Colin Kaepernick’s political stance is the the story of the week. The 49ers quarterback has instigated a national conversation regarding race in America. He did so by sitting when thousands stood during the national anthem pregame ceremony last Saturday, August 27 against the Green Bay Packers.
It seems like everyone in the country has an opinion on the QB’s statement. But I want to take a step back for a second and ask a question most sports fans tend to ignore. That is, why do Americans sing the "Star-Spangled Banner" before sporting events?
Dustin how unpatriotic of you!
Slow down, I’m just asking the question.
Are you like me and have ever wondered why we are asked to “remove our caps for the singing of our national anthem” like we are entering a cathedral? Or why we put our hand over our hearts and sing the words, “land of the free and the home of the brave,” before a game six-year-olds can play? Do you honor America before that movie? Musical? Concert? Wedding? No, you don’t.
Don’t get me wrong, I respect the "Star-Spangled Banner." But, doesn’t it seem odd that I have to honor America when I attend a college basketball game, but not when I gradate from college?
So how did sports become involved with the star spangled banner?
Supposedly, the first time the "Star-Spangled Banner" was played before a pro game in the US was in 1862, before a Brooklyn baseball game. After the song was declared the national anthem by congress in 1931, all four major US sports leagues adopted the anthem and used it regularly, starting during World War II. Now the anthem is an event within an event, often including displays of nationalistic fervor like military nights and a salute to the troops; a political statement in it’s own right.
So what is it about sports that ignites this sense of nationalism so much so that we sing our own national anthem before all pro sporting events? After all, the US, along with our neighbors, Canada, are the only nations that play their respective songs before domestic and international games. Most countries just play their anthems before international friendlies or competitions.
Even in front of small crowds before amateur games, the anthem is always played.
Take my school, Skidmore College, who compete in NCAA DIII athletic contests and the national anthem is played before every game in front of, usually, extremely small crowds. Nevertheless, students like me stand in empty bleachers with our hands over our hearts wondering, “is this really necessary?”
Maybe, but maybe not.
I’m not sure why we sing the star spangled banner before sports games, and I don’t think there is a clear answer. But I will say that the world of sports is not hermetically sealed from outside forces like politics, or globalization. Perhaps we play the anthem because sports are more than just entertainment, just ask Colin Kaepernick.
