I guess that’s one way to avoid Donald Trump breathing down your neck?
Most of the owners have backed away from the announced action the said the would take that Trump wanted against the NFL football players for knelling or any other action while the National anthem is played before a game…
Several players have done so already in this season’s pre-season contests…
ESPN will not broadcast the national anthem before “Monday Night Football” games this season, network President Jimmy Pitaro said Friday.
“We generally have not broadcasted the anthem and I don’t think that will change this year. Our plan going into this year is to not broadcast the anthem,” Pitaro saidduring ESPN Football Media Day, according to Axios’ Sara Fischer.
He added: “Again that could change. It’s unpredictable what could happen in the world but as of now, we’re not. We have communicated that back to the NFL. They have not asked but as courtesy and good partners we have let them know what our plans are.”
After showing the national anthem before games in the past, the “Monday Night Football” production team decided not to do so last year. ESPN sources told the Washington Post that decision was made in order to allow more time during the broadcast to discuss the game….
As noted in the article,they have rarely done so in the past.
Personally,I couldn’t care less ,nor have I ever understood the American mania over playing the national anthem at sporting events.
Good move by ESPN. No one watches sports to watch the nationL anthem.
The issue will be amplified as long as Trump is on stage…
It will probably NEVER go away in America….
The owners would wise to just let it go….
As I understand it, major league baseball started playing the National Anthem (which at that time was America [“My country ’tis of thee…”] ) or The Star-Spangled Banner at games during World War I — when I think there might have been questions of whether young players in top physical form should instead be in different uniforms fighting on the Western Front.
Compare this with the sudden introduction after 9/11/2001 of God Bless America at the seventh-inning stretch (when the more common tune had been Take Me Out to the Ball Game).
What upsets me are the performances by popular music singers striving to promote their own careers who twist and distort the Anthem partly because they’re technically unable to give a good traditional, patriotic rendition. Often the public-address system will ask the fans to welcome the “five-time Grammy-winning star …”
For myself, I would have been happy if every New York home game after 9/11 had continued to begin with the stirring performance of that professional or semi-pro singer who was also a sergeant in the NYPD. The various armed-forces choruses have also got this down pat.
The Boston Bruins are now trying out various singers to replace (or succeed) the man who’d sung the Anthem at every home game in the Boston Garden for over forty years. (Cf. the late Robert Goulet.)
Nationalism should be in our hearts first and for most….
I do understand the questioning of the very words sung by those who do NOT feel that the words apply always to them or those they see everyday…..
To some people the word “nationalism” has negative connotations.
The word has several definitions.Some use it merely as indicative aof general patriotic feelings.To others it’s use indicates a feeling of superiority to other countries.
Since I was a youngster ,when I am present and the anthem is being played I stand with my hand over my heart;however, I see some people standing (or slouching) while others stand and chatter or just walk away.Big damn Deal.
This whole thing is simply much ado about nothing and is being used as a political gimmick to cast aspersions on this or that by various factions on both sides.I find the whole thing dumb and stupid.
I see the same thing Jack….
But for some Americans?
The deep thoughts about ‘Liberty and Justice for all ‘ ring hollow…
ESPECIALLY with a guy like Trump (And other Republicans) playing the politics , as you point out AGAINST whole classes of Americans….
There is NO doubt that those same players that kneel would defend America against ALL enemies….
But would Donald Trump?
The same guy who has been trying HARD to get in bed with a guy who is trying to harm the very country that Trump swore to defend when he got his current job….
The political gimmickry CAN get pretty deep my friend for some Americans….Even the ones making a lot of money in sports