ESPN Panelist Calls National Anthem A "War Anthem"

[Pogo]

I'll say it again...sports are nothing more than "war", pitting one "tribe" against another. Somewhat less bloody, but war nonetheless.

Of course they are.

Just trying to make sense of why we should be playing a national anthem, when it's the same anthem for both teams.

One side wins, one loses. Both strive for victory. Would you be satisfied if each team had their own theme song...oh, wait, at least college teams do.

Yeah that would make more sense. Stir up the blood lust.

 

[daveman]

Not shit indeed. So why make it up?

Back to the OP -- where does the guy say it's "evil"? Or make any value judgement? He says it's a "war anthem", which it is. So what? Again, why make up something that isn't there?

Further, the "buy"/"sell" routine is a sports point/counterpoint where you're supposed to take a stand. So this guy did, and another guy took the opposite stand. That's dialogue. Again, so what?

Now he does raise the question of why we play a national anthem at an (intranational) sports event. I do too.

I'll say it again...sports are nothing more than "war", pitting one "tribe" against another. Somewhat less bloody, but war nonetheless.

Of course they are.

Just trying to make sense of why we should be playing a national anthem, when it's the same anthem for both teams.

Oh, I dunno...maybe to remind people that no matter what jerseys we wear, we're all Americans first?

 

[Pogo]

I'll say it again...sports are nothing more than "war", pitting one "tribe" against another. Somewhat less bloody, but war nonetheless.

Of course they are.

Just trying to make sense of why we should be playing a national anthem, when it's the same anthem for both teams.

Oh, I dunno...maybe to remind people that no matter what jerseys we wear, we're all Americans first?

Right... but why would that be in question? You're sitting in a stadium in Kansas City and in comes a visiting team from Baltimore... is there any doubt where you are?

Then again once we switch seasonally from baseball to football... no more anthem. Unless it's a really big game.

Baseball gets an anthem, football doesn't. Even though the latter is far more warlike.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmXacL0Uny0"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmXacL0Uny0[/ame]

 

[daveman]

Of course they are.

Just trying to make sense of why we should be playing a national anthem, when it's the same anthem for both teams.

Oh, I dunno...maybe to remind people that no matter what jerseys we wear, we're all Americans first?

Right... but why would that be in question? You're sitting in a stadium in Kansas City and in comes a visiting team from Baltimore... is there any doubt where you are?

Then again once we switch seasonally from baseball to football... no more anthem. Unless it's a really big game.

Baseball gets an anthem, football doesn't. Even though the latter is far more warlike.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmXacL0Uny0"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmXacL0Uny0[/ame]

 

[Pogo]

^^ Close as I'll ever get to Dave admitting he agrees with me

 

[daveman]

^^ Close as I'll ever get to Dave admitting he agrees with me

Sure, if you totally make up shit.

Will somebody PLEASE tell Pogo he's right and demand we stop playing the National Anthem before ball games, or at least change it to "All You Fascists?"

 

[mudwhistle]

Right, and one specific battle, and really at base the song is about a flag -- not even the country.

That's what I find interesting -- other countries wax poetic about their homeland, we go all into a cloth fetish.

Same as the pledge of allegiance, except that's something most of the world doesn't even have (I think the Phillipines is the only one). What does it say about us that we're that degree of symbol-minded?

(Or as SpockSmoker might call it, "metaphorical")

Symbolism must be really confusing for you......lol.

Unless it's spelled out in intimate detail and accompanied by links to explain it all, I guess you're lost.


I must be getting under your skin if you're resorting to half-witted name changes.

*SpockSmoker*

Pathetic........

Hee hee. Like that?
You don't last long around here without a sense of humour.

If you stay here long enough maybe we can laugh about it together.

 

[hjmick]

^^ Close as I'll ever get to Dave admitting he agrees with me

Sure, if you totally make up shit.

Will somebody PLEASE tell Pogo he's right and demand we stop playing the National Anthem before ball games, or at least change it to "All You Fascists?"

No.


While I recognize the practice did not become common until WWII, and while I believe it no longer really serves a purpose in today's sporting world, I have no problem with it. Leave the decision up to the club owners, that's where the tradition started, that's where it should end...

 

[daveman]

^^ Close as I'll ever get to Dave admitting he agrees with me

Sure, if you totally make up shit.

Will somebody PLEASE tell Pogo he's right and demand we stop playing the National Anthem before ball games, or at least change it to "All You Fascists?"

No.


While I recognize the practice did not become common until WWII, and while I believe it no longer really serves a purpose in today's sporting world, I have no problem with it. Leave the decision up to the club owners, that's where the tradition started, that's where it should end...

Looks like you're outvoted, Pogo. Too bad.

 

[Pogo]

Sure, if you totally make up shit.

Will somebody PLEASE tell Pogo he's right and demand we stop playing the National Anthem before ball games, or at least change it to "All You Fascists?"

No.


While I recognize the practice did not become common until WWII, and while I believe it no longer really serves a purpose in today's sporting world, I have no problem with it. Leave the decision up to the club owners, that's where the tradition started, that's where it should end...

Looks like you're outvoted, Pogo. Too bad.

"Outvoted" -- on what? Is everything a fucking contest to you?
Dixville Notch vote comes in; Dave declares election count over What are you, auditioning for SCOTUS?

I've just been fertilizing this doomed thread with food for thought. But then nobody's twisting your arm to participate in a sport you're jot trained in...

... next...

 

[Pogo]

Nobody loves war

The song was written during the War or 1812 and celebrates a brave stand by US forces against a British bombardment. It is a war song set to music to a British drinking song

America the Beautiful is an ode to America
Our National Anthem celebrates a military victory

Right, and one specific battle, and really at base the song is about a flag -- not even the country.

That's what I find interesting -- other countries wax poetic about their homeland, we go all into a cloth fetish.

Same as the pledge of allegiance, except that's something most of the world doesn't even have (I think the Phillipines is the only one). What does it say about us that we're that degree of symbol-minded?

(Or as SpockSmoker might call it, "metaphorical")

Speaking of metaphors, I believe the flag in the Anthem is a metaphor for the United States...despite Britain's best efforts, the flag still stood.

Of course it is.
But that was't the question. A flag is a metaphor/symbol for any country. But while their anthems center on their country, ours centers on our flag. And where we fixate on a pledge of allegiance to it -- they don't even have such a thing, not even one that's not centered on a flag.

 

[daveman]

No.


While I recognize the practice did not become common until WWII, and while I believe it no longer really serves a purpose in today's sporting world, I have no problem with it. Leave the decision up to the club owners, that's where the tradition started, that's where it should end...

Looks like you're outvoted, Pogo. Too bad.

"Outvoted" -- on what? Is everything a fucking contest to you?
Dixville Notch vote comes in; Dave declares election count over What are you, auditioning for SCOTUS?

I've just been fertilizing this doomed thread with food for thought. But then nobody's twisting your arm to participate in a sport you're jot trained in...

... next...

Wow, you sure do get pissy when you don't get your way.

 

[daveman]

Right, and one specific battle, and really at base the song is about a flag -- not even the country.

That's what I find interesting -- other countries wax poetic about their homeland, we go all into a cloth fetish.

Same as the pledge of allegiance, except that's something most of the world doesn't even have (I think the Phillipines is the only one). What does it say about us that we're that degree of symbol-minded?

(Or as SpockSmoker might call it, "metaphorical")

Speaking of metaphors, I believe the flag in the Anthem is a metaphor for the United States...despite Britain's best efforts, the flag still stood.

Of course it is.
But that was't the question. A flag is a metaphor/symbol for any country.

Perhaps you need to take a few moments and figure out what the hell you really think.

"Right, and one specific battle, and really at base the song is about a flag -- not even the country."

 

[Pogo]

?

 

[daveman]

?

Yes, I don't blame you for trying to run away from your conflicting statements.

"The flag -- which is a symbol for the nation -- is the subject of the song, which isn't about the nation."

You fucked up. And once again, you try to blame it on others.

Run along, now.

 

[Pogo]

?

Yes, I don't blame you for trying to run away from your conflicting statements.

"The flag -- which is a symbol for the nation -- is the subject of the song, which isn't about the nation."

You fucked up. And once again, you try to blame it on others.

Run along, now.

I don't have a "conflict", son. I posed a question. It's OK if you can't think of an answer. There may not be one.
It is after all the type of question I tend to ask. The point is not necessarily to find an answer, but to ponder.

 

[Kondor3]

I'm confused...

Why does anyone give a rat's ass what this Blackstone guy thinks?

 

[Pogo]

I'm confused...

Why does anyone give a rat's ass what this Blackstone guy thinks?

Ah, nobody really does. Reportedly he's got really bad judgement in quarterbacks too. Spock must have been scraping for thread topics.

But I thought it did raise some interesting questions, like why we play anthems for sports events in the first place (some sports but not others)... thoughts?

 

[Vandalshandle]

The song sucks, and it is damned near impossible to sing on key. It also focuses on pride of successful warfare. AtB would be much better. As for the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag, the USA is transferring citizen's loyalty to a piece of cloth, which may, or may not, be in the hands of constitutionally abiding politicians. Hitler pulled the same trick by having every soldier pledge allegiance to him, personally, NOT to Germany. The pledge was also mostly used originally as a sales tool to make sure that every classroom in American had one.

 

[Kondor3]

"...why we play anthems for sports events in the first place (some sports but not others)... thoughts?"

Beyond a blanket answer of 'tradition' in some of these settings... I dunno... never gave it a single nanosecond's worth of thought...

Which pretty much describes my level of interest, as well, I guess...

And, if that's true, it's time for me to clear-out of this particular thread...