How About We Stop Tying The National Anthem To Sporting Events

Posted by | May 3, 2015 09:55 | Filed under: Opinion Politics

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Jamie Foxx is being heavily criticized for his performance of “The Star Spangled Banner” at Saturday night’s fight.  How about stopping this false display of patriotism altogether. What does two people beating the bejesus out of each other have to do with “the rockets red glare” and “bombs bursting in air”? In fact, what does this song have to do with America in the first place? The melody is based on an old English drinking song, has images of war, and is impossible to sing.

Let’s, once and for all, confine this song to military exercises and classrooms. Better yet, let’s choose a better national anthem, like “America the Beautiful” or “This Land is Your Land”. Here’s an even better idea: Since we’re a nation of immigrants, how about “America” from West Side Story?



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Copyright 2015 Liberaland
By: Alan

Alan Colmes is the publisher of Liberaland.

40 responses to How About We Stop Tying The National Anthem To Sporting Events

  1. Jake May 3rd, 2015 at 10:22

    https://youtu.be/Q0JkTIKm2iY

  2. Jake May 3rd, 2015 at 10:34

    https://youtu.be/Dg9jHTYZ-6U

  3. Budda May 3rd, 2015 at 10:37

    Agreed. Most performers who do sing this at “events” don’t do well and are cringe worthy if not embarrasing

  4. Esau Carin May 3rd, 2015 at 11:17

    Agreed. The National Anthem is too important to be used at sporting events. End the practice.

    • Robert M. Snyder May 4th, 2015 at 00:10

      Take it up with the IOC (International Olympic Committee). The national anthem of the gold medal winner is always played during the medals ceremony, no matter which country they are from.

  5. Kick Frenzy May 3rd, 2015 at 11:41

    I’ve never been a fan of the violence in that song as a national anthem.
    Of course, it’s hard to find a song that doesn’t adulate and praise war or the Christian God.

    The only one I’ve found that fits that bill so far is “This Land Is Your Land”… except that after reading the lyrics, it seems like it’s a sarcastic song shining a light on how America isn’t actually for everybody and people are struggling beneath the shiny exterior.
    Or I could be wrong and it’s meant more of a “This land IS made for you and me, screw the haters”.
    Either way, it’s a political statement really and probably not fitting as a national anthem (even if I would like it to be so).

    My vote would be for Neil Diamond’s America:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTSLRbm8L9E

    • Larry Schmitt May 3rd, 2015 at 12:26

      I don’t care which song is our anthem, what does it have to do with a sporting event? I’ve always felt that way. When I was in the Air Force, they used to play it at the base theater before a movie! Never made any sense to me, any more than having In God We Trust on the money, or saying the Pledge of Allegiance before school. It’s all meaningless ceremony.

      • Kick Frenzy May 3rd, 2015 at 12:57

        I don’t really get it either… but it’s not just an American thing.
        As far as I know there are other countries that sing their anthems before sports as well.

        Maybe it’s partially to say we’re all from the same country, so don’t be douchebags to each other on the field/court/whatever?
        Maybe it’s partially to get people settled in their seats?

        It doesn’t bother me too much either way, but I’m not opposed to it being dropped from sports either.

        • Larry Schmitt May 3rd, 2015 at 13:04

          But you don’t have to show a passport to go to a game. Everyone knows what country the game is being played in. And here, when they play both the US and Canadian anthems when a Canadian team plays, almost none of the players actually live in Canada. Problem is, it’s hard to stop a tradition. There would be a knee-jerk reaction by mindless dolts, similar to what you would get if you suggested removing in god we trust from the money. According to Mental Floss, it started in baseball during WWI, then gained momentum in WWII, and then spread to other sports.

          • Kick Frenzy May 3rd, 2015 at 13:27

            Like I said, I’m not against it going away and have no need to see it continued… but I’m not that concerned about it being sung either.

            My bigger gripe is that our national anthem praises war and violence.

      • Dwendt44 May 4th, 2015 at 12:43

        They sing the National Anthem before a wrestling matches and even before a major auction. So ya, what’s the connection? Well Nationalism is one.

  6. Bobby Rawls May 3rd, 2015 at 12:03

    how about you suck my D-ck Alan Holmes, go to Canada you Fu-knut

    • OldLefty May 3rd, 2015 at 12:15

      Why?
      Who died and made YOU the King?

    • Suzanne McFly May 3rd, 2015 at 12:26

      You kiss your mother with that mouth boy genius? Common sense would tell you that if you are not a liberal, Liberaland would not be a place you would feel welcome, but we all know how your types feel about having respect for others, let alone their places to come to discuss issues and have like-minded responses.

    • Larry Schmitt May 3rd, 2015 at 12:29

      If you’re going to insult someone, at least get his name right. It’s Alan Colmes. And seriously, that’s your response to someone you don’t agree with, go to Canada? Not very American of you. See, in this country, people are allowed to have different opinions without having to leave the country. So why don’t you f*ck off?

    • fahvel May 3rd, 2015 at 17:16

      hey fella, you just exposed yourself in public and all we see is a dick head that probably can’t shoot straight.
      I’m with Larry below!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  7. Foundryman May 3rd, 2015 at 12:11

    I couldn’t possibly agree more. It is so phony to have a bunch of drunk gamblers rise up and take their hats off before these events. And how much does the taxpayer pay out for every military jet fly over before races and such? And who would pay damages if one of those planes crashed into a group of houses?
    Fake nationalistic pride and patriotic displays are used to keep the rubes brainwashed. I remember how we were always critical of the may day parade in the soviet union, these little mini parades serve the same purpose.
    It might be different if our roads were pristine, our schools were flawless our healthcare options were endless and our minimum wage were above 50K. Instead for several decades now the right has stymied any attempt to improve or advance by claiming we can’t afford it because of their ‘trickle down’ and ‘starving the beast’ economic agenda. We could have so much more to stand up and sing about, but we have to rid ourselves of right wing extremists first.

  8. Gina May 3rd, 2015 at 13:30

    I may be wrong, but I believe this is usual all over the world. And yours is one of the most beautiful anthems–see Jimmy Hendrix

  9. whatthe46 May 3rd, 2015 at 13:41

    doesn’t jamie look just like his character Sha ne’ne’ in that pic. lol that face cracks me up.

  10. JSBrown303 May 3rd, 2015 at 14:41

    What does it have to do with America? Apparently Mr. Colmes, like many these days, has either forgotten American History (and even history in general), or never even studied it in the first place. Yes, the tune/melody is from an old English song, but the words are about how Francis Scott Key, while stuck on a ship out in Chesapeake Bay, saw the flag still flying after the night of The Battle of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Star-Spangled_Banner

    • Budda May 3rd, 2015 at 15:02

      Yea, most of do know American History. So what does a battle in the War of 1812 have to do with a sporting event?

      By the way, you do know that American got it’s a$$ kicked ( mostly by Canadians ) in that war, right?

      • Larry Schmitt May 3rd, 2015 at 18:09

        And don’t forget the British burned the White House too.

      • Wee Mousie May 4th, 2015 at 02:11

        Actually, the lyrics to “The Star Spangled Banner” do have a timely message for US patriots of today, being a celebratory hymn to surviving the blowback from America’s first offensive war.

        • Budda May 4th, 2015 at 08:53

          Maybe it does have a timely message for US patriots ( but not for anyone else?)…but again, what does this song have to do with a ball game?

          • Wee Mousie May 4th, 2015 at 14:12

            I’m using the phrase “US patriots” to indicate citizens who actually like their country the way it was designed to run, not to indicate cheerleaders for every opportunistic war which comes down the pike.

        • StoneyCurtisll May 4th, 2015 at 20:03

          Exactly~!

    • fahvel May 3rd, 2015 at 17:14

      golly gee, you are so smart – just go wiki and you seem to have an education but there are many buts attached to fairy tales.

    • JSBrown303 May 3rd, 2015 at 23:24

      I already knew the story of when/why it was written. I just put the link for more info than the snippet I wrote.
      I didn’t say that it had anything to do with sporting events. I was just replying to the comment of what does the song have to do with America.
      So we may not of done so great in 1812. We still won our independence from the British.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-r-5kB1Sz0

      • allison1050 May 4th, 2015 at 13:23

        What does this horrible (grade xyz) movie that’s set in Australia have to do with the subject anything? What have I missed?

        • JSBrown303 May 4th, 2015 at 20:03

          Just a smart alleck reply regarding the comments about the War of 1812 and how the U.S. ultimately won it’s independence. Specifically the part about sending the “misfits” “back to England”.
          I’m an Equal Opportunity Smart Alleck (I’ll be a smart alleck to anybody!), And I Come From A Loooong Line Of Them! ;)

          Btw, personally I have no idea what the Anthem has to do with sporting events. I guess it’s just become tradition. *shrugs*

          • StoneyCurtisll May 4th, 2015 at 20:32

            The US won it’s independence before the War of 1812..

          • allison1050 May 4th, 2015 at 22:21

            Bets hell out of me also.

    • Hogandda May 4th, 2015 at 10:26

      But why do we have to have it to open a sports event?

  11. granpa.usthai May 4th, 2015 at 00:45

    I kinda take a liking to the Star Spangled Banner myself. Catch myself whistling it from time to time – usually when I’m in gay (as in ha, ha) spirits. Like it best when it’s just the marching band (no singers) with a continuous drum roll and the bass drums and cymbals hitting on time! Also like the Stars and Stripes FOREVER by the US ARMY Band @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5bcpjUjLpU, but my all time favorite is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v54vZ4W8598

    BAAAAAUUUUGGGGAAAAHHHH!

    • Larry Schmitt May 4th, 2015 at 13:43

      The choir did a lousy job of enunciating. Only way I could get the words is by turning on captions. And I didn’t care for that line “banner of the right.”

  12. Khary A May 4th, 2015 at 16:46

    Hey here’s the thing about all the criticizing Jaime Foxx has been receiving for his rendition of the SPB, *ahem* He truly doesn’t care and why should he? Remember to the sensibilities of the elite those pejoratives cast out by the unwashed masses are like the buzzing of flies.Worth little to nothing.

    Instead of this kind of banal drivel that’s passing for pertinent information why don’t the fine stewards of this page focus on more pressing matters of humanity and state and less on the ignorant rumblings of twitter trolls and obvious racist buffoons.

    I’ll start the ball rolling

    http://news.yahoo.com/nigeria-boko-haram-disarray-government-forces-advance-184603404.html

  13. StoneyCurtisll May 4th, 2015 at 20:00

    High Five to Alan for posting that West Side Story link~!!

  14. robert May 5th, 2015 at 18:55

    how about stopping really bad sports songs on the web ?

    https://youtu.be/OnAs10aNK04

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