In the article “Sport and the American Dream,” the author highlights how the sports Americans engage in and follow reflect the character of our nation. The transition from baseball to football indicates a growing inclination towards violence. The author’s analogy between sports and war effectively reveals the evolving nature of America over time, shifting from baseball as its predominant pastime to a football-centric culture.
When baseball was the dominant sport in America, people were happier and less concerned about wars or violence. Their main focus was enjoying the games with friends or family at the ballpark, regardless of the sport’s slower pace and lower competitiveness. However, football has now become our nation’s favorite sport, known for its aggressive nature. It promotes competitiveness through activities like fantasy football for people of all ages and betting on various aspects of the game, such as the coin toss, first play, or first commercial.
The competitiveness of football increases due to having only 16 games, contrasting with baseball’s 162 games. This sport, reminiscent of war, reflects America’s active and aggressive nature. Jeffrey Shrank, a teacher and freelance writer from Milwaukee, captured this sentiment in his novels during the sass-sass period. Shrank’s short story exemplifies how America has evolved into an irate and combative nation. This narrative was written during significant historical moments such as the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Bay of Pigs invasion, the Stonewall riots in New York City, and the Cuban missile crisis, among other harrowing times.
This piece was most likely inspired by the comedian George Carlton’s stand up discussion on the impact of wars on American culture. Carlton expressed his thoughts on the debate between football and baseball. He stated, “Baseball is played in a park and football is played on a gridiron stadium, sometimes referred to as soldier field or war memorial field.” Carlton also highlighted the different focuses in each sport, saying, “In baseball, people care about the ups, like who’s up?! I’m up! In football, the emphasis is on downs, like what down is it!?”
The text mentions various football terms, such as blitzing, clipping, hitting, blocking, unnecessary roughness, spearing, late hitting, horse collars, and personal fouls. On the other hand, baseball has terms like the sacrifice bunt or a sacrifice fly. Football can be played in various weather conditions like snow or sleet, while baseball players retreat indoors if it starts raining. This aligns with Shank’s perspective in his short story, suggesting that football is a tough, aggressive, and serious sport, whereas baseball is seen as a sport for easygoing old-timers who dwell in the past and do not appreciate violent actions.
According to Carlton, youth, the CB is likened to a field general who orchestrates an aerial assault over the defense, accurately hitting his receivers with deadly precision. Despite facing challenges, including the use of a shotgun for short bullet passes and long bombs, the CB leads his team into enemy territory, incorporating a ground attack that disrupts the defensive line. Comparing this to baseball, where the objective is to return home safely, Shrank argues that football should be our national pastime due to its reflection of American character. He highlights the sport’s aggressive and dirty nature, which mirrors our wartime mentality. In contrast to the carefree atmosphere of baseball games, football instills a win-or-go-home mentality, akin to that of an army. (Carlton, youth. Mom, 6/25/08)
In their argument, the author acknowledges a flaw when they state that baseball symbolizes an era of capitalism characterized by robber barons, while football represents the more developed capitalism of our present nation. Nevertheless, the author does not offer additional evidence or clarification to support this assertion. Rather, they explore Japan’s shift from being primarily focused on baseball to potentially embracing football, mirroring America’s experience. It is important to note that this passage was written more than 40 years ago and Japan has not fully embraced football as its favored sport.
The author contends that baseball is a game associated with a calmer period, when less action was necessary to captivate interest and attending games offered an enjoyable experience. During this era, finesse overshadowed aggression. The author validly points out that in previous times, society was more peaceful and tranquil, without modern distractions like computers and cell phones. Watching baseball truly exhilarated spectators because they had unobstructed views of the players and even had opportunities to acquire foul balls or souvenirs from the ball boy during intermissions. Nevertheless, the utmost delight derived from this leisure activity stemmed from being able to relish it with loved ones while indulging in endless popcorn and Cracker Jacks.
In this society, every play or tackle in football is fast-paced and involves all 22 players on the field. Each player serves a purpose on every down, whether it’s a long throw, a blitz, a kickoff, or a touchdown. On average, there are about 2 home runs scored per game in football, each worth 2 points, and approximately seven touchdowns per game, totaling 42 points before extra points are considered. On the other hand, baseball is suitable for laid-back individuals as there are no time restrictions. Games can extend for as long as necessary, and teams can enter into as many extra innings as desired.
The game of football is divided into 1 5-minute quarters and allows only 1 5-minute overtime. The game concludes with a win, loss, or tie. In his penultimate paragraph, Shrank digresses from his comparison between baseball and football to discuss the skillful pursuit of golf, which is unrelated. It is illogical to abruptly change topics within one piece of writing. He also notes in that paragraph that golf symbolizes the battle between nature and humans; however, it is played on man-made golf courses.
The grass is typically imported from foreign countries, and there are unpredictable canals and streams that traverse the land; the courses constantly change, unlike nature. Consequently, he lacked knowledge and made a significant fallacy. One final positive aspect I noticed in this short story is that the invention of a crucial electronic device, the television, contributes to the current popularity of football. Football is a sport played during the coldest seasons of the year, specifically autumn and winter; now individuals can enjoy watching it from the convenience of their own homes.
Baseball on television resembles a casual game of catch between two individuals using a small ball, while football depicts a spectacle of 22 robust athletes engaging in collaborative combat, each fulfilling their distinct roles. Presented on a wide screen, football offers uninterrupted action with minimal advertising interruptions, whereas baseball is characterized by its unhurried pace and frequent lulls in activity. Football surpasses baseball due to its ability to captivate viewers who find it difficult to patiently await each pitch, preferring constant visual stimuli to accommodate their attention deficit disorder.
