The following is an excerpt from an op-ed in The Fulcrum, written by Special Olympics Chairman Tim Shriver in collaboration with the Harris Poll.
Every year, on Super Bowl Sunday, Americans come together.
For one day, under the banner of a football game, the divisions that so often define our daily lives fade into the background. Our polling shows that three-quarters of liberals and conservatives alike plan to watch this year’s pro football championship game.
More importantly, a striking 76% of Democrats and 75% of Republicans say these events deepen community ties that on other days feel fractured if not entirely broken. And this does not just happen in the confines of our homes or families—73% of Liberals and 71% of Conservatives agree that such occasions help them feel connected to people nationwide.
We don’t just watch a football game—we share in a collective experience. We gather with friends and family, cheer for our favorite teams, laugh at the commercials, and marvel at the halftime show. For a few hours, the divisions that so often define our daily lives fade into the background.
So, what if we carried that spirit beyond Sunday night?
In the aftermath of November’s razor-thin election results, we seem to be constantly told that we’re divided. The headlines declare it, politicians exploit it, and social media algorithms thrive on it. And after hearing it long enough, we start to believe it. We pull away from neighbors, disengage from our communities, and lose the sense of connection that binds us together.
Many Americans feel disconnected from their neighbors and even from members of their own families, our polling shows. Less than half of us—48%—are proud to be associated with our local communities, and just 61% take pride in our country. One in two adults is estranged from a close relative, often over political differences.
And yet—there’s a big but—we still love to play. Sports remain one of the few places where Americans come together across all differences. From preschool soccer games to senior golf leagues, from neighborhood pickleball matches to pickup basketball, from ultra-marathoners to Special Olympics Unified Teams—play remains an essential part of who we are.
