Thursday marked our country’s 237th birthday, but freedom never grows old.

Many in Butler celebrated at Pullman Park with 13 innings of America’s pastime — a 2-1 victory for the Butler BlueSox over the Chillicothe Paints — before enjoying a concert and watching a dynamic array of fireworks explode overhead.

Luckily, the United States of America is stable enough to provide the luxury of such events. Sports have been woven into the fabric of our society.

Only one sport, though, truly belongs to America.

Golf courses can be found all over the nation and most are crowded during the summer months. There might not be anything better than playing 18 holes on a Saturday afternoon following a long week of work. Sometimes it’s relaxing, sometimes it’s infuriating, but it’s almost always fun.

Tiger Woods, the most recognizable golfer on the planet and ranked No. 1 in the world, is an American. So is Jack Nicklaus, who owns more major titles than anyone to take a swing.

However, golf originated in Europe, so this wonderfully frustrating game can’t be called America’s.

Hockey has a big following in the Pittsburgh area, but America doesn’t have a chance at claiming this sport.

The Stanley Cup has been hoisted by an American team since Montreal won it all in 1993. But let’s face it, Canada and hockey are still synonymous.

There is a massive foreign presence in the NHL — even the Penguins’ two most beloved players, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, are from Canada and Russia — and the USA hasn’t won an Olympic gold medal in men’s hockey since the “Miracle on Ice” in 1980.

America can start trying to claim hockey when winning is no longer considered a miracle.

There’s a much stronger case for basketball, which was at least invented in America and has consistently produced the best players on the planet.

The “Dream Team” mopped the floor with international competition in the 1992 Olympics, but the rest of the world is catching up.

More and more European imports are drafted each year. Dirk Nowitzki was the top player for the 2011 NBA champion Dallas Mavericks, while Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Pau Gasol are all foreigners who have played key roles in recent title runs.

The depth of talent has grown in other countries to the point America is no longer a guaranteed winner in the Olympics.

The globalization of baseball has had a similar effect — evidenced by the World Baseball Classic — and the major leagues are flooded with foreign talent.

America’s pastime is baseball, but our current sport is undoubtedly football.

A vast majority of NFL players are born and raised in the USA. All 32 NFL teams reside in America.

High school football fills local stadiums and the sport generates a fortune at the college level.

Football is so much our own, the word means a completely different sport around the globe.