Posted on 12/01/2007 12:03:56 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
The NFL and the Pittsburgh Steelers decided to start their Monday Night Football game without the National Anthem. Bad enough football has taken away all our free time in the fall and early winter. Now, it's going to take away our patriotism?
This time, it seemed like the NFL had gone too far. The game between the hometown Steelers and hapless Miami Dolphins was delayed roughly 25 minutes because of horrendous weather. Understood. The rain drove with the intensity of a hurricane residue. There were frightening lightning strikes, a strong wind, a swampland for a Heinz Field playing surface.
Everyone ran for cover, from the fans in the stands to the players on the field.
But the Star-Spangled Banner was written with bombs bursting in air. Nothing's tougher than the National Anthem.
The NFL hardly seemed worthy of its red, white and blue insignia colors by canceling America's most honorable song so the show could on two minutes less late.
Afterward, Steelers president Art Rooney II apologized. He was involved in the decision not to play the National Anthem in large part because the stands were empty.
Imagine if the Florida Marlins followed this logic.
To its credit, the NFL came to regret the decision made by league officials who were attending the game. Maybe, you had to be there. But the league has all but said the only way the National Anthem won't be played again is if the game is canceled, too.
"We didn't anticipate not having the National Anthem on Monday," said NFL spokesman Greg Aiello. "It was a decision made based on extreme weather conditions. We don't support the decision. But it was a decision made under extremely difficult circumstances. We don't anticipate this happening again."
Good enough for me. The knee has stopped jerking. Initially, I wanted to rail on about how the league had desecrated America by silencing our most traditional song. Pat Tillman died trying to defend our country, yet the league allows stormy weather to stop the Anthem?
I wanted to blame TV. No matter that Tony Kornheiser or any other ESPN official was not consulted in the decision to pull the amplifier plugs on singer Vince Neil. Everyone knows TV is behind everything in sports.
The next day, I waited for the moral outrage. Surely, bypassing the National Anthem would become the searing topic on radio talk shows across our beloved land. Newspapers were certain to represent the fourth estate by filling its editorial pages with the sad commentary of what our nation has become. Bloggers capable of feeling vitriol toward Mary Poppins would have an incident worthy of their contempt.
Instead, barely a word. The Associated Press sent along a straight, well-reported story covering all the pertinent facts. Strangely, Americans seemingly bought the explanations.
I was beginning to resent the lack of resentment, when it occurred to ask myself what the National Anthem meant to me.
Indignation was quickly drenched in shame. All those years of covering sports — one baseball season of Cactus League, regular season and postseason games can leave a guy hearing more than 200 National Anthems a year — had left me jaded.
It got to the point where us press-box wags would roll our eyes at National Anthem singers who would turn their 90 seconds of fame into three minutes. For night games when deadline demands a pregame notebook, there have been times when I would stop typing only to look up and realize "Oh, say can you see " had been sung without me.
I'm a proud American, all right. So rather than denounce the NFL, I have decided to offer it a deal: If the league promises to never again skip the National Anthem, I'll promise to stop typing before the first note is played.
Not true. If his knee had stopped jerking, he wouldn't have filed this ridiculous, second-guessing, whinging mess.
ignore their empty words, watch their actions.
Well this puts a different spin on things. The local sports talk show hosts around here said it was ESPN’s call to can the Star Spangled Banner.
I think it was more likely caused by stupidity rather than anti-Americanism.
For Pittsburgh to be behind this decision, it is mind numbing. Wonder what Rush will say about his favorite football team now? This is a huge black eye for the Steeler ownership.
ducking
If I recall correctly, there was a thunderstorm in Pittsburgh, the game was played in a monsoon. Maybe they skipped it because of the weather.
Maybe all that happened BECAUSE they skipped it!
This is all a bunch of crap. There is no law that says you have to play the Star Spangled Banner at a football game or ANY OTHER sporting event. It is a waste of time and has nothing to do with the sport at hand. Get over it people. Who said it was a requirement???
If the networks paid for it, the NFL would broadcast it. /sarc
true enough, but there’s always the option of having a recorded version onhand to play in events such as this. Poor planning either way.
This is the same NFL that decided to play a full game schedule on the Sunday (Nov. 24th) following the Friday (Nov. 22) when JFK was assassinated.
Really bad weather was in the Pittsburgh area since early afternoon. Heard about it about three hours before kickoff.
I really cannot say if that mwas the reason or not. The stadium was cleared about a half an hour before the scheduled kickoff. Having said that, if ESPN screamed for the National Anthem to be cancelled, skipped over, etc., then they need to have their asses kicked so far between their shoulder blades, they would need a proctologist to clean their teeth.
You know that “once is an accident and twice is a trend.” If this happens again, then all hell should and hopefully will break loose.
With all do respect, the NFL had another problem that day.
Aren't they kind of the same thing
I’m still trying to figure out the military jets doing flyovers of NASCAR races.....
Bring back “Heidi”!
I was listening to a talk show on KFI in LA talking about this....and the entire staff on the floor came in to sing the National Anthem at the end of the show..... it was kind of moving.
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