This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Long before Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, the former Denver Nuggets guard who in the 1990s preferred not to stand for The Star-Spangled Banner before games for reasons that made sense to him, some people have questioned the appropriateness of demonstrations of patriotism at sporting events in the United States.
Turns out, one man's symbol of national pride is another man's symbol of oppression and tyranny — regardless of the fact that the tyrannous, oppressive freedom represented by that flag houses the opportunity for many athletes to make more money in one quarter of a game than the average American makes in a year.
But we're off track here.
On Wednesday, a joint oversight report compiled by Arizona Senators John Flake and John McCain revealed that a whole lot of pro teams were paid $6.8 million by the Department of Defense to put on exhibitions of patriotism at games, the kinds of displays that often stir deep emotions among Americans for the men and women who serve the nation in its military.
For instance, the New York Jets were paid $20,000 to recognize two New Jersey National Guard soldiers as "hometown heroes." The Atlanta Falcons were paid to honor 80 guard members who rolled out a huge American flag on the field, as fans cheered.
At its best, that's disingenuous. At its worst, that's straight deception for profit that has no place in the stands, on the field, on the diamond, on the ice, on the court.
I don't want my patriotism bought and paid for. Do you want yours drawn out in a packaged commercial, pitched for your consumption like a set of Michelins or a cold six-pack of Bud Light?
Don't wrap my feelings for duty, honor, country in a sales presentation for which the home team profits.
Don't play with my emotions for 'Murica, and all good things for which she stands, with an advertisement at the ballpark, at the stadium, at the arena, taken from the marketing budget of the Pentagon.
I've never had a problem with the playing of the national anthem before games, with taking a minute to think about the sacrifices made by brave men and women who have gone before and who are going still, protecting our way of life. It's cool and, at times, downright moving, made more so by the troubles around our world that threaten liberty. On the other hand, I didn't have a problem with what Tommie Smith and John Carlos did in Mexico City, either.
Even though almost nobody stops to play the national anthem before other forms of entertainment, say, a concert or a movie or a play, it has become the norm before sports events, and while that playing in the early 20th Century may have been inspired, at least to some extent, by team owners wanting to capitalize at the gate on shows of patriotism, it has settled into a matter of routine.
It might bother some, even alienate a few, and be ignored by others, but, for a lot of American sports fans, the pausing before games adds to their overall experience.
I'll never forget watching Rene Rancourt, who regularly sings The Star-Spangled Banner before Boston Bruins games, start in on the song at the first Bruins home date after the Boston Marathon bombings. He sang the first few words that night, and then, the crowd joined him. He stood back and listened as the fans in the stands took over. What a moment.
It was a sign of authentic emotion, of heartfelt connection between the people of Boston, the principles of freedom they held dear and the community where they lived.
It was not bought. It was not paid for. It was not a commercial.
It was real.
When I was a kid growing up near Philadelphia, Kate Smith used to sing "God Bless America" before selected Flyers games at the Spectrum. The crowd loved it. They sang along. The Flyer players loved it, even the Canadian players, and they also sang along. They almost always won when she sang.
That was real, too.
The Milwaukee Brewers, the report said, were paid $49,000 to let the Wisconsin National Guard sponsor the Sunday singing of the same song Kate sang. Not real.
Teams that accepted taxpayers' money from the Pentagon for putting on patriotic displays, playing their fans by way of a for-profit endeavor, should be ashamed and should apologize.
One of those outfits on the list was Real Salt Lake. Since the report came to light, RSL has said the money they took was for signage and the like, not for ceremonies and tributes. If that's a fact, it's an important delineation.
But stirring the nearest and dearest of feelings from Americans, while teams pocketed, in some cases, hundreds of thousands of dollars, crosses the line from good form to bad, from honorable to dishonorable. Not just that, it cheapens genuine displays.
Policies of the United States are not perfect, and neither is the country. Paying tribute to the positives provided to so many by the freedoms that do exist — and those who protect those freedoms — is a terrific tradition. But it shouldn't be bought and sold.
Say it like Kate used to sing it, if you feel so inclined: God bless America.
GORDON MONSON hosts "The Big Show" with Spence Checketts weekdays from 3-7 p.m. on 97.5 FM and 1280 AM The Zone. Twitter: @GordonMonson.