The NFL recently adopted a policy requiring on-field players to stand for the national anthem. The policy was designed to end the controversy, but of course it only gave it new life.
I like to think that Francis Scott Key – who in 1814 wrote the poem that 100 years later would become the national anthem – would think the whole thing is ridiculous.
“Wait, THAT poem became the national anthem?” I think he’d say. “That was the worst thing I ever wrote! I don’t know what I was thinking – to be honest, I may have had an ale or two. And the tune that was put to it – my god, pure, amateurish dreck. Have you ever tried to sing it? No one can perform it correctly. Are people upset because it’s so awful?”
Me: No, they’re mad because they like it so much, in fact. They’re furious that a few people who play a game called football won’t stand up when it’s played.
“Never heard of this football, but I presume they kick the ball a lot in it, yes?”
Not really. They mostly run with it or throw it.
“So why is it called football then?”
Nobody knows.
“And why is my song played at these games?”
Nobody knows that either.
“So are people required to stand when it’s played?”
No, there’s no law that says people have to stand up for it. They’re free to sit, drink beer, scratch themselves or eat a hot dog during it if they want.
“Is that what most people do?”
No, a lot of people at the stadium actually stand, remove their hats, put their hands over their heart and sing along, but people watching on TV don’t, and there are a lot more of them.
“TV?”
It’s an electronic box that people watch the games on.
“The 21st Century sounds like an amazing time. But tell me, if there’s no law against not standing during the song, why are people so upset about the players not standing?”
They think it’s disrespectful to the nation.
“I must say, that’s an odd thing to think. These people who are upset, they’re aware of the 1st Amendment, right?”
Possibly. Possibly not. We don’t live in the smartest of times. A lot of people know a lot more about the Kardashians than about civil liberties.
“Has the 1st Amendment fallen out of favor in your time then?”
With most people, no. But some people are, shall we say, situational about it.
“What does that mean?”
It means they only believe in it when it suits them. It also doesn’t help that many of the players kneeling during the anthem are black.
“Ah, so you’re saying there’s something more behind this than simple respect for the nation.”
For some, yes. For others, it’s just politics.
“So why are the kneelers kneeling in the first place?”
To protest police brutality toward blacks.
“Is that a problem in your time?”
Most assuredly.
“Wait, so you’re telling me that people are more upset about football players peacefully protesting an injustice during a silly song than about the injustice itself?”
Much more. I’ve never once seen football fans protest police brutality or anything else. Except for maybe beer prices. Or long bathroom lines.
“I’m glad I don’t live in your time then. Forgive me, but it sounds positively cuckoo.”
Bingo.
Image credit: Adrian Curiel on Unsplash
I’m a Detroit Lion season ticket holder (I know that makes me sound crazy but . . .) and I always stand and remove my hat for The National Anthem. However, like you said, many are in line buying beer or going to the bathroom at that time and don’t show respect. Many times they bring a huge flag onto the field which is unfurled horizontally to the ground which is a violation of the flag code. I have always wondered why we play the Anthem at sporting events other than award presentations at The Olympics. I also have wondered why we chose The Star Spangled Banner as the Anthem. It is a tough song to sing, and I don’t think a battle in 1812 is necessarily the event that defines our nation. I would prefer we not play the Anthem at the beginning of games and just play the games. If we must play a song my vote would go to America The Beautiful. It is just a better song and more emblematic of our country.
I’m with you, Tommy. Wrong song, and dammit, this is America – no one should have to sing it, stand for it, etc. That’s the whole point of being American.
My thoughts exactly. People give me a crazy look when I mention how much better it is.
I agree with Tommy B.
To go a bit further……… The NFL and all sports should just stop playing the national anthem entirely.
This would put and end to the trump tirades against black players who he has shown to have an undeniable distaste for.
I know a lot of men and women who watch the games on tv. They cannot afford to even buy hot dogs at the arenas. They have stopped watching football games of the NFL (National Felons League).
They want to watch ball games, and not have politics or whatever brought in the game. If the broadcasters were to suddenly turn pro-President Trump, They would still not watch the games.
They just want to watch games and forget about politics and such.
There are more white people killed by the police each year than blacks.
If the players want to protest do on their own time. If they want to do something active they need to go into the inner cities and help the poor. Where the gang bangers run wild. The gang bangers kill more blacks in a few months than the police do. We do not hear about those deaths because it does not fit the political narrative. Chicago has an average black homicide rate of around 450 or so.
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/do-police-kill-more-whites-than-black-people/
Per capita it is much more likely for a black person to be shot by police.
Statistics, more damn statistics. I think it was Winston Churchill had that comment on statistics, only he said more.
By using per capita statistics like Tommy B is using, Flint is considered a more dangerous place than Chicago.
I am not sure of the body count so far this year, but, I think Flint has about 35 or so murders this year. Whereas Chicago is somewhere around 200 or so and climbing by about 5-7 each week.
So which is actually the more dangerous city?
Andrew Heller lived in Flint for a few years, then he moved out of Flint sometime in the 1990’s to Grand Blanc. White flight.
When I said per capita I meant to the general population not specific cities. To put it concisely, although white people get shot by police more than black people overall, it is far more likely that a black person will be shot by police than a white person. There is a far greater population of white folk in the USA compared to black folk. The city issue is a whole different conversation. I would say, both Flint and Chicago are relatively safe depending on where in those cities you live.
I also moved to Grand Blanc in the 1990’s and remain there. I work in Flint though. Call it white flight if you want to because I am indeed white and I moved out. I do have many different races as neighbors in Grand Blanc and I’m okay with that. I didn’t leave the city because of race. I left the city for a nicer house, a better school district for my kid, and a sense of country/suburbia.
Check it out jimiii. A huge number of football players and other professional athletes DO go into their neighborhoods and help. They actually work in the neighborhoods, they provide scholarships AND – if you’ll recall, during the floods and horrible weather, they provided huge amounts of relief.
And if the potus would just butt out of an area he has no right to interfere in and try to do some good instead of riling up everyone about the peaceful kneeling, which I feel the players have every right to do, there wouldn’t be any of this hate filled rhetoric.
Check on how much these athletes donate. You might be surprised.
The lack of respect for our National Anthem is directly in alliance with one of the pillars of the Democrat party.
HATE AMERICA FIRST
This is the same party that currently has Stormy Daniels as their beloved leader. She is currently touring the US at strip clubs where you can go stick bills in her hoo-hoo and B hole. (No joke – she is touring strip clubs as a guest stripper)
The Democrat party – Just a bunch of hate filled, spoiled, putrid losers that can’t get over the fact Hillary lost.
Wow, this is such a dumb post I don’t even know where to begin. So I won’t.
Amen, Andy, Amen
The truth about Democrats hurts you. Everything I said above is true.
Sounds like the ramblings of a RWNJ. We all know Stormy isn’t our leader, Satan is obviously with Allah as second in command
YEP!
Dad you must be visiting those strip clubs she is touring to know all that.
I feel the patriotic love.
What is it to be patriotic? Is it to stand up for our nation whether it is right or wrong? Or is it to point out what is wrong with our nation and hold our heads high for what is right. Our nation has a righteous and not so righteous past. I tend to hold my head high for the righteous and hang it for the not so righteous.
Them black boys need to get it through their skulls that their job is to entertain us white folk, not draw attention to their meaningless issues, because WE DON’T CARE! Right Jimiiii and Working Dad?
While we are here, can someone please tell me why Trump is making enemies with our allies and friends with our enemies?
Stand respectfully for our National Anthem. If you can’t bring yourself to do so, it proves you are a self-centered, unpatriotic, bitter loser.
/\/\/\/\/\
So much angry bitter projection from an obsessed racist fake patriot.
Yesterday Trump’s National Intelligence Chief warns that Russia will interfere with our elections again.
Yesterday Trump says we should let Russia back into the G7.
Trump’s supporters think they are patriotic.
What a crazy world we live in.
Nazi Germany was very patriotic, they closed their eyes to what was going on and stood for their flag. Working dad, maybe you should open your eyes and try to understand what is going on.
If I am a racist than you are a pedophile. Stop raping children!
Apparently, not only are you racist, but your projection just revealed something about you that is far worse. Can’t say I am surprised.
If it’s truly about respect…suspend all food and beer sales till after the flag ceremony and anthem is over. If Trump takes that on, I’ll believe it’s about respecting our flag and military.
So why isn’t the pledge of allegiance required to be said at the beginning of the school day anymore?
Its kinda even worse than that. See the people that are complaining will tell you there is no police brutality against black people, all that brutality comes from other black people. And if a black man can be president, and earn millions playing football, racism in America today is a myth, unless you consider how racist black people are against white people
Francis Scott Key wrote the poem “The defense of Fort McHenry” when he was a prisoner of the British Navy. Francis went to the British to see if he and some of his friends could persuade the British not to attack Fort McHenry. They spent the night as prisoners of the British.
It was later set to music by a British composer named John Stafford Smith. His composition was called “Anacreon”. It was named in honor of some British musical society. No American wrote the music to the Star Spangled Banner. Who set it to the Anacreon? I do not know.
I also have heard that the music was also some sort of British Army beer drinking song. If this is true then I think I can understand why some of the notes are hard to sing.
Someone changed the name from the Defense of Fort McHenry to the Star Spangled Banner.
In 1931 Congress selected the Star Spangled Banner over some other well-known songs.
As Tommy B said earlier America the Beautiful, among others, is a far better song.
But, given the track record of CONgress it is no wonder they picked it. CONgress is quite good at screwing up at a lot of things no matter what/which political party is in charge.
Playing of the Star Spangled Banner at all sporting events started in WWII. It was meant to be a morale booster for citizens and to remind them of why we were fighting a war on two fronts.
I wonder if you noticed that you CONgress is controlled by the GOP?
Exactly Fred. He’ll ignore that though.
OK you two. Who was in charge of CONgress in 1931? Which party is in majority control of CONgress today has nothing to do with which party was in the majority in 1931. I do not know who was in control when the Star Spangled Banner was selected to be the national anthem. Neither one of you knows who was in the majority in 1931.
Seventy-second congress. Senate majority: Republcan. House Majority Republican.
Who is controlling CONgress TODAY?
Isn’t it wonderful. Tax cuts passed, average worker gets to take more money home.
Nancy Pelosi in meltdown mode over the tax cuts. she is upset that the taxpayers get to keep more of their money. Nancy Pelosi is one of those who thinks that all the money workers earn belongs to the democrats and the democrats like her will determine how much money you need to survive on.
President Trump has kept a lot of his campaign promises even though the democrats/liberals/socialist/communists deny such things all over the place.
Headline: President Trump walked on water to save a drowning person. The lamestream media reports that President Trump cannot swim. No matter President trump does deniers in the democrat obit will deny it.
Should President Trump be nominated for a Noble Peace Prize? I do not know. If he does fine. If he does not that is also ok. Either way, he would earn the honor, unlike Obama who got it because he became president of the United States.
I also read an opinion brief that hints that President Trump might sign a bill saying that it was no longer illegal to possess/ smoke marijuana. If he did sign such a law I thing the liberals/communists/socialists would find fault with such an act.
You are very ignorant, Jimiii. Just like the rest of the republican/conservative/racist/fascists.
The WMD is showing continuous instability.
Watch out for more ……. Kaboom!
An article in the Washington Examiner about the Eagles. NFLPA announced that they were canceling “several players led community service events for young people in Washington D.C. area”.
The players that canceled the community service event for the young people were also the ones who said that they would not attend the White House meeting.
I am not going to try to cite/quote the whole article. Go read it for yourself.
You guyz are wyz. I have this different solution to the National Anthem Problem at sporting events. I may have written about this months ago, but please read, and pay attention now:
Any sporting team could play a different American song, for fun, no need for reverence. They could play, “Home On The Range,” “Bye Bye Miss American Pie,” or many, many others.
The teams could encourage fans to boogie, rather than to pray or revere. There is no direct connection between the NFL or any other sports league, with American patriotism. We can highlight America, and fun, without nasty conflict.
We have a problem with knee-jerk, cliche patriotism. Let us switch to fun patriotism.
The real problem is that trump and his republicans just don’t understand that this is a free country to do and say what we want. They cry second amendment rights but defy first amendment rights. Hypocritical to say the least. My ancestors where immigrants and so where everyone else’s unless Native American. But now throw them out and turn this into a dictatorship. The mentally ill president thinks he is a king. Loves Putin. So they cry socialism is the democratic way but support a president that supports communism. How can you defend that or him?? Please Jimiii or working dad explain this to me?
16 Naty Lights?…. 20?…. 24?
I don’t drink shit beer like you. Why won’t you answer a simple question? You’re a phoney. Mom and dad won’t buy you anything better than nat light? Come on you got to have a better answer than that. You support a communist loving president. You’re a communist right? Sure you are. Your president is Donald trump right? You said so not me. He supports Putin right? So you do too. Answer the question. I know you don’t have the balls to. Complete hypocrite and phoney. Come on, man up you phoney. Everyone that reads here knows it
I think maybe Dad believes Jims and Fred and Tom are the same person. Do you remember all his tweets about, “multiple identities?” His tweets about “naty lights,” seem to be aimed at more than one of us. Buck up, brothers.
I have never tweeted in my life. I don’t use Twitter.
Drunk much?
You didn’t answer my question. Do you support communism?
Here is a perfect American song they could use instead of the anthem.
“Ladies and gentlemen. To honor America, we will NOT play the national anthem tonight. Please join us in boogying to this great classic American song!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyV41-tFPcQ
Somebody get me a cheeseburger!
Here is another great patriotic fun American song. Use this rather than the anthem. Who cares? this is more fun.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCYApJtsyd0
No,NoNo. Nat was black. You can’t use that.
Get your kicks . . .
Here is another patriotic song they might play. Sort of ironic by the Drifters, but you can find the version by Jay and the Americans.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQ6NGY8ruC4Tom
Oh My! How big brother just changed reality for us gullible sheeple.
President Dotard just reminded us of our “special bond” with the murderous totalitarian Rocket Man. Canada, Great Britian and Germany better watch out, because Uncle Sam and his Russian and North Korean buddies ain’t taking it anymore. They have pushed us around enough!
Trump described Kim Jong Un as a talented leader who could be trusted. Kim is so “talented” that he executes officials with anti-aircraft guns. Trump trusts him because Kim uses “big” guns.
And of course the whole shebang was nothing but a tremendously expensive photo op for President Stupid Liar.
“We will have COMPLETE denuclearization!”, commands President Stupid Liar.
And…….we got………nothing……….
Oh come on now, there is one good thing that came out of this meeting. Kim Jong Un got a all expense paid vacation for him and his buddies.
Did you read the actual text of the mutual agreement? It states that this is the BEGINNING of continued negotiations at the highest political levels of the U.S. and DPRK governments. Denuclearization of the Korean Penninsula is one of the stated goals. Will it happen? Maybe, maybe not, but the story has yet to be written. Fop freddie, this pathological hatred for your president is causing you to lie, show your bigotry and expose yourself as the big mouth village idiot here. Letting Trump live rent free in that empty head of yours is a pathetically beautiful thing to watch.
Brad, think about this deeper. China is behind this whole thing. If anything comes out of this, it will be in Chinas best interest not ours.
Very funny. “Beginning of continued negations” Yeah that is what President Stupid Liar said he was going there to do…”Start the beginning of a continued negotiations”. It just sounded like “COMPLETE DENUCLEARLIZATION”. When he bellowed it out in that gutteral tone of his.
You voted for the village idiot. You must be so proud.
They aren’t. Just to proud to admit the guy is a stupid liar and they made a huge mistake Fred. Can’t get an answer out of dad if supports a communist loving president. So I believe he supports it. They hate socialism but love communists.
Hey yeah. That you for reminding me of JimIII’s go to about communist/socialists. I bet we won’t get an examination about this from him either.
Brad, the “agreement” is only four or five paragraphs. Nothing in it is new, and nothing specific or detailed. Hang back, please. We will see how this develops.
Some of you righties: I advise you to hold back. Do not ride Trump’s ridiculous out-of-control fire engine, just because you dislike the likes of Fred, Jims, Teddy, Andrew, me…
Trump may well come back and bite your butts. You are under no obligation to defend him. He actually may be crazy. Please hold back, and wait and see.