A first during warm-ups
 

Did a college game yesterday and had something I'd never seen before. We're observing the pre-game warm-ups, we get captains at 12:00, and then the home team leaves the floor. No big deal, lots of college teams are doing this now.

But at the 10:00 mark, they asked everyone to stand and they played the national anthem. Then when it was finished, the home team came back out and they finished warm-ups, as usual.

Has anybody else ever seen this? It felt really odd, and almost disrespectful, as if they were just trying to get it out of the way early. The home team didn't even bother to stay for it.

That certainly is weird to me, but I fail to see any disrespect.
I have never seen the National Anthem played before warm-ups were over.

The part in red is what makes me think there was some purposeful disrespect. But, that's their right, I suppose. :(

If that happened every game, then it would seem that it would have already been reported to the NCAA.

Agreed. I wouldn't report it, I don't think; although I'm sure there are NCAA rules about when it's supposed to be done.

Personally, I'd be curious which school it was so I'm sure not to send my kids there; but that's probably just me.

We have a local hs gv team doing the
 

same thing. It felt odd to only have the visiting team on the floor - it was a discussion our crew had as well. When we went over to table prior to game time I inquired about it. The scorer told me that it was a fluke that had happened during first game and the home team won - so they were keeping it that way. :confused:

I should have mentioned at meeting tonight - but then again we were busy discussing the finer points of prewrap and if it falls under uniform requirements as well as the game scenario of under 5 seconds and the defense delays.

I've never seen that either. Seems unusual, but I don't think that referees are responsible for team patriotism even if it was more than happenstance. That's an AD/coach issue. Forget it.

personally, I feel it is kind of ridiculous to keep playing the National Anthem before sporting events. Big games, first game of the season, sure I don't mind but it just cheapens it to have it played so much which is why I think they played it during warmups because unfortunately many people just don't care and want it done. Now having it sung by Rosanne or Carl Lewis then I would certainly stand for that.

I've noticed some schools around here are doing the pledge of allegiance instead.

Words like different, unusual, not expected come to mind. Disrespectful? Not at all. Not only is there nothing disrespectful, the only thing about the National Anthem is that there is tradition associated with how it is done. I know of nothing that says when and how the National Anthem should be played.

Peace

I disagree, but only slightly. When it looks as if the team and game administration is going out of their way so their players don't have to be present during the playing of the national anthem; disrespect is the only word I can think of.

As I said before, though. That's their right. What they do with their rights is their business.

Scrappy - just a thought: was this a televised game? Or, does the team normally play in televised contests? It seems to me that I've seen this is done in many D-1 games where the National Anthem is played early, before the broadcast starts, so the announcers aren't having to talk during the Anthem. Iow, it seems like it is more of a respect thing to do it that way than try to do all the TV things (lineups, Keys to the Game, what happened last game, etc.) during the Anthem.

It is not unusual at all here for the clock to run down to 3:00 during warm-ups and stop.

The anthem and various other pre-game activities (bands playing, dancing girls, community or school organizations being recognized, etc.) then occur with both teams and the officials in their locker rooms.

After the pre-game festivities, both teams come out and warm up again for the final 3 minutes.

Other schools simply run the clock all the way down to 0:00 and then do the anthem with both teams (and the officials) on the floor either immediately before or immediately after the starting lineups.

But my point is that it is not uncommon at all or considered disrespectful here for the teams to be in the locker room during the anthem.

Hand Over Heart Every Night, It Never Gets Boring...
 

Many men, and women, have fought under our Stars and Stripes, and have lost their lives defending our Constitutional rights, including the right to disrespect the flag. Do think Iranians would have the right to disrespect the Iranian flag in Iran, or China, or North Korea, or a lot of other places?

Closed.