Russia Plays U.S.A. - The No Nation Cup
Keep On Rockin In The Free World - How Sports Enables U.S. Imperialism
There is a little town in north Ontario, where Scott Young Public School stands. Scott Young, father of Neil Young, lived much of his adult life in Omemee, just over the hill from Peterborough, Ontario. Scott the writer and sports journalist, famously fired from Hockey Night In Canada for rubbing a sponsor the wrong way, had a penchant for speaking his mind. Neil, the prodigious musician and performer, cut from the same cloth, speaks his own mind still, out among us, rockin in the free world. It’s hard to imagine but for a young Canadian boy of a certain time, Scott was the Young known by name, first. Scrubs On Skates.
It would be much better if a song could cut through the moment we are living in. Ohio - Southern Man, but alas this is not the case. We must defer to the father figure, Scott and the backbone he showed standing up to sponsors and owners. Sports and its corporate interests are what drives culture these days. Guts, glory and gambling.
Scott and Neil Young. Father and Son.
The moment the U.S. threatens the sovereignty of another nation - Canada - it immediately put the U.S. in another category of nations - Imperial Aggressor - with Russia.
What is truly revealing, about the reaction to U.S. threats against Canadian sovereignty, is the inability to see a simple point, and begin from there. The U.S.A. is now an Imperial Aggressor.
All other additional reactions and considerations like the economy or trade agreements, or sports for that matter must begin from that understanding. Something has changed. Canadians didn’t change. The U.S.A. changed and broke an essential international law to respect the sovereignty of nations.
From the moment it happened, what was most egregious, was the ‘life goes on’ of sports media. Especially in America. The U.S.A. had fundamentally changed and it’s citizens in sport did not react. In the micro bubble that is hockey in the mass of American sports, for a brief burp the 4 Nations Cup drew the attention of a mid-season episode of Friends. Fans booed anthems, Canada won.
Yet the next day American athletes returned to work in Canada, the country they are threatening, and the sports media felt no need to question their casual nature and lack of response, nor hold them accountable for their President’s threats. The name of the President is no longer relevant. It is the American President now and American citizens alone are accountable for his actions. Are you an Imperialist? Do you think the country you work in (Canada) should be over thrown by the country you are a citizen of, the U.S.A.? Canadians deserve to know and boycott where necessary in their national interest. This is not just another day at the rink. This is a violation of Canadian sovereignty and requires an instantaneous realignment of international alliances.
The threatening words of an American President requires a reaction from American athletes. A verbal sign of solidarity to Canadians. A confirmation that these athletes working in Canada respect the sovereignty of Canadians. Anything less is an abject failure of Canadian and American sports journalist. Who works for who here? Do the sports journalists work for the readers or the franchise owners or Rogers? This isn’t about one athlete, this is about all athletes. Canadian sovereignty affects all Canadians. American Imperialism affects all Americans and everyone else in the world. So what say you Gary Bettman, Adam Silver and Rob Manfred? Your employees are Canadian, do you respect our sovereignty? Seems like a fair questions in a quiet room.
Canada has a thousand hockey legends. 99 is just another number on a long list. Wayne only matters insofar as Americans know his name. Then there’s Jean Beliveau, and Rocket Richard and Mario Lemieux and Gordie Howe and Guy Lafleur and on and on and on, tres bien.
Jean Beliveau, Guy Lafleur and Maurice ‘The Rocket” Richard.
Right now sports is enabling American Imperialism by pretending it isn’t happening. The silence is deafening. Sport journalists are towing the line. Sports editors are two weeks behind the story.
Here’s the question: what about the Olympics? Are we going to allow an American Imperial Aggressor to participate in the Olympics? Canadians and the world deserve accountability from the International Olympic Committee. If not, Canadians and the world deserve a chance to organize alternatively.
Right now one other country is banned from International Competition - Russia. Why? Because they are an Imperialist Aggressor. It started with threats and annexation of territory. Now look where we are. The U.S.A. is now in a category with the Russians. The U.S. President can take back the threats or take a walk with Putin. American athletes will either stand up for Canadian sovereignty or miss the boat on sportsmanship.
Sports entertainment is Americans largest export. American athletes and owners should know better and speak up in defence of the laws of national sovereignty. Otherwise they are passive Imperialists themselves, spoken for by their President. We expect sports journalist to ask the tough questions to American athletes so Canadians know whether or not to turn the channel, for the greater good.