One of my favorite viral moments ever is when British comedian Ricky Gervais went absolutely nuclear on fellow Hollywood elites during his 2020 Golden Globes monologue. In case you forgot, here’s the best snippet:
If you do win an award tonight, don’t use it as a platform to make a political speech. You’re in no position to lecture the public about anything. You know nothing about the real world. Most of you spent less time in school than Greta Thunberg. So if you win, come up, accept your little award, thank your agent, and your god and fuck off, OK?
This is how I feel about not only Hollywood celebrities but athletes, as well, particularly athletes representing the USA at the Olympics. No matter what you think about your country, the latest political issue du jour, or Donald Trump, just keep it to yourself. Protest all you want when you return to the States – it’s your inalienable right – but when you are at the Olympics abroad, you are there to compete for your country, not to bash it, pontificate, or virtue signal for the international press.
Just as it was incredibly refreshing to hear a Hollywood celebrity like Gervais go nuclear on his own kind, it was incredibly refreshing when a young American athlete, hockey player Jack Hughes, expressed unabashed patriotism after he scored the game-winning overtime goal to win gold Sunday.
“It’s all about our country right now. I love the USA, I love my teammates — it’s unbelievable. The USA hockey brotherhood is so strong, and we had so much support — I’m so proud to be American today,” Hughes said in a post-game interview.
What an iconic quote. The perfect quote. And the perfect attitude. Because this is what it’s all about. The stars and stripes. The pride. The hockey brotherhood, a brotherhood glued together by a love of the sport and a love of country. This is why we have the Olympics. These are the moments we dream of as young athletes. Representing your country. Winning gold at the Olympics. Winning with your brother, to boot.
We’re proud of you, toothless Jack, for not only winning our first hockey gold since the “Miracle on Ice” in 1980. We’re proud of you for loving your country. For being a patriot. For capping off a brave, gritty performance with an even better quote – a quote for the ages.
I am proud to be American because of Americans like Jack.
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