Michael Kay may have been rooting for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, but it\u2019s not because he sought to prove the United States was bigger and better than every other country.<\/p>\n
Part of what makes the World Baseball Classic, and any international sporting event, great is its ability to unite fans and lean into inherent rooting interests. But rooting for your country in a sporting event is still different than comparing it to battle. Which is why Kay didn\u2019t understand Team USA manager Mark DeRosa bringing in former Navy SEAL Robert J. O\u2019Neill<\/a> to give the American players a motivational speech.<\/p>\n In the wake of Team USA losing the WBC final to Venezuela, Kay was joined by Mike Lupica on his Wednesday afternoon ESPN Radio show in New York, and the New York Yankees TV voice said some of the force-fed patriotism around the competition made him \u201cuneasy.\u201d<\/p>\n \ufeff Kay shared a similar sentiment earlier this week after Yankees captain Aaron Judge claimed the World Baseball Classic was bigger and better than the World Series<\/a>. And while Kay can appreciate players buying into this event, he doesn\u2019t believe it should be rooted in any sort of \u2018my country is better than yours\u2019 emotion.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are people that represent the United States that really represent the United States, and you know who those people are? The men and women of the military,\u201d Kay said. \u201cThey decide the greatness of this country, their sheer bravery, how they fight for freedom and throw their lives on the line. That is significant to me. The United States winning the gold medal against Canada? Wonderful. Thrilled for them. Not a referendum on my country, it\u2019s just not.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t like wrapping sports in a flag and preaching patriotism and bringing in SEAL Team 6 people,\u201d Kay explained. \u201cThe only uniform that counts to me is the one that\u2019s worn by the men and women of our military. They decide wins and losses. You don\u2019t represent me because you have USA on the chest, I don\u2019t believe it.\u201d<\/p>\n