# The fetishfication of the military in sporting events **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 26, 2015, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fetishfication-of-the-military-in-sporting-events/720834 "2015-05-26T00:20:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2015, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fetishfication-of-the-military-in-sporting-events/720834/1 "2015-05-26T00:20:13Z")
1. Would this have happened without 9/11? And 1. I find it kind of…odd…that this would happen after questionable affairs such as Afghanistan and Iraq, but after ‘the good war’ it didn’t happen. ---
**Author:** ![bobkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c67d28/32.png) [@bobkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobkitty)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2015, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fetishfication-of-the-military-in-sporting-events/720834/2 "2015-05-26T00:28:33Z")
Does it make you feel better or worse that the majority of the sports teams were [paid by the military](http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2015/05/11/military-sports-leagues-paid-tributes-marketing-promotional-relationships-questioned/27144571/) for those service member appearances? ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2015, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fetishfication-of-the-military-in-sporting-events/720834/3 "2015-05-26T01:30:59Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > 1. Would this have happened without 9/11? > > And > > 1. I find it kind of…odd…that this would happen after questionable affairs such as Afghanistan and Iraq, but after ‘the good war’ it didn’t happen. 1. Didn’t it happen before? Maybe not as much but the US has had a military fetish for as long as I can remember. 2. That is odd. Honestly, I don’t know the last war the US fought in self defense aside from the war on Al Qaeda. Every other war has been for political agendas, economics, proxy wars, etc. I’m surprised we didn’t worship the military after WW2. Maybe on some level it is a desire to avoid what people feel we did to Vietnam veterans (treat them badly). ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2015, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fetishfication-of-the-military-in-sporting-events/720834/4 "2015-05-26T02:55:34Z")
> [@bobkitty](#): > > Does it make you feel better or worse that the majority of the sports teams were [paid by the military](http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2015/05/11/military-sports-leagues-paid-tributes-marketing-promotional-relationships-questioned/27144571/) for those service member appearances? “We’re not honoring the troops. We’re doing brand marketing.” ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2015, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fetishfication-of-the-military-in-sporting-events/720834/5 "2015-05-26T04:49:23Z")
Since the beginning of time sports have always been nothing more than ‘play’ military action, so the two are intrinsically hard-wire linked in your brain. Men’s brains anyway… ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2015, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fetishfication-of-the-military-in-sporting-events/720834/6 "2015-05-26T06:56:09Z")
One reason the military wasn’t worshiped as much during and after WWII is that there was a universal draft. Most young men were in the military, and almost every family had someone in the military. Today’s military is all-volunteer - the proportion of the population that’s in it is much smaller, and they’re self-selected. This leads to a feeling by many who aren’t in the armed services that they owe something to those who are - that the military is a special set of people who risk their lives for those of us who don’t. When military service was more universal, people were less inclined to see the military as a separate, special group of people. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2015, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fetishfication-of-the-military-in-sporting-events/720834/7 "2015-05-26T06:59:58Z")
Well, the famous Football and Baseball routine by George Carlin originated in the 1980’s: [http://www.baseball-almanac.com/humor7.shtml](http://www.baseball-almanac.com/humor7.shtml) > [@](#): > > And finally, the objectives of the two games are completely different: > > In football the object is for the quarterback, also known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defence by hitting his receivers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use a shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy’s defensive line. Of course, as **bobkitty** pointed out there seems to be a reason for seeing more military references in the stadiums and arenas nowadays. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2015, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fetishfication-of-the-military-in-sporting-events/720834/8 "2015-05-26T12:07:49Z")
It wasn’t always this way. When I was growing up, Memorial Day was just another holiday and it meant school was almost over. Sure, there were more flags than usual. But the MLB teams didn’t wear camo-themed uniforms and there wasn’t all this public competition about who could verbally fellate the troops the most. You want to honor the war dead? Stop making more of them. Stop with the glorification of war and the worship of warriors. Nowadays it’s non-stop adoration worthy of the Hitler Youth. It’s Armed Forces Day! Oooh, the troops! It’s Memorial Day! Oooh, the troops! It’s Independence Day! Oooh, the troops! It’s Veterans Day! Oooh, the troops! Enough! What’s next, thanking the troops for Christmas? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2015, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fetishfication-of-the-military-in-sporting-events/720834/9 "2015-05-26T13:33:04Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > What’s next, thanking the troops for Christmas? Already done: [Home - Toys for Tots](http://www.toysfortots.org/default.aspx) Seriously, Jeff Litchman in his post above comes the closest, IMHO. Until the start of an all-volunteer “professional” Army post-Vietnam, America has had a interesting relationship with it’s men in uniform (I mean no insult to the millions of women who have and are serving, but the majority of the fighting and dying to date has been male). During the war we raise the troops, send them off to smite the foe, and once the fighting is done we got them out of uniform as quickly as possible as let them go back to doing what they had been doing before the war came. The story of Cincinnattus has always been strong in this country. Even after WWII, we tried our best to demobilize quickly, until the Iron Curtain, Berlin and Korea demonstrated that we (instead of Great Britian) were now the superpower and needed to act the role. And I also think (again, IMHO) that a lot of the people who decide these things are, like me, in their 50-60’s and grew up in the shadow of Vietnam, where the military was often reviled and often caught between competing political feuds. To some extent, I think the military displays now are a ‘makeup’ for that. I think it began with president Reagan and has simply become part of the tradition. And the mliitary, knowing it must recruit, is quite happy to see the tradition continue. IMHO as always. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2015, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fetishfication-of-the-military-in-sporting-events/720834/10 "2015-05-26T13:58:36Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > What’s next, thanking the troops for Christmas? Haven’t you been listening to Fox News the last decade? There’s a war on Christmas, man! Get with the program! ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2015, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fetishfication-of-the-military-in-sporting-events/720834/11 "2015-05-26T14:03:01Z")
Actually, we can thank the troops for Easter. Only it was the Roman troops, and really we can thank them only for Good Friday. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2015, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fetishfication-of-the-military-in-sporting-events/720834/12 "2015-05-26T14:11:51Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > It wasn’t always this way. When I was growing up, Memorial Day was just another holiday and it meant school was almost over. Sure, there were more flags than usual. But the MLB teams didn’t wear camo-themed uniforms and there wasn’t all this public competition about who could verbally fellate the troops the most. You want to honor the war dead? Stop making more of them. Stop with the glorification of war and the worship of warriors. Nowadays it’s non-stop adoration worthy of the Hitler Youth. It’s Armed Forces Day! Oooh, the troops! It’s Memorial Day! Oooh, the troops! It’s Independence Day! Oooh, the troops! It’s Veterans Day! Oooh, the troops! Enough! What’s next, thanking the troops for Christmas? yeah, but back then teams didn’t wear pink shoes either. ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2015, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fetishfication-of-the-military-in-sporting-events/720834/13 "2015-05-26T16:05:58Z")
Sometimes if you watch a military commercial a football game will break out. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2015, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fetishfication-of-the-military-in-sporting-events/720834/14 "2015-05-26T17:53:54Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Actually, we can thank the troops for Easter. Only it was the Roman troops, and really we can thank them only for Good Friday. That’s cold, man. Accurate, mind you, but Cold…:p:cool: ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2015, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fetishfication-of-the-military-in-sporting-events/720834/15 "2015-05-26T19:11:49Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > It wasn’t always this way. When I was growing up, Memorial Day was just another holiday and it meant school was almost over. Sure, there were more flags than usual. But the MLB teams didn’t wear camo-themed uniforms and there wasn’t all this public competition about who could verbally fellate the troops the most. You want to honor the war dead? Stop making more of them. Stop with the glorification of war and the worship of warriors. Nowadays it’s non-stop adoration worthy of the Hitler Youth. It’s Armed Forces Day! Oooh, the troops! It’s Memorial Day! Oooh, the troops! It’s Independence Day! Oooh, the troops! It’s Veterans Day! Oooh, the troops! Enough! What’s next, thanking the troops for Christmas? If you want us to get off your lawn, just say so! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2015, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fetishfication-of-the-military-in-sporting-events/720834/16 "2015-05-26T19:15:54Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > If you want us to get off your lawn, just say so! 😉 Off of my lawn! Whippersnapper. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2015, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fetishfication-of-the-military-in-sporting-events/720834/17 "2015-05-26T21:29:51Z")
This stuff absolutely did ramp up post-9/11, yeah. All the long explanation aside, it absolutely went nuts after that. There was a lot of it before, but not like this. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fetishfication-of-the-military-in-sporting-events/720834/18 "2015-05-27T05:09:46Z")
I agree that sometimes all the hype over veterans and people in the military can be excessive. Frankly when its overdone it loses its effectiveness and meaning. Also they ought to honor other people like teachers, doctors, police, heck what about the people who pick up the trash and make sure that when you turn on the faucet clean water comes out. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fetishfication-of-the-military-in-sporting-events/720834/19 "2015-05-27T15:48:59Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > I agree that sometimes all the hype over veterans and people in the military can be excessive. Frankly when its overdone it loses its effectiveness and meaning. > > Also they ought to honor other people like teachers, doctors, police, heck what about the people who pick up the trash and make sure that when you turn on the faucet clean water comes out. Emmm, don’t wanna start a GD, but no. Yes, there are a lot of people with important jobs, but serving your country in military combat is in a class all by itself (and _above_ the others). I see nothing wrong with MLB taking five minutes during the seventh inning stretch to thank some actual veterans live. Certainly better than that stupid _“peanuts & crackerjack”_ song! And while I have no problem with kids idolizing athletes, it’s good to remind everyone that they’re in fact, being paid millions of dollars to play silly children’s games. I don’t even see it as ‘fetishification’ at all, merely respect. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fetishfication-of-the-military-in-sporting-events/720834/20 "2015-05-27T16:01:09Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > but serving your country in military combat is in a class all by itself (and _above_ the others). Why? And please, please, PLEASE, don’t try and argue that “they are keeping us safe”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fetishfication-of-the-military-in-sporting-events/720834.md?page=2)