The first chapters provide a summary of the game’s history, its development into a professional sport and a brief introduction to how it is played. Those are followed by a condensed, but nevertheless meaningful chapter about how American Football rose above Baseball as America’s number one sport. The structure of the subsequent chapters is as follows: Firstly, they introduce the reader to the long tradition of the Army versus Navy game, followed by an elaboration on the vocabulary and terminology used to talk about American Football. Secondly, the Super Bowl’s pregame show, its development, its impact on national symbols and the nation will be discussed. Finally, the paper illustrates the game’s cultural impact by means of a significant example and it provides the reader a critical analysis of its further development.
“The truth is the Super Bowl long ago became more than just a football game. It's part of our culture, like turkey at Thanksgiving and lights at Christmas, and like those holidays - beyond their meaning - a factor in our economy.” stated Bob Schieffer, news anchor and journalist, on Super Bowl Sunday 2010.
Indeed, the Super Bowl is nowadays much more than just the championship game of the National Football league. It has become a “major religious festival for American culture, for the event signals a convergence of sports, politics, and myth” (Price quoted in Dougherty).
To me, the most striking feature of the Super Bowl has always been the ubiquitous presence of all the service men and women. They regularly framed the field and the actor who performed the Star-Spangled Banner and were accompanied by a fighter jet flyover once the anthem was sung. I always had the feeling that the military acted as the co-host of the event and that the Super Bowl was, figuratively spoken, under its protection. Those observations altered my view of the game and led me during my extensive research, resulting in the insight that American Football and the military share a rich heritage. In this paper, I will show the reader that the military presence during football games is far from being coincidental and how warlike the game really is.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- History of the Game – The early beginnings
- The birth of professional football
- How the game is played
- How football became America's number one sport
- Football and the military – an everlasting romance
- Football and warspeak
- The Super Bowl and the development of its pregame show
- The burst of patriotism in Super Bowl XXV
- Super Bowl XXXVI
- The Star-Spangled Banner
- Football and the Nation
- The case of Pat Tillman
- Now, Are you ready for some Football!?
- The dangers of the war-football-continuum
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
The main objective of this paper is to explore the relationship between American football and the military, arguing that the military presence during football games is not coincidental but rather reflects the warlike nature of the game itself. The paper aims to show how the Super Bowl, in particular, has become instrumentalized to promote war and patriotism.
- The historical development of American football and its evolution into a professional sport.
- The influence of the military on American football, including the long tradition of the Army vs. Navy game and the use of military imagery and language.
- The Super Bowl as a cultural phenomenon and its role in promoting national unity and patriotism.
- The use of war-related imagery and language in American football and its potential impact on the perception of war and violence.
- The dangers of the "war-football-continuum" and its potential to desensitize viewers to the realities of war.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: This chapter introduces the Super Bowl as a cultural phenomenon that has become more than just a football game. It highlights the ubiquitous presence of the military during the event and sets the stage for exploring the relationship between American football and the military.
- History of the Game - The early beginnings: This chapter traces the origins of American football back to the regular game of soccer, highlighting its early development and the evolution of its rules and regulations. It also discusses the safety concerns that plagued the sport in its early days.
- The birth of professional football: This chapter explores the transition of American football from a college sport to a professional one. It highlights the early amateur teams and the eventual emergence of paid players.
- How the game is played: This chapter provides a brief overview of the rules and gameplay of American football, focusing on key aspects of the game.
- How football became America's number one sport: This chapter examines the factors that contributed to American football's rise above baseball as America's most popular sport.
- Football and the military – an everlasting romance: This chapter explores the long-standing connection between American football and the military, discussing the historical significance of the Army vs. Navy game and the impact of the military on the sport.
- The Super Bowl and the development of its pregame show: This chapter analyzes the evolution of the Super Bowl pregame show, its impact on national symbols, and its role in promoting patriotism.
- The burst of patriotism in Super Bowl XXV: This chapter examines the specific case of Super Bowl XXV and the heightened sense of patriotism that accompanied the event, exploring its significance within the context of the ongoing Gulf War.
- Super Bowl XXXVI: This chapter examines the Super Bowl XXXVI, exploring its significance within the context of the events of September 11, 2001, and the impact on the national narrative.
- The Star-Spangled Banner: This chapter explores the significance of the national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner," in the context of the Super Bowl and its connection to the promotion of national unity and patriotism.
- Football and the Nation: This chapter examines the role of American football in shaping national identity and promoting a sense of unity among citizens.
- The case of Pat Tillman: This chapter explores the case of Pat Tillman, a professional football player who left his career to join the military, providing a unique perspective on the connection between sports and the military.
- Now, Are you ready for some Football!? This chapter examines the popularization of football as a form of entertainment, exploring its cultural impact and its role in shaping popular culture.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The key themes and concepts explored in this paper include American football, the military, patriotism, war, the Super Bowl, national unity, cultural significance, warspeak, and the relationship between sports and violence.
- Quote paper
- Björn Nicklausson (Author), 2016, The Super Bowl. America's Game and its instrumentalization to promote war?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/352746
