I was born in a country, Iran, where our neighbor Iraq invaded us to steal our land and natural resources. As the war dragged on for years, egged on by the West (mainly, the United States of America), its mercurial leader Saddam Hussein used chemical weapons against us. Then decades later, when I left Iran at 5 and lived in Canada, I saw the same Republican regime that propped Saddam up then invade Iraq to topple him not once, but twice, before hanging him for the world to see. To say I was frustrated and angered by America’s misguided and futile foreign policy would be an understatement. If anyone could have beef against America, you’d think it would be me: it didn’t help that in the early 1990s, during a baseball match in Atlanta, Americans held our flag upside down!

Your amazing friend with that one main flaw

Robin Williams was right when he called Canada “the kindest country in the world,” adding: “You are like a really nice apartment over a meth lab.” So perhaps because I knew our neighbors to the south were a talented & accomplished family member who happened to have a heroin addiction, we just accepted it and moved on. But of course, America is much more than that. If Canada is the best country to live (i.e. to raise a family, etc), America is no doubt the best – period. The opportunities provided to individuals is unparalleled. Yes there are many great nations, but none come close to what America has done in its 250 year history.

And, as someone who built a media company like WatchMojo which essentially commemorates and celebrates American pop culture, developing great relationships with Americans in the process, I have so much in life because of Americans, and America (moreso Canada, natch).

The anthem – and flag – are symbols. Canadians who see and hear a bellicose president threaten to annex us (I never liked the Trump/Hitler parallels, but the parallels between America in the 2020s and Germany in the 1930s are quite spot on) & refer to our prime minister as his governor have every reason to feel disrespected and angered. Given the economic harm many Canadians (and American consumers, too) may suffer if President Trump’s tariffs are implemented, the vitriol is somewhat understandable.

History Rhymes

Iranians who felt the same over America’s meddling in the 1950s stormed the US embassy in Tehran in 1979. To me, while I would personally never disrespect any symbol, I think that if you have symbols & showcase them, it’s fair game to use them to express your feelings (instead of violence). While I would prefer it if fans would not boo the anthem, I get it. Growing up, I recall watching an episode of Mr Belvedere, in which the family patriarch Bob Ueker’s character was a sports news reporter. On one broadcast, he questioned why sports matched even sang the national anthem, which led to him being demoted. When he re-appeared on the broadcast (my memory suggests he was in a clown uniform), he clarified his statement to ask “given the lack of respect, why bother singing the anthem, and subjugate the symbol to vitriol.” That evidently stuck with me: to me, anthems don’t really have a place in sports, because they could be targeted unfairly. Indeed, sports bring out the best – and worst – in people.

While I certainly understood why Iran disliked, even despised America’s foreign policy, I never liked seeing them say “death to America” let alone burn the star spangled banner. I find it not just uncouth, but frankly, counterproductive.

Be careful what you wish for

What do you think booing an anthem does? You think Trump pauses to reconsider the tariffs? Or does he feel emboldened and even, vindicated? If a government can raise enough revenues via tariffs, the thinking is perhaps it can reduce taxes – which is ultimately what drives much of Trump’s arithmetic. Now granted, that leap or transition, can backfire and blow up in your face, since after all, consumers pay for the increase in prices. In any case, back to sports, does anyone think these tough hockey players will be intimidated by the boos? Or au contraire, feel inspired to rise to the occasion. This is America, folks.

You can even argue that it backfired. After the puck drop, not one not two but three fights broke out in the first nine seconds. More notably, after going down 1-0 on a legendary Conor McDavid goal, the Americans clawed their way back to win 3-1. Watching the match, I was reminded how in some ways, Canada had become the USSR – talented, skilled & great to watch – but America had become what Canada was: tough, gritty, and poised to win no matter the odds. I really think booing the anthem planted in the Americans the drive and motivation to win. When the Montreal Canadiens’ American player Cole Caufield was asked about the boos, he said he didn’t like it and cited deceased veteran soldiers. He’s signed for years. But as our younger American rookie prodigy Lane Hutson weighs his options after his initial contract, do you think the echoes of the Montreal faithful booing his anthem help our cause (as fans)?

Now don’t get me wrong, it’s fine to boo if for no other reason than it’s part of the freedoms and expressions that we have in the West that so many of you (who were born here) take for granted.

Corporate Warfare (Competition) & Diplomacy (Communications)

Ultimately, in life, be careful how you motivate your opponent. I recall Coca Cola executive Doug Ivestor say that when your opponent it drowning, grab a live hose and stuff it in your opponent’s mouth. OK. Sounds great. But Ivestor lasted a few months as CEO. Warner Media’s Jeff Bewkes referred to Netflix as the Albanian army. Today Netflix towers over Warner, which is saddled by debt and lost at sea. Despite being a very ambitious and aggressive entrepreneur, I preferred former Time Warner Chairman Richard Parsons’ worldview that “I don’t believe it ever serves anyone well to try to crush the other guy or leave him in a position of being humiliated.”

Last night, Canadians angered the Americans, and to their credit, after the meth addict made an appearance, the Yankees showed up. Let’s hope my Canuck compatriots show up in Boston where I am sure the Boston faithful will return the favor in droves when they sing O Canada.“ And when they do, I hope Americans and Canadians will remember that it’s just a game.

As the late, great American president John F. Kennedy said: “Geography has made us neighbours. History has made us friends. Economics has made us partners. And necessity has made us allies.” When Donald whines about Canada’s military budget, I sometimes wonder if he and Americans preferred if their neighbor to the north had decided decades ago to build a larger military. Do Americans want a hawkish, militaristic neighbor spanning the 5000 miles that separate us? I know Iran didn’t love having a madman with a military to its West.

Sport is War, but also…

Donald Trump has every right to be America-first (even if he’s largely Donald-first), but his term will come to an end and the American-Canadian relationship will survive… but in the meantime, expect it to get worse before it gets better. I just hope that citizens of both nations heed Nelson Mandela’s message that “sport has the power to change the world, it has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than government in breaking down racial barriers.”