The Winter Olympics start soon. Curling! Ice skating! Ice hockey! Sliding sports! The few weeks every two years when I put down my skepticism of the American experiment to root for our athletic champions.
Listen, my daily routine includes consuming Sarah Spain’s “Good Game” podcast, the only daily podcast dedicated to women’s sports. I know more about some sports than I ever wanted to know.
Given how the USA is in a deep state of fascism, it feels out of the question to yell USA! at my TV. I have zero illusions that anyone can duplicate a raised fist like Tommie Smith and John Carlos in the 1968 games or even a kneel like the 2020 US women’s soccer team. I will hope that each time we win a gold that someone has the courage to risk their medal and endorsements to signal “FUCK ICE” or “ABOLISH ICE” or even a heart with RG in the center.
Sports itself is a complicated space. Most owners have that money because they have not shared their wealth with workers. One group (aka man) owns the Professional Women’s Hockey League and that group has interests in the tech companies that make the terror ICE has brought to Chicago, LA, Minneapolis, DC, and other. cities happen.
Frankly there is no ethical consumption under capitalism and that really goes for sports.
But I’ll still watch. I’ll root for the athletes. They have worked their lives for this moment. And while I won’t be cheering for the USA, I am rooting for this country to get its shit together.
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