[JulieER]

Why do we have to have the Star Spangled Banner or anything played before a game? Why can’t they just come out and play?

[Judy n Ron]

Originally Posted by DeanFL

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My bad. I always thought that "The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States.

National anthem
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A national anthem (also state anthem, national hymn, national song, etc.) is generally a patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions, and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nation's government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style.

It appears I slept through this in Civics class....>>>

NOW.... (talk about divisive IMO)>

From USA Today (article linked below)

NFL will play Black national anthem 'Lift Every Voice and Sing' before each Week 1 game


Starting with the nationally televised regular-season opener between the Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 10, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” also known as the Black national anthem, will be performed before every Week 1 kickoff, before "The Star-Spangled Banner," according to a person familiar with ongoing discussions.

NFL plans Black national anthem 'Lift Every Voice and Sing' in Week 1

I'm taking a knee. Ron

[Joanne19335]

Originally Posted by JulieER

Why do we have to have the Star Spangled Banner or anything played before a game? Why can’t they just come out and play?

It is out of respect and love of our country that our National Anthem is played before a sporting event. When an American hockey team plays against a Canadian team, the Canadian National Anthem is also played. If you object to listening to our national anthem, mute your TV until the game begins.

[MandoMan]

Originally Posted by beachman46

You do not mix, sports, religion and politics

I’m laughing. Yesterday I saw a meme on Facebook complaining that NASCAR would no longer begin each race with the national anthem and a prayer. I love the TV series “Friday Night Lights”. In that show, though, the team had a group prayer in the locker room before every game, led by the coach. I remember the scene in the great World War II movie “Catch—22” where Buck Henry asks the “padre” to offer “a nice snappy prayer” before a bombing mission, and when it drags on, Colonel Cathcart butts in and asks God for nice tight bombing patterns that will destroy the enemy. I remember the old Bob Dylan song “With God on Or Side.”

[Dana1963]

Do they play the “National Anthem” and “Pledge of Allegiance” prior to PGA Tournaments?

[Vonjor@gmail.com]

That is a hard song to sing. But, so is the Star Bangled Banner, which by the way has only been our national anthem since1931.
I vote for America the Beautiful!

[daca55]

Originally Posted by MarkGoldberg

I am so sorry to see it come to the point that we feel the need to select a single group of people to celebrate by singing a song that represents them at football games. No, it isn’t that I don’t recognize the importance, I simply don’t understand why we are singling out one group. Should we hold a concert before each game consisting of every song representing every culture. I am sorry we have become so divided as a country that it has come to this. I wonder, and I hope not, but will people begin to take a knee when that song is played. It will only add fuel to the fire that is currently leading to a civil war.

You are so spot on!! Everything you said is so true and exactly how I feel. Taking down statues and singing songs that are for one group are only going to divide us more than we already are. Sad that this country has come to this fork in the road.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

Here is the story behind the Star Spangled Banner. It is the how and why it was written.

Short History of The Star Spangled Banner | American Battlefield Trust

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

Here is the third verse by the way, which is never sung.

It does have the word slave in it but it doesn't appear to me to be talking about African slaves specifically.

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country, should leave us no more?
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave,
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Will we be banning the Bible next because of the references to slaves?

I think that what some are missing here is that the US Flag was the flag of the north in the Civil War. It's the symbol of those who fought to end slavery.

I don't know how you can fight to get rid of the Stars and Bars and also the Star Spangled Banner?

[Dlbonivich]

Very nice song m, but not sure I need to hear it before NFL game. They stoped showing national anthem on TV last year. So are we going to see this instead this year. I will stand for national anthem not the black national anthem. That might be cultural appropriation!

[PJackpot]

My guess is the players will stand for the black national anthem and then kneel for America's national anthem.

[Dilligas]

Originally Posted by DeanFL

.
.
.
My bad. I always thought that "The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States.

National anthem
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A national anthem (also state anthem, national hymn, national song, etc.) is generally a patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions, and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nation's government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style.

It appears I slept through this in Civics class....>>>

NOW.... (talk about divisive IMO)>

From USA Today (article linked below)

NFL will play Black national anthem 'Lift Every Voice and Sing' before each Week 1 game


Starting with the nationally televised regular-season opener between the Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 10, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” also known as the Black national anthem, will be performed before every Week 1 kickoff, before "The Star-Spangled Banner," according to a person familiar with ongoing discussions.

NFL plans Black national anthem 'Lift Every Voice and Sing' in Week 1

Remember, Wikipedia is an on line collection of posts that have been compiled.
The Merrimack-Webster Dictionary defines as ......Definition of national anthem
: a song that praises a particular country and that is officially accepted as the country's song.
That is The Star Spangled Banner 🇺🇸

[Neils]

Originally Posted by DeanFL

.
.
.
My bad. I always thought that "The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States.

National anthem
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A national anthem (also state anthem, national hymn, national song, etc.) is generally a patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions, and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nation's government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style.

It appears I slept through this in Civics class....>>>

NOW.... (talk about divisive IMO)>

From USA Today (article linked below)

NFL will play Black national anthem 'Lift Every Voice and Sing' before each Week 1 game


Starting with the nationally televised regular-season opener between the Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 10, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” also known as the Black national anthem, will be performed before every Week 1 kickoff, before "The Star-Spangled Banner," according to a person familiar with ongoing discussions.

NFL plans Black national anthem 'Lift Every Voice and Sing' in Week 1

Prefer to watch old movies or rerun TV shows than paying to watch millionaire “oppressed people” grandstand their PC public stance.

No more NFL NBA or paid athlete college games for me.

[Bay Kid]

Anything white has to go. Everything.

[BlackhawksFan]

Originally Posted by beachman46

You do not mix, sports, religion and politics

They've mixed since the beginning of time. Most notibly Jesse Owens and Hitler, Jackie Robinson, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, Muhammad Ali, the 1980 US Hockey team, Olympic boycotts, Colin Kaepernick knealing, NBA players protesting the anthem, Shawn Green not playing baseball on Yom Kippur, the Phoenix Suns honoring Hispanic heritage after Arizona enacted strict immigration law, NBA players wearing hoodie for Trayvon Martin, the University of Missouri football team having a hunger strike to force the university president to resign over racist environment on campus, WNBA/NBA playeRS wearingn"I can't breathe" shirts.

It goes on and on and on. They've always intersected and always will. Either your point is weak and invalid or you've never paid attention and I'm not sure which is worse.