. The machismo « we’re number 1, and we’re gonna let EVERYONE know we own them » schtick is just so hard to watch in comparison to teams like Venezuela, DR, Canada, etc. Even Japan, which is also a « business first » country, has that mantra steeped in respect. You’re never going to see a Japanese player turn down a handshake, or laugh along as the president makes jokes about annexing an ally.
Like, why are military officials hanging with athletes? Why do you have taglines from antipersonnel mines on your jerseys? Why is Kash Patel in the locker room?
Just a strange, strange way to show you love your homeland. Like they always feel like they have to put others down and assert how they are better than the rest of us.
Immediate_Lie7810
Yea, I feel like most of Team USA embracing a « we’re at war » mentality turned off a lot of fans
liteshadow4
I find it hard to root for the US not because of politics reasons, but because the players out there mostly look like they don’t care.
HibachiVolcano
Sadly, this is all just an American cultural thing. Most of us get taught from a young age to revere the military and those who serve it. So, Team USA making that its identity is just basic corporate advertising, as empty and meaningless as the Direct TV helmets on their swing-and-miss heads.
And I don’t say this to downplay the actual sacrifices made by individuals serving in the military. We can respect and appreciate that without having to feed into the militaristic BS we get served up.
UMLBB10
Judge did Judge things as if it were October.
ObscureMemes69420
Fuck the USA and everything it stands for
UMLBB10
USA baseball is similar to US Ryder Cup in golf. Great individuals who have no interest in playing as a team for something more than a paycheck
Bright-Pressure-5787
I don’t think that people were ready to root against Team USA for political reasons until Team USA dove deep into the military/political bag. People were already finding it hard to root for them because of the lack of vibes, but the political thing probably sealed it.
YourMomSloppySeconds
I can’t root for the USA because I support Iranian mullahs who kill anyone who disagrees with them. That’s why I come to Reddit, because many mods act the same and ban anyone they disagree with because it’s important to protect people from the truth.
Xalazi
For decades, but especially post 9/11, the American public have been sold the idea of patriotism almost exclusively through military propaganda. So much so, that I’m not sure if most native born Americans today really see a difference between the two.
It’s very different from how most other countries express patriotism. Music, food, cultural iconography, etc. Notice how other countries in the WBC show those off and how that is often missing from American teams in international competitions like the WBC, the upcoming World Cup, the upcoming Olympics, etc. The only USA culture they express is how you should be proud of the troops that protect you from the non-specific foreign evils that should totally be afraid of.
MGHeinz
This was a tremendously well written piece.
deathtotheemperor
Blackwater ass baseball team
gjp11
This plus the players and Derosa seeming like they weren’t taking this seriously enough really made it hard for me to root for team USA.
I always root for USA (behind PR of course) but this time I was pretty apathetic to them. I can’t say I actively rooted against the US but I truly just didn’t care either way.
Its also frustrating cause people are saying USA culture is only military and violence. But there’s more to USA then that. USA has other aspects of our culture we can celebrate but the team chose to just focus on the war shit.
I mean we just killed a ton of schoolgirls in Iran. Stuff of nightmares and I don’t want to be reminded of that when I’m watching baseball.
Also I can’t stress this enough, the ex-navy seal speaker they brought in (who’s claims are disputed by his own fellow troops) told a group of baby faced young adult males on Twitter that if social media didn’t exist he would force them to have sex with him. I just can’t get past that. Why are we just ok with that? Its gross, and fucking weird.
I also hate how soft some Americans are when it comes to criticism. There are people who just can’t accept that America isn’t always the good guy and that some things need course correction in our country. To them even so much as saying that means you hate America and you need to leave. Like bro. Take the Cristicism and move on. If you can’t criticize your country, then you don’t love it. If my brother was on the verge of being a drug addict you bet id do everything in my power to get him to change. Stop being so damn soft.
I guess it is what it is. This is America.
Nonetoobrightatall
Happy we lost and the irony of losing to Venezuela made it even better.
Mental_Town_7337
Skenes acting like he stormed Normandy because he attended the Air Force Academy for 2 years is the only thing that was pretty annoying to me.
immoralsupport_
I just want to point out that PCA did the opposite of everything people are mad at the USA for: he did not outwardly embrace militarism, his appearance is non-conforming with traditional American baseball player standards and he actively plays with joy. He was one of USA’s best players in the tournament. I just want to give him some recognition instead of lumping him in with some of the others.
Reasonable-Front7584
The entire tournament every non-USA team let their inner child out. You can tell they love playing the game, and reverted back to pickup games as children. The USA looked like a bunch of worn down adults whose parents pushed them to the breaking point, and sucked some of the fun out of the game for them.
cropo
People in this thread about the Global Baseball Tournament saying the entirety of US identity and culture is the military is pretty ironic.
bdge_01
The “kEeP pOlItIcS oUt Of SpOrTs” people sure do love their politics in sports.
ThatWrestlingGuy15
The issue with Team USA is they presented their country as if the entire world was back in 1957. If you didn’t follow baseball or know much about the US you’d think not much has changed there in the last 80+ years. A country music performance before the final. Like it presented only one type of American culture all throughout the tournament.
cutchemist42
The salute stuff was very cringe.
Ecstatic-Daikon-3520
Most ironic thing about all this military fetishizing by Americans is they leave a significant portion of them kicking rocks and digging food out of trash cans absolutely cracked out of their minds
Trees_feel_too
Even without the war shit, the US comes off so bland, lacking of passion or excitement, and looks like they don’t care. Why root for them when you can root for teams that are amped from the first pitch to the last, celebrating each other, playing at full speed, and overall putting on a damn show.
alxndrblack
Damn, now I gotta agree with and respect a Yankees fan
nokiabrickphone1998
As an American who roots against USA in all international competitions, this was a good read
ovokramer
All of them wearing the hockey jerseys was kind of stupid too especially since all those guys partied with Kash Patel like tf
levare8515
It’s my understanding that there is a war going on right now. Two wars, actually… Are either of these wars happening on US soil?
_Sandor_Clegane
This is a good read. Exactly how I felt about Team USA this run.
8890xe
america has no soul and this is an encapsulation of that
BasesJuicedNoOuts
This thread is just libs crying about patriotism, what a shame. This country is lost.
stinkb
Team USA was insufferable. Enjoyed watching all the other teams much more. It’s a game for fs sake
aRadioKid
The USA continues to look dumb as fuck to the rest of the world. Super embarrassing
eastbaytimez
They went to war and lost lmaooo
solidoxygen8008
Team USA should be team United STATES.. Like actual states! We are states! Not branches of the military. STATES. But our players acting stoic and unsportsman-like is tough to watch. Maybe it is just me but I see aloofness and uncaring attitudes as a sign of insecurity and fragile masculinity. Apathy is weak. Machismo is weak. Yuck.
37 Comments
I’ve read this before and it’s good and I agree. As a non-American fan this was the number 1 reason preventing me from pulling for Team USA, which had several of my favourite players in the whole game on it!
However, can we just pause to reflect on this:
“Cal Raleigh’s t-shirt was emblazoned “FRONT TOWARD ENEMY,” the same printing found on M18A1 Claymore mines that America keeps in its arsenal specifically because it circumvents the Ottawa Treaty, something the country hasn’t even signed but pretends to adhere to”
– hit .000 in the tournament
– benched
– made a weird spectacle of himself with hardo shit like the non-handshake and this
Pathetic stuff!
Also, Skenes dropped out of the Air Force academy, why is he still slobbering over the military when he’s never served? What a weird bit.
Most of the teams this tournament had fun and played with passion. The US played like they were going to war and felt corporate and sterile. I don’t want to hear « dream team » ever again from the US so long as Judge is the captain and players like Cal Raleigh keep their heads up their asses!
This is very good. As the author states, we’re not bringing politics into this by finding it uncomfortable. The USA brings politics into it by bringing military might into a baseball game.
I’ve always thought it’s extremely cringe how much Americans talk about military. It’s a very odd thing to make your national identity. But I guess when you’re bombing half the globe, what else do you have to brag about?
This tournament (and by extension the shit show that was the US Hockey team) just feels like it’s putting a huge spotlight on the cultural issues plaguing America today. The machismo « we’re number 1, and we’re gonna let EVERYONE know we own them » schtick is just so hard to watch in comparison to teams like Venezuela, DR, Canada, etc. Even Japan, which is also a « business first » country, has that mantra steeped in respect. You’re never going to see a Japanese player turn down a handshake, or laugh along as the president makes jokes about annexing an ally.
Like, why are military officials hanging with athletes? Why do you have taglines from antipersonnel mines on your jerseys? Why is Kash Patel in the locker room?
Just a strange, strange way to show you love your homeland. Like they always feel like they have to put others down and assert how they are better than the rest of us.
Yea, I feel like most of Team USA embracing a « we’re at war » mentality turned off a lot of fans
I find it hard to root for the US not because of politics reasons, but because the players out there mostly look like they don’t care.
Sadly, this is all just an American cultural thing. Most of us get taught from a young age to revere the military and those who serve it. So, Team USA making that its identity is just basic corporate advertising, as empty and meaningless as the Direct TV helmets on their swing-and-miss heads.
And I don’t say this to downplay the actual sacrifices made by individuals serving in the military. We can respect and appreciate that without having to feed into the militaristic BS we get served up.
Judge did Judge things as if it were October.
Fuck the USA and everything it stands for
USA baseball is similar to US Ryder Cup in golf. Great individuals who have no interest in playing as a team for something more than a paycheck
I don’t think that people were ready to root against Team USA for political reasons until Team USA dove deep into the military/political bag. People were already finding it hard to root for them because of the lack of vibes, but the political thing probably sealed it.
I can’t root for the USA because I support Iranian mullahs who kill anyone who disagrees with them. That’s why I come to Reddit, because many mods act the same and ban anyone they disagree with because it’s important to protect people from the truth.
For decades, but especially post 9/11, the American public have been sold the idea of patriotism almost exclusively through military propaganda. So much so, that I’m not sure if most native born Americans today really see a difference between the two.
It’s very different from how most other countries express patriotism. Music, food, cultural iconography, etc. Notice how other countries in the WBC show those off and how that is often missing from American teams in international competitions like the WBC, the upcoming World Cup, the upcoming Olympics, etc. The only USA culture they express is how you should be proud of the troops that protect you from the non-specific foreign evils that should totally be afraid of.
This was a tremendously well written piece.
Blackwater ass baseball team
This plus the players and Derosa seeming like they weren’t taking this seriously enough really made it hard for me to root for team USA.
I always root for USA (behind PR of course) but this time I was pretty apathetic to them. I can’t say I actively rooted against the US but I truly just didn’t care either way.
Its also frustrating cause people are saying USA culture is only military and violence. But there’s more to USA then that. USA has other aspects of our culture we can celebrate but the team chose to just focus on the war shit.
I mean we just killed a ton of schoolgirls in Iran. Stuff of nightmares and I don’t want to be reminded of that when I’m watching baseball.
Also I can’t stress this enough, the ex-navy seal speaker they brought in (who’s claims are disputed by his own fellow troops) told a group of baby faced young adult males on Twitter that if social media didn’t exist he would force them to have sex with him. I just can’t get past that. Why are we just ok with that? Its gross, and fucking weird.
I also hate how soft some Americans are when it comes to criticism. There are people who just can’t accept that America isn’t always the good guy and that some things need course correction in our country. To them even so much as saying that means you hate America and you need to leave. Like bro. Take the Cristicism and move on. If you can’t criticize your country, then you don’t love it. If my brother was on the verge of being a drug addict you bet id do everything in my power to get him to change. Stop being so damn soft.
I guess it is what it is. This is America.
Happy we lost and the irony of losing to Venezuela made it even better.
Skenes acting like he stormed Normandy because he attended the Air Force Academy for 2 years is the only thing that was pretty annoying to me.
I just want to point out that PCA did the opposite of everything people are mad at the USA for: he did not outwardly embrace militarism, his appearance is non-conforming with traditional American baseball player standards and he actively plays with joy. He was one of USA’s best players in the tournament. I just want to give him some recognition instead of lumping him in with some of the others.
The entire tournament every non-USA team let their inner child out. You can tell they love playing the game, and reverted back to pickup games as children. The USA looked like a bunch of worn down adults whose parents pushed them to the breaking point, and sucked some of the fun out of the game for them.
People in this thread about the Global Baseball Tournament saying the entirety of US identity and culture is the military is pretty ironic.
The “kEeP pOlItIcS oUt Of SpOrTs” people sure do love their politics in sports.
The issue with Team USA is they presented their country as if the entire world was back in 1957. If you didn’t follow baseball or know much about the US you’d think not much has changed there in the last 80+ years. A country music performance before the final. Like it presented only one type of American culture all throughout the tournament.
The salute stuff was very cringe.
Most ironic thing about all this military fetishizing by Americans is they leave a significant portion of them kicking rocks and digging food out of trash cans absolutely cracked out of their minds
Even without the war shit, the US comes off so bland, lacking of passion or excitement, and looks like they don’t care. Why root for them when you can root for teams that are amped from the first pitch to the last, celebrating each other, playing at full speed, and overall putting on a damn show.
Damn, now I gotta agree with and respect a Yankees fan
As an American who roots against USA in all international competitions, this was a good read
All of them wearing the hockey jerseys was kind of stupid too especially since all those guys partied with Kash Patel like tf
It’s my understanding that there is a war going on right now. Two wars, actually… Are either of these wars happening on US soil?
This is a good read. Exactly how I felt about Team USA this run.
america has no soul and this is an encapsulation of that
This thread is just libs crying about patriotism, what a shame. This country is lost.
Team USA was insufferable. Enjoyed watching all the other teams much more. It’s a game for fs sake
The USA continues to look dumb as fuck to the rest of the world. Super embarrassing
They went to war and lost lmaooo
Team USA should be team United STATES.. Like actual states! We are states! Not branches of the military. STATES. But our players acting stoic and unsportsman-like is tough to watch. Maybe it is just me but I see aloofness and uncaring attitudes as a sign of insecurity and fragile masculinity. Apathy is weak. Machismo is weak. Yuck.