Freedom of speech makes it easy to spot the idiots.

But it's not applicable here, IMO, because we're not talking about government intervention.

It sounds fishy to me. I think it was an excuse he used for being late or something else. According to him, he's backing off it, and the media made it up and it had nothing to do with his religion.

That's my point. In some places there would be intervention.

Some religions consider a national anthem as an oath. Some religions believe oaths / anthems should be reserved only for their God.

(Don't shoot the messenger)

A few years ago, the Mennonite college near me considered doing away with the National Anthem at their home events for exactly this reason. They still play it, but I hear it was a hot topic on campus for a while.

Occasionally, I'll look around during the anthem at this school and see a few people that don't stand up. Nobody seems to care.

I think it is a silly thing to constantly do at every contest. I get it if we are doing a special event or something to honor troops, but every game to me does not need this display. Not everyone is from this country at games. Not everyone feels the same way. And if we cannot honor the other things surround the country properly like the flag on the field, when to stand at attention when the flag is being walked by an area or other things that show people in this country that claim to be so offended, never do or practice. And I am saying this knowing damn well my father is buried in a Veteran Cemetery for his service in Korea and he always honored the flag as a Veteran when I grew up. I even attended a Military Academy for a year and I learned a lot of things we are supposed to do, we do not even do. I agree, a lot of people do not care.

Peace

Nothing. The story is misreported. Even the reporter has admitted as much.

Interesting. Media messing up on crucial facts of a situation? How can that happen. :)

Peace

Silly? There are 168 hours each week. Four minutes is silly? This veteran, son of a three-time wounded WWII veteran, who passed away one month ago today, is of a differing opinion.
I have, several times, accepted the opportunity to sing the National Anthem at basketball games, and have exulted in the feelings that great song evokes in most of the attendees.
And yes, my father and I both gladly served to preserve and protect every person's right/privelege to differ in their opinions of such matters.

Then why don't people do all the other things that honor the flag or follow protocol? If you do not know those things, then yes it is silly.

There is nothing special about the National Anthem for a sporting contest. We only started this practice in the last 50 years or so. And it was not done at every sporting event until probably the last 30 years.

Again, it is after all my opinion. ;)

Peace

Four minutes would be a funeral dirge.

Any anthem sung played in more than 80 seconds (or sung in more than 90) is horrible.

I'm in agreement that playing/singing the anthem before EVERY game at almost every level of athletic competition is kind of overplayed. It almost lessens the significance of it. It's just something else to get done, like the starting lineups.

Don't get me started on "God Bless America" during the 7th inning stretch of baseball games. The song sucks and has no place in sporting events. Did we even sing it during games before 9/11?

Just The Facts, Ma'am ...
 

I'm glad that it's only an opinion because I would hate to think that one could confuse it with some facts.

This "practice" started about seventy years ago, not fifty years ago.

From Wikepedia:

In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson ordered that "The Star-Spangled Banner" be played at military and other appropriate occasions. The playing of the song two years later during the seventh-inning stretch of the 1918 World Series, and thereafter during each game of the series is often cited as the first instance that the anthem was played at a baseball game, though evidence shows that the "Star-Spangled Banner" was performed as early as 1897 at opening day ceremonies in Philadelphia and then more regularly at the Polo Grounds in New York City beginning in 1898. In any case, the tradition of performing the national anthem before every baseball game began in World War II.

I graduated from high school forty-three years ago (not thirty years ago) and The Star Spangled Banner was played before every single basketball game, both home, and away.

Of course, I'm sure that things were considerably different in Chicagoland back then.

The Eleventh Hour, Of The Eleventh Day, Of The Eleventh Month ...
 

Happy Veteran's Day. Thank you for serving.

I did not grow up in Chicagoland. So if you want to talk about facts, at least get that one right. I have stated that several times and also not the only place I work sports. We have a bigger state than where you live. ;)

Secondly the practice started at that time, but it was not customary until relatively recently. There were not the NA in every sport before every game. There were even places that never did this until in the last 40 years or so.

And I really hope you are doing more than looking this up on Wikepedia as your only source. I graduated from HS in the early 1990s, it was not done every game and many times it was not done at all.

Peace