The practice of performing our national anthem before sporting events began during World War II when it was sung or played before baseball games as part of an effort to boost morale. The idea caught on, though, and within a few years even high school basketball games were preceded by the anthem.
At one time, spectators stood, removed hats, put hands over hearts, and even if they didn't sing along, they did face the flag, and even if they weren't exactly solemn, they were at least quiet for the duration. When it was over, they applauded and cheered, not for the performance but for the anthem and the republic for which it stands.
Or, am I too naive? Maybe it wasn't patriotism at all, maybe they cheered because they were glad the damn song was over and they could get on with the game. Considering what came later, that may be closer to the truth, because as time went on, the sports crowds appeared to have grown quite impatient for the game to begin and started their cheers and applause before the anthem ended, somewhere around the last phrase, "...and the home of the brave." Every decade, it seemed, the end of the fans' patience with it moved further and further back until the whole last section of the song was spoiled by premature applause, and worse still, the number of folks actually singing dwindled, along with the number who stood, removed hats, and put hands over hearts, or even, for that matter, paid attention to it.
This encroachment reached its absolute limit today at the NFC Championship game in San Francisco where the crowd clapped and cheered and yelled from beginning to end of the singing of the national anthem.
I freely admit that I am not overly fond of "The Star Spangled Banner" either as a song or a poem, but it is the official national anthem of the United States of America and, as such, deserves my attention and respect and that of very other citizen of this country.
The most disheartening aspect of that disgraceful display in San Francisco is that all those people should be ashamed of themselves, and they're not.
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