This week, week twelve, our class is looking at sports and state terrorism, along with sports and state projects. My group read “Defenders of National Honor: Club Atletico de Cuba Tigres in Prerevolutionary Cuban Gridiron Football” by Michael T. Woods. This reading is about the evolution and importance of American football in Cuba. It talks mainly about how sports and its success played a huge role in the identity of so many Cubans. The most talked about athletic club was known as Club Atletico de Cuba (also referred to as CAC). This reading starts by talking about the game between CAC and the American school, Tulane University. The reading proceeds to talk about how American football became known in Cuba. It was very similar to how baseball became known. The game was introduced in Cuba by American soldiers during the U.S. intervention in the Cuban War of Independence of 1898. It talked about how during this time the U.S. enacted different reforms that modeled the U.S. structure. So Cuban’s learned many American customs and sports. The article goes on to talk about the establishment of the CAC and other football teams in Cuba. It talks about how Cuba enjoyed competing locally but found pride and joy in competing internationally with the United States. Throughout all the triumphs and struggles in the Cuban clubs the article always seemed to go back to the victory over Tulane and how this brought a great deal of pride and depth into national identity. The quote I would like to look at that I feel gets to the heart of the article and adds to the article’s main point. The quote being… “U.S. imperialism and hegemonic economic and cultural influence created a clear power imbalance in the early Cuban Republic, but sporting events against U.S. teams, including baseball and American football games, provided opportunities for “emulation” as a means of resistance and as a rallying point for national identity”. I feel that this quote takes a look at the history of American football in Cuba, the United State’s relationship with Cuba, and how football played a role in Cuba’s national identity.
