Commentary: Championship moments reflect a valuable rare unity that’s fleeting once partisanship takes hold

Commentary: Championship moments reflect a valuable rare unity that’s fleeting once partisanship takes hold

The magnificence of the championship moments themselves come from one fundamental denominator: That athletes put everything on the line in their sport to represent this country and/or this region. And most of us cheered for them because they had won for all of us, as a people.

 Over the past two weeks, local sports fans have experienced some of the highest of highs watching the Seahawks win the Super Bowl, celebrating in a downtown parade, and then savoring a number of historic Olympic moments, culminating this morning with the dramatic overtime win by the United States over Canada in the gold medal game in men’s hockey.

               But there’s a reason these moments mean so much to me, more than just the incredible feats themselves: Because these moments themselves are when we’re the most unified as a society - untarnished by politics, disagreement or strife. 

               It was horribly disappointing to see the fractures that arose this week from fake reports that went viral about the Seahawks declining a White House visit – first, because there was never an invitation to begin with nor has the team indicated whether it would accept or decline; but also because of the political posturing within a fan base that had just days earlier celebrated in harmony during the parade.

               And we’ve seen similar fracturing in the aftermath of some of the most notable moments at the Olympics this week, from Alysa Liu becoming the first American woman to win figure skating gold in 24 years, to the women’s hockey team winning gold to the men doing the same earlier today.

               Because inevitably it comes to light that this athlete is too woke or that athlete leans too far right, or they once said this or did that, or their religion is this or their sexuality is that… and it gives way to fractured, dangerous and disappointing dialogue among fans that, minutes or hours or days earlier, had been so universal in their acceptance and appreciation for the remarkable accomplishment of that same individual or team. 

               And that celebration came from one fundamental denominator: That they were American and putting everything on the line in their sport to represent this country. And when they were successful, most of us cheered for them because they had won for this country – for all of us, as a people. 

               It’s what the Seahawks did for Seattle two weeks ago. They won for you and me and for everyone in this region, appropriately blind to political leanings, societal standing, religion, sexuality or way of life. That Lombardi Trophy was and is all of ours to revere, which made the night they won it at Levi’s Stadium and the day they triumphantly posed with it down Fourth Avenue the very best moments of all. 

               And when Alysa Liu or Megan Keller or Hilary Knight or Jack Hughes had that golden moment, it was every American’s to cheer. Because they won it for Team USA, representative of a country built on freedoms that sometimes result in differing beliefs, customs or views, but those that took a backseat to the enormity of that moment of pure joy. 

               It’s why I love sports. And It’s why when moments like that take place, I encourage everyone to hold those emotions so close to their heart. 

               Because unity within our society is ever so fleeting right now. And it’s often as close as we’ll get.