broadcaster Michael Kay appeared to take issue with “wrapping sports in the flag” as Team USA stars preached patriotism during the World Baseball Classic this month.
Paul Skenes, and Aaron Judge were among the players who discussed what it meant to wear the USA on their chest. Team USA manager Mark DeRosa even brought in Robert J. ONeill, the man credited with killing terrorist Usama bin Laden, into the locker room to speak to the players before their game against Canada in the quarterfinal.
Kay said those types of things made him a “little uneasy.”
“The thing that makes me a little uneasy ⦠I dont like wrapping sports in the flag and preaching patriotism and bringing in SEAL Team 6 people. The only uniform that counts to me is the one thats worn by the men and women of our military,” he said Wednesday on ESPN New York radio. “They decide wins and losses. You dont represent me because you have USA on the chest. I dont believe it.”
Sports columnist Mike Lupica, who was on with Kay, said bringing in a member of SEAL Team 6 was a “little dodgy” to him and added that anytime politics is brought in sports it opens up a “rabbit hole we dont want to head down.”
DeRosa explained earlier in the week .
“That was my decision to bring him in,” DeRosa said, via Defector. “He was brought in, actually, a couple of days in Houston. It wasnt before the Canada game. I think for me there has to be ⦠you never want it to get lost why youre doing this. Whatever that why is and a lot of people, like Paul Skenes said to me when he signed up for this, I want to do this for every service man and woman that protects our freedom. Thats why we wear USA across our chest.
“I just thought it would be like a time to kind of redirect and get those guys to understand that, although this is an unbelievable event, and you get a chance to share a locker room with the games greats, theres a reason why youre doing it and a reason why people protect our freedom at night. I just wanted to honor that.”
Kay made similar comments about the hype of players representing their country with fervent patriotism and making it more than it is. He said that he didnt believe that “international competition is a referendum on my country.”
“There are people that represent the United States that really represent the United States, and you know who those people are? The men and women of the military,” he said, via Awful Announcing. “Thats what it all comes down to. They decide the greatness of this country. Their sheer bravery, how they fight for freedom and throw their lives on the line â that is significant to me. The United States winning the gold medal against Canada Wonderful. Thrilled for them. Not a referendum on my country, its just not.
“But somehow, weve turned this into, my country is better than your country â stop it. Come on. Arent we getting a little bit nonsensical with this jingoistic stuff? ⦠Im glad that everybodys brought in. Mark DeRosa brought in one of the Navy SEAL guys that was part of the group that killed Usama bin Laden. OK, whatever gets the people motivated ⦠but to equate a baseball game to that, I dont know.”
