Madmallard
.223 Rem
Imagine going to a movie and being asked to stand for the national anthem when the previews finish. Being at a concert and the opening act not taking the stage until after the last notes of "The Star-Spangled Banner" have faded. Trying to corral kids at an arcade birthday party while the anthem plays.
It would be absurd.
So, too, is the playing of the anthem before sporting events, and it’s time we stopped.
The national anthem can be a powerful unifier in times of crisis, as it was during World War I, when it became a staple before baseball games. Whitney Houston’s performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the 1991 Super Bowl, during the height of the first Gulf War, still gives me chills.
But it will take a lot more than a song to bridge this country’s great divide.
Things we'd change in sports: It's time to stop playing national anthem at sporting events
It would be absurd.
So, too, is the playing of the anthem before sporting events, and it’s time we stopped.
The national anthem can be a powerful unifier in times of crisis, as it was during World War I, when it became a staple before baseball games. Whitney Houston’s performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the 1991 Super Bowl, during the height of the first Gulf War, still gives me chills.
But it will take a lot more than a song to bridge this country’s great divide.
Things we'd change in sports: It's time to stop playing national anthem at sporting events
