Sports became an escape for many Americans after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Fans attended events while draped in red, white and blue, and pregame and in-game displays of patriotism became much more commonplace.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr has noticed this, and believes that horrific day 17 days ago "spurred a strong military dynamic" that remains in U.S. sporting events.
"Sports are a form of entertainment. I talk to (Warriors co-owner) Peter Guber about this all the time," Kerr told NBC Sports Bay Area's Monte Kerr in the latest installment of a five-part interview only available on the new MyTeams app. "We're putting on a display, and we want to draw the audience in. We want the audience to really feel emotionally connected to us. Well, what better way to feel connected than to feel patriotic and to see the flag and to see member of our military who have fought for our country standing before us before we're playing a game?
"Sometimes, it's really inspiring. You see a mother and daughter or a father and son reconnected after a tour of duty, and everybody gets emotional. And sometimes it feels like we're being patronized. Like this is being used. We're just playing a sport here, and it feels sort of nationalistic, if that makes sense. So we are kind of wandering down a dicey path on this front."
If you haven't already done it, download the MyTeams app and watch the full Part 3 of Kerr's "Not Sticking To Sports" interview. You also can catch up to Parts 1 and 2, and come back Friday for the final two installments.
