Cineforum Invictus; The sport and the politics

Not long ago I hung the criticism of the new movie of Clint Eastwood, of which it paints the portrait how Nelson Mandela, after gaining the elections in an absolutely divided country, uses the rugby as an of integration element.

The movie is very well executed. As I say in the criticism, it seems to me that it is the sports "typical one" in the sense that Eastwood does a very classic movies. But, simultaneously, it is "different", a contradictory duality that usually happens in his histories.

The movie made me think about a debate that sometimes I have had with the people. I did not know this aspect of the government of the mythical African statesman, and it is obvious that it is a clear use of the sport with political ends. On the other hand, the people tend to say that they should stay always separated.

You know many (and if I do not say it to you) that I am a Barca patient and it was over there ends of 60's the president Narcís of Careers dared to qualify to the Barca of “more than a club”. Approximately 5 years later Agustí Montal popularized it using it as an electoral slogan of a few elections that, certainly, won.

This phrase had political connotations. It was trying to express that when the culé was singing a goal, it was not only that what it was celebrating, but it was a way of expressing the dissatisfaction with the established diet and the idenficación with certain way of understanding Catalunya.

Many culers we keep on considering this identification to be current between the catalanidad and the club. But it bothers many because they think that it is not legal therefore he was commenting of the separation of these two concepts.

On the other hand, Order it there did not have any objection in making a political use of a selection of rugby, which had been a symbol of the oppression of the apartheid. Also was illegitimate that was making this use? For me, he adds a very interesting element to the debate. I have not had the opportunity to share it with anybody, so I do not know what would answer me anybody who should criticize this aspect of the barcelonismo about which I have spoken.

In my opinion, Order it it very was right. The reality is that the unit between sport and politics has been, is and it will keep on being a whole. Not in vain, most of the most important sports events are done under definitely political ensigns; the Olympiads, the world cup of soccer or the glass Davis … The people are faithful to Nadal, Alonso, Héctor Barberá … The identification only comes for an aspect purely politically; prodecemos of the same political entelechy.

That the Spanish selection gains the euroglass it is not a fact politically neutral. That the basketball players gain an European and sing; “I am Spanish” neither. That the adjectives that are used to define the selection (or the virtues of a team) are of the type; caste, race … has a clear ideological load for the one who wants to see it. It is like that and what I do not see why he should be a villain.

Much subtler is the identification between other clubs and his territories or the proper Spanish nation. Anyhow, it should be significant that in the Bernabeu and other stadiums there are Spanish flags. Also in it there is a political connotation, it is not recognized.

The question of the million is; why in a case does one speak about political use of a club and in other it sees like something "normally"? Jordi Pujol reminded to me in his memoirs a concept that he had forgotten; the banal nationalism, which is the form of nationalism so socially recognized that is not perceived as such.

This way, the acceptance as something normal that when one continues the world cup is identified by the selection of his country and not other one, or the sympathies for Alonso instead of for another pilot of the broiler of another country are two natural expressions of this banal form of identification. And not only it is not bad but he wakes up certain identity sense empático and positively.

I promise you that this post is not born in order to that nobody feels annoying because I am not criticizing anything. On the contrary, I like. But I have to admit that it attracts attention of me powerfully (and it bothers me) the variable geometry of our perception of the asumible of a few beginning according to the proximity or distance of ours.

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