National Anthem at sports events

tbergs

I don't think it's the anthem as much as it is about being tied to military support at this point. The Color Guard trots out the flags, they honor some veteran and then they play the anthem. Later on you might be bombarded by God Bless America or the god awful God Bless the USA. Just play the instrumental version and be done with it. It doesn't need to be glamorized, but it's become this whole process and slowly they've added these other bullshit elements that have nothing to do with it.

MayDay10

tempo_n_groove said:

If I am at a game and it is played, I respectfully remove my cap and stand.  Why?  Because when in Rome and some people feel very strongly about it and I'd rather not get into a fight when I'm there to see a damn game.

Removing it from games altogether?  It's just another reason to add why the country is going to hell and we are becoming communists.  Are you ready for more of that kind of crap?

I am not sure what they are aiming at unless they are looking to remove it altogether?  Over time this would make a lot of things go away.

Anybody ever watch the episode of Huangs World where he attempts to sing the anthem?

Do communists not have national anthems before events?

Do you know what communism is? or is it just a label you throw out whenever there is something that you disagree with?

This is a private business making some sort of decision.  That is like the exact opposite of Communism.  


Anyways, I really like the national anthem tradition before games.  From the time I was a kid... its just the thing to do.  I always make it a point to face the flag during the anthem and not the scoreboard.  Sometimes, I am standing in a completely different direction as the crowd and get some puzzled looks.  My 7 year old kid does it now too.  


Some of the over-the top military pandering stuff needs to be done away at EVERY SINGLE sporting event.  It rings very hollow now and over-done.

brianlux

Meltdown99 said:

brianlux said:

Well, in the first place it's such a horrid song.  It's hard as hell to sing well and even then it just sounds lame. 

It's been suggested that “Lift Every Voice and Sing” AKA the “Black National Anthem” would make a better anthem.  If we have to have an anthem at all, it seems like a good choice to me.  That, or "Rocking in the Free World."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e-080K8bAw

Or you could have a national anthem that is all inclusive but one that recognizes 1st people’s as the true owners of your country and mine...

our goddamn awful ugly flags need to be tossed with the national anthems...

A Native American National anthem- that makes sense!

tempo_n_groove

MayDay10 said:

tempo_n_groove said:

If I am at a game and it is played, I respectfully remove my cap and stand.  Why?  Because when in Rome and some people feel very strongly about it and I'd rather not get into a fight when I'm there to see a damn game.

Removing it from games altogether?  It's just another reason to add why the country is going to hell and we are becoming communists.  Are you ready for more of that kind of crap?

I am not sure what they are aiming at unless they are looking to remove it altogether?  Over time this would make a lot of things go away.

Anybody ever watch the episode of Huangs World where he attempts to sing the anthem?

Do communists not have national anthems before events?

Do you know what communism is? or is it just a label you throw out whenever there is something that you disagree with?

This is a private business making some sort of decision.  That is like the exact opposite of Communism.  


Anyways, I really like the national anthem tradition before games.  From the time I was a kid... its just the thing to do.  I always make it a point to face the flag during the anthem and not the scoreboard.  Sometimes, I am standing in a completely different direction as the crowd and get some puzzled looks.  My 7 year old kid does it now too.  


Some of the over-the top military pandering stuff needs to be done away at EVERY SINGLE sporting event.  It rings very hollow now and over-done.

I should have been more clear as people obviously don't know what my views are apparently.

People will be screaming that we are becoming communists by not playing the anthem which I already see on FB.  This is THEIR go to, not mine.

MayDay10

tempo_n_groove said:

MayDay10 said:

tempo_n_groove said:

If I am at a game and it is played, I respectfully remove my cap and stand.  Why?  Because when in Rome and some people feel very strongly about it and I'd rather not get into a fight when I'm there to see a damn game.

Removing it from games altogether?  It's just another reason to add why the country is going to hell and we are becoming communists.  Are you ready for more of that kind of crap?

I am not sure what they are aiming at unless they are looking to remove it altogether?  Over time this would make a lot of things go away.

Anybody ever watch the episode of Huangs World where he attempts to sing the anthem?

Do communists not have national anthems before events?

Do you know what communism is? or is it just a label you throw out whenever there is something that you disagree with?

This is a private business making some sort of decision.  That is like the exact opposite of Communism.  


Anyways, I really like the national anthem tradition before games.  From the time I was a kid... its just the thing to do.  I always make it a point to face the flag during the anthem and not the scoreboard.  Sometimes, I am standing in a completely different direction as the crowd and get some puzzled looks.  My 7 year old kid does it now too.  


Some of the over-the top military pandering stuff needs to be done away at EVERY SINGLE sporting event.  It rings very hollow now and over-done.

I should have been more clear as people obviously don't know what my views are apparently.

People will be screaming that we are becoming communists by not playing the anthem which I already see on FB.  This is THEIR go to, not mine.

haha, thanks for clarifying.  Sorry for jumping at you...

I agree.  People will call it 'communism' which is why I was quick to try to call it out.  Im so sick and tired of people mis-using that word (and socialism).

This adds fodder to the nationalists.  I wonder what precipitated Cuban to do this.  I would guess maybe his players wanted to protest, maybe some didnt, maybe they were getting mixed signals from the NBA and Cuban decided to just scrap it.  Especially with like <1000 fans per game.


Wait a second.... Mark Cuban?  CUBAN?  CUBA IS COMMUNIST

brianlux

Somebody I read once suggested that a piece by Albert Ayler would make a great National Anthem.  I think it was "Ghosts".  It's a little long but I can dig it.  What do you think?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oecc6HvxqE

OK, maybe not the whole thing but seriously though, the main theme would make a great anthem!

FiveBelow

bbiggs said:

Not a fan of this move by Cuban.  I like the anthem at events and always will.  This is not a red/blue thing either as some suggest.  Hell, last PJ show I was at in 2018 I even heard it played by one Mr. Mike McCready. No one seemed to object. 

With the pace we are on, I fear everything will be seen as a red/blue thing in our lifetime.

OnWis97

I've thought the practice is strange for quite some time. Why does it need to happen before the Twins take on the White Sox?  "Can't you take a second to acknowledge something that's more important than a game?" Sure...but it's also more important than my breakfast, a movie, a bike ride, etc.  And I don't stop to shed a tear for Old Glory before those mundane acts.

Standing through the anthem has always been one of those things you just do before a game (at least for me).  I don't think it's necessary but historically, I've thought it was benign albeit odd. But in the United States, we surely dedicate a lot of energy to telling ourselves, each other, and people abroad that we're the greatest country in the world (and for various reasons, I think it serves us poorly). Perhaps playing the anthem is a contributor to that culture of self-reassurance that gets toxic at times.  One way in which it's become toxic is the fairly new idea (maybe since Kaepernick) that the anthem is about the military.  Sorry, no. It's about teachers, homeless people, liberals, scientists, and all Americans, including those the Patriots find objectionable. 

I used to keep my hat on (if I was wearing one; I didn't actually plan this out before I left). Never once took any crap.  I made a conscious decision not to do that after 9/11. Not because of "respect" but because it just wasn't worth getting in a fight over. Now I tend not to wear hats to games but when I do, I just sheepishly follow...

tbergs said:

Doesn't matter to me, but you know the "patriots" of this country will take offense and blame cancel culture.

And there will be so much irony, as they cancel the Mavericks, the NBA, and sports in general. They won't be able handle someone not feeling the same way they do. They'll be doing the whole cancel culture, snowflake, "PC" thing they constantly accuse others of doing.  "HATS OFF!" guy can't deal with people who approach patriotism differently than he does, and I'd bet anything he calls people "butthurt," "closeminded," and "snowflakes" regularly.

F Me In The Brain

Applaud this move -- I also think they need to kill the pledge of allegiance from schools.  The kids are meant to pledge allegiance to a flag, a country, and to do it "under God" every morning?

I still fly a flag at my home.  We live in America and all that.

Don't make our kids stand and salute a flag as a symbol of "liberty and justice for all" when it so clearly is not a country which supports this goal and 1,000,000% do not make the kids do it with anything to do with God in it. 

I do stand and remove my cap when attending an event. 

I do not, however, think we should be making public events routinely about saluting the flag. 

To each their own -- no reason to make this a big public thing and to pretend we are all the same.

Poncier

Meltdown99 said:

Good move.  The national anthem should not be played before sporting events...

I think it should remain in big events, Super Bowl, World Series things like that.
To play it 162 times during a baseball season seems unnecessary.
Though without it we wouldn't have Carl Lewis and Roseanne Barr as the butts of so many jokes.

Gern Blansten

I'm going to require my family to sing the anthem before we play Monopoly.  Or any other game.

mickeyrat

Gern Blansten said:

I'm going to require my family to sing the anthem before we play Monopoly.  Or any other game.

about to shit. I think I can make it through. should stay seated though....

tempo_n_groove

F Me In The Brain said:

Applaud this move -- I also think they need to kill the pledge of allegiance from schools.  The kids are meant to pledge allegiance to a flag, a country, and to do it "under God" every morning?

I still fly a flag at my home.  We live in America and all that.

Don't make our kids stand and salute a flag as a symbol of "liberty and justice for all" when it so clearly is not a country which supports this goal and 1,000,000% do not make the kids do it with anything to do with God in it. 

I do stand and remove my cap when attending an event. 

I do not, however, think we should be making public events routinely about saluting the flag. 

To each their own -- no reason to make this a big public thing and to pretend we are all the same.

You should throw out all your money too 

Halifax2TheMax

Just play America the Beautiful by Ray Charles and call it a day. And make sure you face away from Fme if the sun is out.

F Me In The Brain

tempo_n_groove said:

F Me In The Brain said:

Applaud this move -- I also think they need to kill the pledge of allegiance from schools.  The kids are meant to pledge allegiance to a flag, a country, and to do it "under God" every morning?

I still fly a flag at my home.  We live in America and all that.

Don't make our kids stand and salute a flag as a symbol of "liberty and justice for all" when it so clearly is not a country which supports this goal and 1,000,000% do not make the kids do it with anything to do with God in it. 

I do stand and remove my cap when attending an event. 

I do not, however, think we should be making public events routinely about saluting the flag. 

To each their own -- no reason to make this a big public thing and to pretend we are all the same.

You should throw out all your money too 

If I could vote to remove Magical Being Reference from our money, I would do that as well!

mace1229

brianlux said:

Meltdown99 said:

brianlux said:

Well, in the first place it's such a horrid song.  It's hard as hell to sing well and even then it just sounds lame. 

It's been suggested that “Lift Every Voice and Sing” AKA the “Black National Anthem” would make a better anthem.  If we have to have an anthem at all, it seems like a good choice to me.  That, or "Rocking in the Free World."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e-080K8bAw

Or you could have a national anthem that is all inclusive but one that recognizes 1st people’s as the true owners of your country and mine...

our goddamn awful ugly flags need to be tossed with the national anthems...

A Native American National anthem- that makes sense!

At the risk of upsetting a lot of people, I'll say that doesn't make sense to me. People act like we're the only country to ever take over land. Yes, the way the natives were treated was horrible. Yes we should continue to improve education and life on reservations. But taking away our national anthem doesn't do any of that. And paints an image that we are this evil land when we are no different than anyone else.  There are thousands of years of history of conquering and enslaving the defeated people throughout the world. I'm not sure a single country exist today where the land wasn't previously occupied and taken over and the people killed or treated as slaves. America is not alone in this. So does everyone have to play all the national anthems of all the people they conquered before them, or just us?

Out of My Mind and Time

Hmm. And the NBA came in and said they have to play it. 

"With NBA teams now in the process of welcoming back fans into their arenas, all teams will play the national anthem in keeping with longstanding league policy," Bass said.

OnWis97

Out of My Mind and Time said:

Hmm. And the NBA came in and said they have to play it. 

"With NBA teams now in the process of welcoming back fans into their arenas, all teams will play the national anthem in keeping with longstanding league policy," Bass said.

Well that settles that.  There's only one NBA owner I can think of that would push back on that.  Oh....crap.

I support Cuban's idea but it would probably have been wise to run it by the league.

rgambs

I'll pass on the sports games AND the National Anthem 😎

Merkin Baller

Nothing says freedom of speech like forced patriotism. 

With that being said, to paraphrase Bill Barr talking about Kaepernick in one of his standup specials - if you go up against the flag or the national anthem, you're going to lose 100% of the time, it doesn't matter how righteous your cause is. 

EDIT - Bill Burr.... I haven't seen William Barr's standup yet.