I’ve never been all that enamored by the USMNT the Don’t Tread On Me slogan and rattlesnake graphic as it was launched by a Nike campaign and I believed it to be swiped from the US military. However, after reading up on its origins over at Founding Fathers I think it is a pretty apt rallying cry. Beyond the defiant nature of the slogan is the symbology of the snake which dates back before the American fight for independence.
According to Founding Fathers, “it was a plea for unity in defending the colonies during the French and Indian War. It played off a common superstition of the time: a snake that had been cut into pieces could come back to life if you joined the section back together before sunset.” It originally appeared in a political cartoon by Ben Franklin (picture below). Such a symbol is a great fit for US Soccer. Much like the fledgling colonies, the upstart USMNT can only defend and conquer if it unites together.
Tomorrow, the eleven must play as one with the heart and determination displayed against Spain in the Confed Cup. By sunset we’ll know if the snake that was sliced and diced 17 days ago in the Meadowlands will have joined back together.
Enjoy the game, and visit us afterward for the (hopefully happy) recap.
Just in case you aren’t fired up yet…
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Posted by USMNT: The “Yanks” Need a Nickname « The Shin Guardian on 2009/09/14 at 11:50 PM
[...] The Rattlers: We’ve already got the emblem and the slogan. Beyond that, the species is indiginous to the United States and the snake was a major symbol of [...]
Posted by Follow-up: Yanks, Rough Riders, the Militia? « The Shin Guardian on 2009/10/28 at 2:41 AM
[...] We’ve already got the emblem and the slogan. Beyond that, the species is indigenous to the United States and the snake was a major symbol of [...]
Posted by Timmy on 2009/11/06 at 1:22 PM
Bring back the Red Don’t Tread on me jerseys with the diagonal stripe for the WC!
Posted by Finale: The “Blanks” Are Coming…Vote Now! « The Shin Guardian on 2009/12/10 at 6:41 AM
[...] We’ve already got the emblem and the slogan. Beyond that, the species is indigenous to the United States and the snake was a major symbol of [...]