@oneeyedundertaker Ehhh... obviously not an apples to apples comparison. But the gist was people on both sides diminish sports accomplishments for political reasons. The US men's basketball alternative is a better example, for sure. But there are A LOT of people that have allowed the visuals of Celebrity Row, to make their decisions on how to view the Knicks and their championship.
@oneeyedundertaker Ehhh... obviously not an apples to apples comparison. But the gist was people on both sides diminish sports accomplishments for political reasons. The US men's basketball alternative is a better example, for sure. But there are A LOT of people that have allowed the visuals of Celebrity Row, to make their decisions on how to view the Knicks and their championship.
I don't remember any Olympic Men's basketball team hate. Maybe some pointed hate of Lebron but that's been a fixture since he's been in the league. I'm sure you can find some internet freak somewhere.
I think you're grasping at straws here. The data on who believes in American exceptionalism are in. It's a one side problem.
@carramrod No, it isn't. But go ahead and cling to that view... its on brand for you. The criticisms of the team, and accomplishments, and the lack of excitement and praise for the mens basketball team was prevalent... and often tracked with party lines. I feel fortunate that I got chills, and was genuinely happy and excited when both teams won. The fact that you didn't notice the dissent and lack of support for the bball team, but have noticed such for the hockey team... well, its on brand for you, and it essentially proves my point.
Yes, the man standing is real. Congolese superfan Michel Nkuka Mboladinga.
https://twitter.com/The_Forty_Four/status/2067191763505197167?s=20
Can't wait for the matches today. The World Cup is so iconic. I'm loving all the Ronaldo memes going around after Mbappe, Haaland, and Messi all had incredible games. If Ronaldo doesn't score today he will probably be roasted mercilessly
Check out my latest at Hoosier Huddle here
@carramrod No, it isn't. But go ahead and cling to that view... its on brand for you. The criticisms of the team, and accomplishments, and the lack of excitement and praise for the mens basketball team was prevalent... and often tracked with party lines. I feel fortunate that I got chills, and was genuinely happy and excited when both teams won. The fact that you didn't notice the dissent and lack of support for the bball team, but have noticed such for the hockey team... well, its on brand for you, and it essentially proves my point.
I suppose we could go down the road of highlighting public figures who criticized the hockey team and those who criticized the basketball team. I would win that tit for tat.
Better to just let the data talk and watch you flail and misdirect trying to justify it.
- Republicans: Over 90% of Republicans report being extremely or very proud to be Americans. About half assert that the U.S. stands above all other countries in the world. [1, 2]
- Democrats: Approximately 36% of Democrats report being extremely or very proud to be Americans. Only about 7% believe that the U.S. stands above all other countries. [1, 2]
- Republicans: Strong majorities (around 76%) believe the American Dream still holds true today, operating on the premise that hard work leads to advancement.
- Democrats: Belief in the American Dream sits notably lower among Democrats, with only about 30% affirming that the dream still works. [1]
Hard to come together to celebrate National achievements when one party is ambivalent at best about the country.
@noodle i love the African countries and always pull for them! when it comes on if you haven't seen it already tune in sometime to the african nations cup. the settings and shit are unbelievable.
If Ronaldo doesn't score today he will probably be roasted mercilessly
Yup. There's a lot of folks who don't believe he should even be playing and that he will hinder portugal's chances
@oneeyedundertaker Ehhh... obviously not an apples to apples comparison. But the gist was people on both sides diminish sports accomplishments for political reasons. The US men's basketball alternative is a better example, for sure. But there are A LOT of people that have allowed the visuals of Celebrity Row, to make their decisions on how to view the Knicks and their championship.
I don't remember any Olympic Men's basketball team hate. Maybe some pointed hate of Lebron but that's been a fixture since he's been in the league. I'm sure you can find some internet freak somewhere.
I think you're grasping at straws here. The data on who believes in American exceptionalism are in. It's a one side problem.
GEMINI:
The general tenor surrounding the USA Men’s Basketball Team’s gold medal victory in Paris was an initial collective sigh of relief that quickly exploded into a massive wave of internet patriotism.
Because the roster was an absolute juggernaut—featuring LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant—anything less than gold would have been treated as a catastrophic failure. When they narrowly escaped Serbia in the semifinals and then rode Stephen Curry’s ridiculous, logic-defying flurry of late three-pointers to beat France in the final, the overriding emotion from the general public was pure exhilaration. For a brief moment, social media was flooded with what some cultural commentators called "unapologetic, almost theatrical patriotism," punctuated by endless memes of Curry's "night-night" celebration.
However, beneath that surface-level celebration, the social media atmosphere absolutely fractured along political and ideological lines. The division wasn't necessarily about whether the team won, but rather how people viewed the cultural identity of the players and the sports culture they represent.
The division manifested across a few primary fault lines:
1. The "Woke NBA" vs. "America First" Narrative
For the past several years, prominent figures in conservative political circles have heavily criticized the NBA and its top stars—particularly LeBron James and Steve Kerr—for their vocal progressive political stances, activism, and past player protests.
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The Right-Wing Critique: On platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Truth Social, some right-wing commentators and users expressed a deep ambivalence toward cheering for the team. There was a vocal sentiment that these multi-millionaire athletes didn't "truly represent regular America" or were overly critical of the country they were wearing on their chests. Some explicitly rooted for individual players they deemed less overtly political, while others openly admitted they found it hard to muster genuine enthusiasm for a team led by James and Kerr.
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The Progressive/Mainstream Defense: Conversely, progressive and mainstream fans leaned heavily into the win as a rejection of that critique. They used the gold medal to argue that diversity, global prestige, and modern player empowerment are uniquely American strengths. For them, seeing these specific athletes wrap themselves in the American flag was a powerful reclamation of patriotism from traditional conservative ownership.
2. Kevin Durant vs. "The Clowns"
The online environment was so intensely scrutinized that the players themselves took notice of the fractured fan base. Kevin Durant famously went on an epic, 5:00 a.m. bender on X immediately after winning gold, actively quote-tweeting and mocking fans who had spent the tournament rooting against the team or pushing specific player agendas.
Durant directly addressed the fractured nature of modern sports fandom, writing:
"Lets talk about the fan culture that's been created recently. ALOT of idol worship, a lot of hate and division based off wins and losses, a lot of disrespect of the work being put in by these incredible athletes..."
Ultimately, while the Paris gold medal was a monumental sports achievement that united tens of millions of viewers on a Saturday afternoon, the digital aftermath proved that even a gold medal can't fully escape the gravitational pull of the American culture wars.
@noodle i love the African countries and always pull for them! when it comes on if you haven't seen it already tune in sometime to the african nations cup. the settings and shit are unbelievable.
The first World Cup I remember watching was 1982. I watched it on CBC (Canada), as I believe they aired almost all of the games. That World Cup was very memorable due to the presence of Cameroon. Their fans were crazy, with colorful tribal clothing, banging on giant drums, etc. I became an instant fan. Crazily, Cameroon did not lose a match in 1982 but still did not make it out of the group stage.
@noodle that was the first world cup we all got to see. cameroon was legendary! i can't remember what version of video game it was but i always played as cameroon. throughout the years the african countries have traded being good. the super eagles of nigeria!
@gros-louis I would grant that Kerr, LeBron and others are far more politically outspoken than anyone on the Hockey team.
That shouldn’t color how/ if Americans celebrate them but it does for some I suppose.
KD gets in a Twitter fight every time he has a loose stool, apropos of nothing.