12/21/24
October 06, 2010
Drill and Kill: How Americans Link War and Sports. Sports and war have been closely linked in the minds of Americans for generations, which many Europeans find unusual.
And certain English "news" papers are happy to link sport and war every time England play Germany at anything.
posted by Mr Bismarck at 11:41 AM on October 06, 2010
I will admit that if someone says "Penn State - Alabama", the first thought that often crosses my mind is Gettysburg.
I think it has been written somewhere that in the imagination of some folks in the South, the continuum of history stops abruptly and is suspended at the beginning of Pickett's Charge, and only commences again as they watch their favorite football team take up positions along the line of scrimmage.
posted by beaverboard at 01:26 PM on October 06, 2010
I will admit that if someone says "Penn State - Alabama", the first thought that often crosses my mind is Gettysburg.
Maine vs Alabama would be more appropriate, as it was the 20th Maine that stopped (an admittedly exhausted) 15th Alabama on Little Round Top late in the afternoon of the 2nd day at Gettysburg.
Of course, Penn State has a bit better chance against Alabama than the Maine Black Bears.
To take the metaphor a bit further, blame the loss at Gettysburg on poor coaching. The head coach (Lee) wouldn't listen to his offensive coordinator (Longstreet) and insisted on an off tackle play instead of the end around Longstreet preferred.
On edit: Battle requires near-flawless teamwork and coordination between small units, between larger units, and between the various elements involved (land, sea, air). The picture of USS Nimitz (CVN-68) accompanying the article is appropriate as an illustration of teamwork. If you've never watched a flight deck during launch and recovery cycles, you have no idea of how many people, each doing a different job, are involved. The result of a missed assignment is often serious injury or death--a lot worse than a torn ACL in the football game.
posted by Howard_T at 03:20 PM on October 06, 2010
I am somewhat taking aback by the tie-in. Doesn't always happen, but on occasion watching a football game is like watching a Riefenstahl film for the first ten minutes. If you're a bit removed from it, it is pretty astounding.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 03:29 PM on October 06, 2010
I've been struggling to find the quote I read once by Marv Levy. While he was famous for using historic battles as inspirational stories before the Bills took the field, he was also clear to state that, "Football is not war."
posted by Spitztengle at 05:20 PM on October 06, 2010
I think it has been written somewhere that in the imagination of some folks in the South, the continuum of history stops abruptly and is suspended at the beginning of Pickett's Charge
For every Southern boy fourteen years old, not once but whenever he wants it, there is the instant when it's still not yet two o'clock on that July afternoon in 1863, the brigades are in position behind the rail fence, the guns are laid and ready in the woods and the furled flags are already loosened to break out and Pickett himself with his long oiled ringlets and his hat in one hand probably and his sword in the other looking up the hill waiting for Longstreet to give the word and it's all in the balance, it hasn't happened yet, it hasn't even begun yet, it not only hasn't begun yet but there is still time for it not to begin against that position and those circumstances which made more men than Garnett and Kemper and Armistead and Wilcox look grave yet it's going to begin, we all know that, we have come too far with too much at stake and that moment doesn't need even a fourteen-year-old boy to think This time. Maybe this time with all this much to lose than all this much to gain: Pennsylvania, Maryland, the world, the golden dome of Washington itself to crown with desperate and unbelievable victory the desperate gamble, the cast made two years ago.William Faulkner
I've been struggling to find the quote I read once by Marv Levy. While he was famous for using historic battles as inspirational stories before the Bills took the field, he was also clear to state that, "Football is not war."
I checked back in history and interviewed a bunch of guys who landed on the beaches of Iwo Jima and Normandy. And when they went in, they were all yelling, 'This is football!'Marv Levy
posted by kirkaracha at 10:02 AM on October 07, 2010
I'll just jump in here first and say I don't find the article's thesis particularly compelling. While American Football is perhaps the most martial major sport in the world, as far as back as the early 19th century the claim was made that "The Battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton" (even though the origin of the saying may be apocryphal, the wide circulation of the aphorism speaks its own truth).