Dr John Mohan Razu
The Super Bowl is the annual league championship year of the National Football League (NL) of the United States. But in reality, American Super Bowl is nothing but leveraging weaponization ‘patriotism’ and ‘nationalism’ – all in the name of American Super Bowl. The game culminates a season that begins in the previous calendar year, and is the conclusion of NFL playoffs. The winner receives the Vance Lombardi Trophy.
It is an annual event for which Americans wait for it with such zeal and great expectations. In America, Super Bowl is the only sport that has huge influence and appeal. Americans wait for the day by pushing their teams with such hype and certainty. Their spirit of Americanism and the pitch of patriotism reaches the highest level the way they speak about their favorite teams that injects their nationalistic fervour entirely to the peak. It is impossible to bring-in rationality and sanity when super bowl bits the day. Preparations are made in such grandeur.
During this time America shows its soft and hard power in the sky, on land, and wherever is possible. Display in air with the latest American air power occupies the center-stage and on land the American force fills the ground their muscular enjoined with other paraphernalia that makes the American so proud igniting their muscular power and ferocity. The entire program posits a kind of or sort of hard power of machines and humans that direct or indirectly conveying a message “America shall never be beatable” and “America first”.
Air show goes along with militarisation as the supersonic jets and high-precision bombers displays their strength and sheer power to make the Americans the spirit of American nationalism and boosts the patriotic spirit to the peak. The history of the American Super Bowl is nothing but a show of sheer American brute power to the Americans and the world at large. Hence, history of American Superbowl is enjoined with one of violence and ferocity.
American Super Bowl is subtle and shows all kinds of kaleidoscopic that has clear objective and purpose. It posits violence and the spirit of conflict that goes to the highest levels. The game is associated terms such as ‘deep bomb’, ‘blitz’(the defender), red dog (historic term for blitz, and cover zero (no-safety coverage. It is connected to Hollywood showing characters that are huge and muscular. American foot-ball vis-à-vis Super Bowl has a number of things that can bring-in to show case. American Foot Ball goes along with others areas as well.
Militarism is part of American foot-ball language. The terms that are used and the language employed while commenting when the match goes on have deep-stakes that have close linkages with the military department. In Super Bowl which is annual event millions of people come to the stadium to watch the game and this ICE was present to snoop the migrants which was why those from other countries did not take the risk of attending the match. Apart from its show of strength in arms and armaments this time it was used to taken on the immigrants.
At the same time when America went all out in Vietnam War where the number of American along with others took to the streets and started protesting against the war, but the American State came down heavily on them. Then we witnessed in the name of ‘War on Terror the American State showed its military strength that blended with the culture of countering the forces that went against the American State. Use the images to bolster through the images that are frightening and massive so that the culture of fear be sowed at those who are watching.
Everything revolves around ‘patriotism’ and ‘nationalism’ which by and large good for those who are in power. These are the controlling mechanisms to keep the populace in control by nudging them with these images. Thousands of muscular bodies representing the American Army parading; heavily built massive fighter jets flying over heads connote the American superiority and show of strength to its citizens and others as well. It is sheer a business model by those who rule and control power. Those who control power benefits and perpetuate their influence through these paraphernalia. Patriarchs are also mutually benefitted.
Why I say it what is going on in sports like Super Bowl is tax-payers money where the billions of dollars are invested on those iron machines and building muscular forces are show casing propaganda machinery so that the tax payers would be satisfied or at least know that where their money is going. So, the ruling government and the powerful use monetary strategies. Along these changing the nomenclature from Défense to War Department is also strategic and thus obvious.
Everything that appear before us especially whenever the big powers show case their military might manufacture eye-catching, some kind of pseudo-nationalistic and patriotic feelings that are manufactured and tailored to its populace to consume and keep pumping about America first and Make America Great Again (MEGA). The drill and parade on that day show the determination to win. Added to these Militarisation and national anthem are the avenues to boost-up and leveraging American ‘nationalism’ and ‘patriotism.
The images that are displayed show and convey a sort of psycho-somatic appeasement and whitewashes guilt that the American administration is involved in waging wars and conflicts.American Super Bowl is a tough game that requires absolutely tough and rough game, which requires strong physical and tough mental frames. Those playing in the first division look tall and muscular bodies who paid in millions. Along these when the American soldiers and iron wares are displayed the image it projects is like war field where two toughest teams competing for that trophy.
Nowadays games are turned to war fields. Like American Super Bowl when India plays against Pakistan the hype that we witness is one of ‘pseudo nationalism’ and ‘hyper patriotism’. Barring a few many plays with that in mind as if they are in a battle field fighting their arch enemy. The spectators with some exceptions when the opposite batsman displays elegant strokes and thus score fours and sixes there won’t be any applause. When the home team takes wicket after wicket the stadium is filled with all kinds of celebrations. Games are turned to battle fields because of the increasing skewed ‘nationalism’ and trident ‘patriotism’.
