We Should Stop Playing National Anthems Before Every Sporting Event

Dwyane Wade angered our neighbors to the north by continuing to shoot jumpers during the playing of O Canada before Game 3 of the Miami Heat-Toronto Raptors series.

Wade blamed the incident on a time-clock management issue and went third-person while defending himself.

"“I’m not a disrespectful person. So if anybody thinks I’m being disrespectful towards a country, then they have no idea of who Dwyane Wade is.”"

It’s impossible to imagine a scenario where Wade thought it prudent to make a statement by not lining up for the Canadian anthem. That said, there’s no surprise his failure to do so is ruffling feathers. Had the situation been reversed and Andrew Wiggins or another Canadian player continued to shoot during The Star-Spangled Banner, it’s safe to say there’d be red, white and blue-soaked outrage from sea to shining sea.

Tempers will still be high for Game 5 when the series heads back to Toronto so this story line isn’t going anywhere — at least for a few days.

There is a silver lining to the rising tensions between two usually-friendly nations.

It allows the opportunity to raise what I firmly believe is my least popular sports opinion.

We should stop playing the national anthem before every single game. America’s national anthem. Canada’s national anthem. Any national anthem.

If you’ve made it to this line then you didn’t immediately die of a rage stroke. Congratulations. Let me explain the reasoning, if you can stomach it.

Pregame national anthems are tradition. They are part of our DNA. If they weren’t grandfathered in through indoctrination, perhaps more people would realize that they are also weird.

Why does America need to be honored before a Spring Training game between the Baltimore Orioles and Seattle Mariners? Why must we have Francis Scott Key’s words played on a poor-quality sound system before a junior varsity basketball contest?

These aren’t international competitions. The athletes aren’t representing their country. They are representing the Arizona Cardinals, the St. Louis Blues or Henry Hudson High School.

Let me state the obvious. A healthy amount of patriotism is a great thing. The privileges granted to me simply by being an American do not go unnoticed. The sacrifices brave men and women made to ensure these continue should be lauded.

I don’t really think I need to point that out while making the argument that the national anthem tradition needs to be revisited.

Why?

Because an overwhelming majority of fans don’t use the time for reflection or appreciation. The next time you’re at sporting event, take a look around notice how many people are locked into their phones, sipping their beer or worse during the playing of the anthem. It’s impossible to know someone’s inner thoughts, but the outward actions suggest someone counting the seconds until they can yell, “play ball” instead of basking in freedoms of the First Amendment.

Respectfully observing the tradition doesn’t make one a good American. To think otherwise is simplistic. It proves one can follow society’s rules for 100 seconds.

The Star-Spangled Banner long ago reached a point of over-saturation. It’s the logical result of playing it before every single game, regardless of importance. Poignancy and meaning have been dulled as the record wears thin.

Those passionate in the defense of the tradition should look critically at the issue and see if tweaks could be made.

Would saving the anthem for big games, moments of national strife or national pride help it resonate more? I believe so. Is that the Utopian ideal behind its playing in the first place? The answer to that, I believe, is also yes.

Years of quietly floating this idea has taught me a few things. One, that it’s an unpopular one. Especially among the older generations. Two, few people have ever thought about why we sing the national anthem before games, let alone the activity’s merit.

In raising the question and pushing for change, I understand I’m embarking on a losing battle. Then again, the definition of victory isn’t professional sports leagues cutting back on the pregame pageantry. It’s getting the people reading this to reconsider the process and what it means to them.

Disagree with me, as I know most will. My ability to question and dissent is part and parcel of what the national anthem is meant to celebrate.

Prove me wrong by taking it seriously. Prove me wrong by restoring some meaning. Prove me wrong by not going through the motions with muscle memory.

Or maybe, just maybe, admit that, deep down, you feel the same way.