Should we even sing the national anthem before sporting events? | The Tylt

At the New York Times, Sam Borden wonders why don't we sing the national anthem at movies or concerts, for example? You'd never see "God Save The Queen" played at a British soccer game. Non-Americans think we're totally weird. What does football have to do with patriotism, being American, or the troops?

Why is the national anthem a staple of sporting events to begin with? Why does the United States stand apart in making the anthem a part of the pregame ritual?  No national anthems are played before a French league soccer game or a German handball league game or a Japanese rugby game. So why does the connection exist in the United States?

The president of the United States is not required to listen to the national anthem before beginning his day, but Jay Bruce must hear it before taking the field as an outfielder for the Mets.

Eric Liu, former speechwriter and adviser to President Bill Clinton, says America’s distinctive foundation maybe why we regard the anthem is so important, and incorporate it into our sporting events.

Unlike a majority of countries in the world, the United States was not created on a common platform of religion or ancestry. Rather, Americans are bound by notions and concepts, and when some perceive some Americans as violating those agreed-upon concepts, it threatens their foundation.

“I think that’s why this whole thing strikes so many people in such a passionate way,” Liu said. “This is not a country in Europe or Asia that has the traditional patriotic ideas built into it. We are united by a creed, and in a creedal society, the outsize rituals — like the anthem — just carry a lot more weight.”

Isn't the very idea of being compelled to sing a song against your will contradictory to American values? Can you be a patriot and still have big problems with America?

Love it or leave it. Not singing the anthem is seen by some as being a total traitor.

Others question the whole concept of playing the national anthem before sporting events.

The anthem has been part of our sporting events since World War II. It's a tradition that goes back for most Americans' entire lives. Like it or not, our sporting events have become a moment where audiences express shared patriotism and loyalty to the flag, and when players kneel rather than saluting, many Americans take it as a direct insult to our military.