Friday’s excursion to Nationals Park was a unique experience. I enjoyed the atmosphere of a modern stadium and the spectacle that is a Washington National’s game; but I couldn’t help but notice the pro-government environment at the stadium. Red, white, and blue banners hung from every section of seats while the flag billowed in all its digital glory from the numerous screens around the stadium. We happened to be at the veteran’s appreciation game and every fan who funneled through the main gate received a camouflage bucket hat with the National’s logo emblazoned on the front. This was just the beginning of a night that featured the songs of all branches of service and an extremely patriotic environment.
A naval officer sang the national anthem and the game began, but baseball seemed secondary in my mind as I was blown away by the graphics and noises of the game. The Nationals and the Padres both succeeded in scoring several runs, while the announcer added to the carnival atmosphere by pronouncing Christian Guzman’s name in a wide variety of over-dramatic ways that reminded me vaguely of the announcing at a boxing match. I enjoyed this surreal environment and felt that I was experiencing something that for so many people is a major aspect of their American sense of identity.
I was impressed by how well the Nationals marketed the vendors within the stadium. By combining local fixtures such as Ben’s Chili Bowl with the nationally recognized brands such as Dippin’ Dots and international icons such as Sony Playstation, the Nationals create an ambiance that a Washington native can be proud of and where a tourist has a feeling of familiarity. I personally feel that few things are as American as this shameless display of capitalism. Sponsorships lined the stadium and I left the game feeling the same patriotic feeling that undoubtedly was shared amongst many of the spectators.
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2 comments:
I felt the same feelings as you... up to a certain point, and then those feelings disappeared. As i say in my own blog post, I think that although i definitely did feel that sense of nationality - it was only super strong and evident during the pregame, sliiiightly alive during the actual game, but had absolutely vanished by the time i left the stadium. I do agree that the hats, the dippin dots, the red white and blue... that all of that really succeeded in putting me in the right frame of mind - but that frame of mind was not accurate or realistic.
Patriotism was secondary to the common identity shared between fans, for details, read my response to your post, as a diehard Rangers fan, I consider it as much a part of my identity as my brown hair and green eyes. The ability to have a group of people share the same feelings due to the same moment I find very powerful.
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