I am not certain I get what the various sports organizations mean when they tweet today that "we can only play the sport we love because of those who gave up their lives for this country?"
What, if America had lost a war or two, someone would've outlawed baseball and hockey here?

Ukrainians played soccer in Kyiv under Nazi occupation, against occupying troops, while half-starved. I am pretty sure you'd still be knocking the pucks around and driving in RBIs if you never invaded Vietnam.
Don't make it about your hobbies, guys. This isn't what it's about.

America has only fought three wars for its survival as a nation: the War for Independence, the War of 1812 and the Civil War. None of your sports were ever threatened. If Japan beat you in WWII, not only would you still be playing baseball, you'd probably improve your fielding...

And American football would've probably developed the same way if you never separated from Britain. You'd also probably let black people play it sooner.
Damn, I really hate it when sports try to make themselves into a war-adjacent enterprise. It's just games, folks. Relax.