The conventional wisdom within our illustrious sports media this morning seems to be that Eileen Gu, who skis for China, is an estimable American role model, whereas the USA men’s hockey team, which plays hockey for America, is an international disgrace.
Permit me, if you will, to offer a humble counterargument: In my estimation, Eileen Gu is a mercenary sports traitor who ought to be muttered about darkly, whereas the USA men’s hockey team is chock full of awesome, fun-loving, patriotic champions who deserve every last drop of their newfound national esteem.
The charge against the men’s team seems to be fourfold. First, that, having won the gold, its members declined to address the “tide of fascism in the United States” and instead said gauche hyper-nationalistic things, such as, “This is all about our country right now,” “I love the USA,” “I’m so proud to be American today,” “This is for every American,” “It’s the greatest country in the world,” and “Everyone better be wearing the red, white, and blue for as long as they can.” Second, that during a post-game phone call with a rollicking President Trump, the players didn’t band together on the spot to push back against his supposedly sexist jokes — or apologize later for their complicity. Third, that the team subsequently agreed to go to the White House to celebrate their victory — and, even worse, that it seems excited by that prospect. Fourth, that the FBI director, Kash Patel, went over to Italy to watch the game and then chugged beer with the team in the locker room. Together, the sporting press is keen to inform us that these decisions have “sullied” the USA’s victory and ruined the reputations of its architects for all time.
What nonsense this all is. What narrow, monomaniacal, outlandish, freakish guff. I had a low opinion of sports writers before the last 48 hours, but good grief, do I now want to throw the entire corps into a lake. The USA men’s team wins the gold for the first time in 46 years, and the news cycle following that achievement is stocked with fringe, politicized crap. I am reminded in this moment of Margaret Thatcher, berating the press after the recapture of South Georgia during the Falklands War. “Just rejoice at that news,” Thatcher said, “and congratulate our forces and the Marines.” Amen, Maggie. Just rejoice and congratulate our team. I promise you’ll live through the ordeal. Not everything has to be a campus psychodrama. Not all stories need to “surface the nuances of” this or that. Not every incident that tangentially involves Donald Trump requires his elevation to the star of the tale. It’s okay to be happy that the United States won something, without finding 100 other reasons to be sad, angry, indignant, or confused. There really is no need to stretch to canonize a woman who represents another country when we have our own heroes before our very eyes. Rejoice!
Journalists are not politicians, and there is no need for them to be perfectly representative of the nation. But it might be a good thing for our culture if they weren’t all massive weirdos. If you were to stop 100 people on the street at random and ask them about the USA’s victory on Sunday, how many do you think would fixate on the supposed jingoism of the team, or on President Trump’s phone call and White House invitation, or on Kash bloody Patel? Two? If that? Meanwhile, the other 98 would be busy talking about where they were when it happened, reflecting on whether they thought we were going to pull it out, and meditating upon that glorious moment — played over and over and over in the days since — when Jack Hughes smashed the puck into the back of the goal, and Kenny Albert shouted “Jack Hughes wins it, the golden goal for the United States, for the first time since the 1980 miracle!,” and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Free Bird started up, and the boys in the band sat drinking beers during the press conference and talking about the thing that had everyone except the pencil pushers watching in the first place: hockey.
Charles C. W. Cooke is a senior editor at National Review and the host of The Charles C. W. Cooke Podcast.
Reprinted with Permission from The National Review – By Charles C. W. Cooke
The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of AMAC or AMAC Action.
To rejoice and congratulate would require a maturity and mental capacity to see beyond the ones nose. They ,the media are not strong individuals, mob mentality can only produce what they produce, garbage not fit for consumption. If only there were a wizard to give them brain and courage.
Some “journalists” are jerks just like Democrats are jerks. Why pay any attention to them?!
Anybody with a phone can be called a journalist. The reaction of so called “journalists” who trashed the men’s hockey team makes it clear which ones hate the U.S. The hockey team was just their whipping boy of the day.
Couldn’t agree more. In the case of Eileen Gnu skiing for China, my thoughts are even less charitable than yours. Since I don’t believe we accept joint citizenship with the People’s Republic of China, I would suggest her role as a mercenary competing for China is tantamount to renouncing her US citizenship.
Well said Mr. Cooke. Bravo!
I group the sports writers along with the sports commentators,(NFL, NBA, etc), as celebrity wannabes trying to influence the audience. Bottom line, who cares what they write or say, we can decide for ourselves.
It was good and uplifting to see how happy those boys on the hockey team were. They worked hard for their victory. As for Kash Patel, he didn’t go just for the hockey game, he had other US business. It was good to see him celebrating also. Liberal doom and gloom gets old.
Most of the sports world, has caved to and been taken over by radical left-wing anti-America scum. NFL commissioner Goodell is a prime example of being spineless and a big supporter of kneeling during the National Anthem, encouraging America and cop-hating and vile halftime shows, etc. Cowardly coaches allow over paid crybabies to kneel during the NA.
And now several ungrateful Olympic athletes born, raised and trained in the US, denounce the US and give their gold medal and alligence to America’s evil enemy, the CCP. Or they spew their despicable treasonous remarks and hatred for their own country, America.
Their medals should be rendered null and void and revoked, along with their US citizenship.
Great article and observations. I believe a lot of “journalists” are demonrat jerks to start with otherwise they would make kind reports on the wins and teams. Keep politics out of it!! The demonrats lost the Presidency and hopefully they don’t get back in for years to come. The country went to heck with “dementia Joe”!
WHAT?!? Trump and MAGA are the greatest things that have happened to USA in AT LEAST the last 50 years!! This hockey team realizes this and revels in their wonderful contribution!
The way the radical liberals in the media constantly put down anything good and right with our country is disgusting. The Democrats at last night’s uplifting speech by our president were unbelievably childish and acted like a bunch of 3 year old children that were made to sit in a corner for “time out”. Then the ridiculous media dressed in animal costumes and sang rude songs about Trump. These people are mentally ill and the ALL need to be locked up for being traitors and attempting to overthrow our government. I hope all of the people who voted these idiot legislatures to the Democrat side of DC are disgusted. They were elected to represent them in Congress and instead, they were an embarrassment to our country!!
Perhaps these Sports “Writers” need to move to Canada and put out their own magazine. Call it Sports Desecrated!
Great article, which illustrates the greatness of America at the same time contrasting just how DISCUSTING the press really is.
…. And we expect more from journalistic ‘talent?’ I am a word man, I love the written word, I write daily … someday perhaps even publishing one of my many books … and journalism was one direction, I might have taken as a career. But I saw the signs … moral decay, the headlines becoming opinion pieces instead of factual coverage. And it got worse. The real reason that newspapers are mostly dead?
Don’t blame it wholly on the internet. Internet news is as grey area as everything on the net. The real reason newspapers have for the most part faded away, is no one wants to pay for ‘journalist opinions’. IF, and I repeat IF, I want an idiots opinion, I am surely not going to pay a weekly subscription for it. I am not likely influenced by their leftist college rhetoric, like I am not swayed by some rich actor (whose job skills are pretending) on how to live my life … sorry but not sorry.
Pen drop!
I have a question, are all the players pros or amateurs And is every member an American citizen or are some from other countries? It was heartwarming to hear them sing along with national anthem & express gratitude to USA. They won the gold and that is a great feat!
Thank you. Well said!
These “sports writers” are just Democrat MSM supporters, who would rather support the liberal Trump Haters than give the praise to American Athletes. Both the male and female athletes that competed in the olympics deserve that Praise.
The mens and women’s Hockey teams who won Gold Medals for their talent, efforts and expertise are to be praised and thanked for their Olympic accomplishments.
Pay no attention to the talking heads who merely parrot the phrase of the day.
“journalist”, on paper only. “Reporters”? maybe.