In Defense of Chris Collinsworth

On Friday, I saw Chris Collinsworth interview Kobe Bryant.

Some have attacked Collinsworth for his questions about patriotism.

That surprised me. I had a completely different take on it.

I saw the interview as it aired, so my reaction wasn't colored by anyone else's opinion.

In an interview Friday on NBC, the world's most famous basketball player told Chris Collinsworth how he got "goosebumps" when he received his Olympics uniform. "I actually just looked at it for a while. I just held it there and I laid it across my bed and I just stared at it for a few minutes; just because as a kid growing up this is the ultimate, ultimate in basketball." The Los Angeles Laker went on to call the U.S. "the greatest country in the world. It has given us so many great opportunities, and it's just a sense of pride that you have; that you say, 'You know what? Our country is the best.'"

Mr. Collinsworth seemed either startled or impressed by such sentiment, and asked, "Is that a cool thing to say in this day and age? That you love your country, and that you're fighting for the red, white and blue? It seems sort of like a day gone by."

To which Mr. Bryant replied: "No, it's a cool thing for me to say. I feel great about it, and I'm not ashamed to say it. I mean, this is a tremendous honor."

Cynics will claim that this is merely about marketing, with Mr. Bryant hoping to use the Games to burnish his public image. On the other hand, he and his rich teammates on the basketball squad are giving up their offseason to play for nothing save possible medals. Mr. Bryant has also been an enthusiastic spectator for other U.S. Olympians, waving the Stars and Stripes at various events.

To the kind of Americans who consider themselves primarily "citizens of the world," nationalism at the Olympics is déclassé, even embarrassing. We're with Kobe.

I do not think that Collinsworth is of the mind that it's not cool to be patriotic.

My reaction to his question was that Collinsworth was addressing the types in America who do consider national pride to be corny.

When I heard him ask Bryant about "fighting for the red, white, and blue," I didn't think he was expressing his personal opinion that such love of country is a negative.

I, for one, believe that Bryant's pride in our country is sincere. I don't think his talk of being honored to represent the USA is a calculated effort for him to revamp his somewhat tarnished image.

I don't think I'm being naive. In my view, how could Bryant not be proud?

I didn't interpret Collinsworth's line of questioning to be a slam on overt patriotism.

To the contrary, I thought Collinsworth was being critical of those who do find it embarrassing to declare that the USA is the greatest country in the world.

As the WSJ points out, the "citizens of the world" types find such nationalism to be "déclassé."

Barack and Michelle Obama come to mind.