The Washington Nationals recently won the World Series with a 6-2, Game 7 victory against the Houston Astros. Dubbed the “late May misfits,” the team had a 19-31 record as of May 23. At the time, MLB Stats pegged the team’s chance of winning the World Series at less than 0.1 percent.
The Nationals went on to finish the season with a 93-69 record. They won the National League Wild Card game against the Milwaukee Brewers and then defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Division Series. Each of their victories against the Astros was played on the road in Houston’s Minute Maid Park, defying conventional wisdom about home field advantage.
Although I once lived in Washington, D.C., I can’t claim to be a Nats fan (especially since they defeated my Brewers). But I am taken by the response of their fervent supporters. An Associated Press reporter put it this way: “In a city divided by politics, race and economics, the Nationals were something of a unifier — at least for the time being — as partisans and non-partisans alike congratulated one another on the team’s win.” Tens of thousands of their red-shirted fans gathered on Nov. 2 at a downtown parade, described in The Washington Post as a love-filled day of strangers hugging strangers.
They joined in celebration of the team’s first World Series victory since 1924. Was it the odds of this feat that brought Washingtonians together in such a remarkable way — in the very same week as the polarized impeachment inquiry vote against President Donald Trump? Whether someone was a Democrat or Republican, supportive of the president or not, didn’t matter. Everyone cheered on and cheered for the Nats.
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While we often think of sports rivalries, it turns out that sports have a long and unique history of healing and unification. Writing for the World Economic Forum, Mark Ein describes sport as “an important connective tissue that binds people together, both across and within societies.” Ein cites the use of sports by world leaders to open diplomatic dialogue, such as China’s 1971 invitation to U.S. ping-pong players to participate in exhibition matches there (called “ping-pong diplomacy” at the time).
Leaders also use sport to heal divisions in their own country. Following his contentious appointment as South Africa’s first black president, Nelson Mandela went to a rugby match dressed in the home team’s traditional green jersey and cap. The stadium — largely filled with white South Africans — burst into a chorus of “Nelson! Nelson!”
So, we have seen the power of sport to inspire and unite, in cities as close as Washington, D.C., and in countries as far away as China and South Africa. We have shown an ability to put aside even the deepest of differences for the sake of our beloved teams. How can we harness this same ability for the betterment of society and the sake of our country’s future?
In finding common cause, we are better positioned to engage in the respectful dialogue that can lead to greater understanding.
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I’ve been reading “Love Your Enemies,” by Arthur Brooks. In it, he opines that America is being torn apart, but that our problem isn’t one of incivility, intolerance or even anger. The real problem, Brooks says, is contempt: the conviction that those who disagree with us are not just wrong, but somehow less worthy. To overcome contempt, Brooks recommends that we practice warmheartedness — a lesson he learned from the Dalai Lama, who prays each day for China’s leaders to live good and happy lives. His people were exiled by the Chinese when he was just a teenager.
Warmheartedness is the precise feeling we get when we come together at a local park to cheer our kids at a hard-fought soccer match. It’s the feeling that Nats fans shared on the streets of Washington, D.C. As the sometimes-fractious holidays near, the practice of warmheartedness could be our most important and valued gift.
Steven P. Dinkin is president of the National Conflict Resolution Center (NCRC), a San Diego-based organization that is working to create innovative solutions to challenging issues, including intolerance and incivility. NCRC is nationally recognized for its conflict management and communication strategies. To learn about NCRC’s programming, visit www.ncrconline.com.
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Taking a page from sports' playbook can help foster greater unity - The San Diego Union-Tribune
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