On two separate occasions in the same week, the sports world helped us realize something important. Thanks to social media, this realization reached far beyond the sports community. The first came in a game 7 match up in the first round of the 2016 NBA playoffs between the Charlotte Hornets and the Miami Heat as Miami star player, Dwayne Wade was spotted with tears in his eyes just minutes before tip off. Hand over heart, standing at full attention, Wade reminded us why we sing the national anthem before sporting events.
It can easily be done routinely by both athletes and spectators, but the playing of our national anthem before a sporting event is of utmost importance. It has no regards for status, athleticism, bank account, politics, or otherwise. When those all-so-familiar lyrics ring out in patriotic melody as each individual present stands in respect to what it represents, we are all on the same level. We're all not only athletes, businessmen or women, and sports fans, but we are Americans.
Wade, who has also been an outstanding competitor for team USA over the course of his career, showed us how much this short song means to him, not only in a USA jersey, but even in a Miami Heat jersey. It's evident in the way he carries himself and the way he plays the game, that the name on the back of his jersey isn't just there to let people know who he is, but to let people know who it is that plays with such passion and respect for his team and country. Keep in mind, this was a first round playoff game. Sure it was the deciding game of the series, but it wasn't even in the finals. Had the Heat lost that game (which they went on to win by an impressive margin), Wade would have been back at it in a couple months anyway. The tears didn't come after the game, but before it, creating what was possibly the most memorable moment of that series.
The second event that week came in a baseball game in which spectators were told there would be no singing of the national anthem due to a time crunch. So, what did the crowd do? They broke out in unanimous singing of the Star-Spangled Banner. No track playing in the background, no instruments, no microphone... just the voices of American sports fans who understand the importance of those precious minutes before the game. Once again, as players warming up on the field paused in recognition of what was happening in the stands, athletes and fans alike were united on the basis of a song.
To those who fail to see the importance of this practice, listen a little closer to the words next time you hear it and think about what inspired them in the first place.
Oh, say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave
