Rohan Week 12: America's Most Powerful Sporting Moments
Sports has long been a foundational part of the American social fabric. Starting from the time of mass consumerism in the 1800s when professional athletics first got its start, sports have consumed the energies of millions of Americans year after year.
There are many reasons why people find professional sports special: for some, it provides a sense of community to escape from the grind of daily life. For others, it allows them to see someone do something they do for leisure for a living. And for all, it acts as one of the times when differences can be set aside and worries can be held in abeyance while fun and excitement prevail.
While sporting memories undoubtedly hold a special place in the hearts of residents of every nation on Earth, this blog will focus on what is in my opinion the three most powerful moments in American sports history.
The first powerful moment comes from the beginning of arguably one of the darkest times of human history: Hitler’s reign over Germany. In the 1936 Olympic Games hosted in Berlin, the American runner Jesse Owens won four gold medals and put up perhaps one of the most unexpected performances in Olympic history. His achievements hold an important symbolic meaning as well: in the face of Hitler’s persecution of minorities, an African American athlete dominated Hitler’s Olympic, even subbing in for a Jewish runner who was not able to compete due to antisemitic policies and still leading team America to victory in the 4 x 100m relay. His achievements highlighted the power of belief and community for Americans and sent a strong message to the global community (source).
The second event on this list also arose from a fraught geopolitical situation. On February 22, 1980, the American Ice Hockey Team defeated the Soviet Union, an ice hockey powerhouse, in Lake Placid, New York, during the 1980 Winter Olympics hosted in the United States. That year, the American team was a scrappy, underdog story. The Soviets, on the other hand, were a professional powerhouse. And American and the Soviet Union were embroiled in one of the most contentious conflicts of all time, the Cold War. The United States defeated the Soviet Union 4-3 in regulation time, and Al Micheals' commentary of the game was enshrined in American history (source). Listen to his brilliant commentary here.
Finally, the last event that I will discuss today came with a much more sober context but was incredibly powerful nonetheless. The events of September 11, 2001, hit America like a runaway train. These attacks were perhaps the most horrific events ever in American history. On September 21, 2001, New York Mets legend Mike Piazza hit a go-ahead home run near the end of the game in the first professional sporting event hosted in New York after the 9/11 attacks. Watch this iconic moment here. On a night filled with patriotism, hope, and fresh and tragic memories, this event showcased America’s strength and resilience to the world. The ball Piazza hit is in the Baseball Hall of Fame and the jersey he wore that day hangs forever in the 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York (source).
Sports have been, and will continue to be the provider of some of our nation’s most memorable moments. Its power is endless—athletics can help break the most formidable barriers and unite in the most unimaginable situations.
A magazine cover from the Miracle on Ice (source)
There are many reasons why people find professional sports special: for some, it provides a sense of community to escape from the grind of daily life. For others, it allows them to see someone do something they do for leisure for a living. And for all, it acts as one of the times when differences can be set aside and worries can be held in abeyance while fun and excitement prevail.
While sporting memories undoubtedly hold a special place in the hearts of residents of every nation on Earth, this blog will focus on what is in my opinion the three most powerful moments in American sports history.
The first powerful moment comes from the beginning of arguably one of the darkest times of human history: Hitler’s reign over Germany. In the 1936 Olympic Games hosted in Berlin, the American runner Jesse Owens won four gold medals and put up perhaps one of the most unexpected performances in Olympic history. His achievements hold an important symbolic meaning as well: in the face of Hitler’s persecution of minorities, an African American athlete dominated Hitler’s Olympic, even subbing in for a Jewish runner who was not able to compete due to antisemitic policies and still leading team America to victory in the 4 x 100m relay. His achievements highlighted the power of belief and community for Americans and sent a strong message to the global community (source).
The second event on this list also arose from a fraught geopolitical situation. On February 22, 1980, the American Ice Hockey Team defeated the Soviet Union, an ice hockey powerhouse, in Lake Placid, New York, during the 1980 Winter Olympics hosted in the United States. That year, the American team was a scrappy, underdog story. The Soviets, on the other hand, were a professional powerhouse. And American and the Soviet Union were embroiled in one of the most contentious conflicts of all time, the Cold War. The United States defeated the Soviet Union 4-3 in regulation time, and Al Micheals' commentary of the game was enshrined in American history (source). Listen to his brilliant commentary here.
Finally, the last event that I will discuss today came with a much more sober context but was incredibly powerful nonetheless. The events of September 11, 2001, hit America like a runaway train. These attacks were perhaps the most horrific events ever in American history. On September 21, 2001, New York Mets legend Mike Piazza hit a go-ahead home run near the end of the game in the first professional sporting event hosted in New York after the 9/11 attacks. Watch this iconic moment here. On a night filled with patriotism, hope, and fresh and tragic memories, this event showcased America’s strength and resilience to the world. The ball Piazza hit is in the Baseball Hall of Fame and the jersey he wore that day hangs forever in the 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York (source).
Sports have been, and will continue to be the provider of some of our nation’s most memorable moments. Its power is endless—athletics can help break the most formidable barriers and unite in the most unimaginable situations.
A magazine cover from the Miracle on Ice (source)
Hi Rohan! I enjoyed reading your analysis of the most powerful moments in American sports due to the unique perspective you took on this quarter’s theme of power. When I think of the most powerful sporting moments in American history, I think of a crazy comeback in the Super Bowl or a world record race in Track and Field, not the culturally and symbolically significant moments you spoke of in this blog. The organization of this blog was excellent, beginning with a relatable introduction about why sports are so important to American culture, then proceeding into three body paragraphs, each one analyzing a notable moment in sports; I particularly enjoyed the structure of this blog because its simple organization allowed me to trace the flow of your ideas very easily. On another note, thank you for writing a blog about the topic of sports because it is something that I am inherently very interested in—the moment I read the title of this blog, I knew I would want to write a response to it. As an athlete in Track and Field, the paragraph you included about Jesse Owens greatly appealed to me. His excellent performance in the 1936 Olympics—setting multiple world records in the face of extreme racism—is actually something I am familiar with because I studied it in history. The first time I read about it, I was awe–struck with his strength and courage to go into Nazi Germany as a non-white athlete and still win; even now, his story still inspires me—as you said, the power of sports can break “the most formidable barriers.”
ReplyDeleteHello Rohan! I never considered putting together two important aspects together: sports and events that show the American nature. It has been mentioned how sports can cause people to join in a community and how each and every individual can compete to become part of this larger group. In fact, for myself, I found it energizing to be part of a basketball team. it made me feel as it I could do anything and be anything. More importantly, I felt a part of the feeling being described: the success after hitting a home run or the happiness after coming first in the Olympics. Of course, the events discussed were at a different time period and therefore had different values attached as a realistic feature. I found it amazing that you included three events in American history where the team showed resiliance and success even in times of distress like during the 9/11 attack. This goes to show how Americans can achieve anything at anytime even when it seems unexpected. I loved how you were able to connect three key events from the past to a larger theme. Thanks for writing the blog and great work!
ReplyDelete