Black editor at the Root---NFL playing Black National Anthem VERY bad idea

[bobbieinok]

Basically, she states it just provides yet another public place for 'white gon' white'. She believes there's an extremely good chance many whites in the stands will turn their backs during the Anthem. And then what will the black players do? she asks.

Pamela Jackson, July 3

At web page--- verysmartbrothas.theroot.com

Eta---correct name of web page

[LisaM]

1. Those are good points.

I think playing it before the first game is an excellent idea. Always playing it - I take her points.

[brush]

26. Agreed. The first game is a good idea, a good gesture.

But after that it's just silly. Do more than just play a song. Kap still isn't being given a tryout. Black coaches don't get fair shakes. If they get a head coaching job and don't win instantly they get fired after a year or two. White coaches get chance after chance after chance. And what about front office jobs?

[JonLP24]

2. NFL owners should stop donating to Trump & Republican causes

[SharonClark]

3. For what it's worth, an anecdote...

MY BIL, during the July 4 cookout, said he supports BLM but they'll lose supportive people if the NFL plays the Black National Anthem. He said there is only "one national anthem".

[JonLP24]

6. I doubt it

Those that are turned away from BLM were never likely there in the first place. I heard all the time criticisms of the name criticisms of protests and now look -- major corporations are saying black lives matter.

The anthem is just an old barroom song that wasn't the anthem until the 1930s.

[bobbieinok]

7. You're talking about StarSpangledBanner tune, right?

[JonLP24]

8. Yes

'Star-Spangled Banner' Born From A Drinking Song 200 Years Ago

CORNISH: When the "Star-Spangled Banner" was put forward to be our national anthem, one of the concerns was that it was set to this English drinking song. But in the end, it triumphed over "Yankee Doodle," among others.

https://www.npr.org/2014/09/12/348010268/star-spangled-banner-born-from-a-drinking-song-200-years-ago

[Blues Heron]

13. ask him about "god bless America"

which was played incessantly after 911.

[Yavin4]

4. I agree. It's a bad idea.

The NFL should follow LeBron's lead and open up their stadiums for voting.

[ProfessorGAC]

5. Simple Solution

Don't play any anthem.
Nobody goes to a game for the anthem. They go for, you know, the GAME!
Just quit playing a song that has zero to do with football at a football game.
Problem solved!

[lunasun]

10. +1000

[old guy]

12. IMO this is the answer.

Occam's Razor?

[Bucky]

21. I like the ceremony. I like the ritual. The whole point of sports events is cultural cohesion.

It was important when baseball broke the color line. It mattered when Colin Kaepernick took a knee, held his ground, and eventually bent the country to his dissent. Rituals bring us together and this country needs a ritual that says "liberty and justice for all" specifically because we need to push ourselves in that direction again.

[ProfessorGAC]

22. We Disagree Greatly

It started as jingoistic nonsense in WW1 at baseball games. Pro baseball was nearly 50 years old when they started.
It wasn't a ritual to nearly 50 years, but we "needed" to drum up support for war.
And the Map thing took 3 or 4 years.
Cellphone video did far more to expose the real problem with racist, violent cops than did kneeling during a stupid song!

[Ms. Toad]

30. I agree. n/t

[Voltaire2]

23. so you view it as the coliseum.

How about instead we just view 'sports' as 'athletic contests' rather than 'nationalist spectacles'?

[BannonsLiver]

28. The ritual is moronic

[cwydro]

24. This.

[SoonerPride]

9. Why change behavior to ameliorate racists?

You’re already conceding power to them.

Fuck them.

[Awsi Dooger]

17. Exactly...I'm having trouble not laughing

The premise are fear seem ridiculous. If bigoted whites want to turn around in the stands then by all means allow them to make fools of themselves.

When they do turn around they'll see some supportive faces but others who are indeed laughing at them.

[jimfields33]

18. Is it changing behavior? They never played the song before

This is a new paradigm or behavior or just a new experience playing a song for the first time.

[SoonerPride]

27. Since they have announced they are doing this

Then to pull back and not play the song would indeed be caving to perceived backlash from racists.

[demosincebirth]

11. Bad idea. It turns people off.

[BannonsLiver]

14. IMO Anthems have no place at sporting events.

That’s this song, that’s the Star Spangled Banner, or any other anthem. It’s a dumb tradition that should have never gotten started.

[StarfishSaver]

15. I agree

It's stupid and insulting if it's not accompanied by some substantive change.

[Ferrets are Cool]

16. The anthem should be eliminated from sports, period.

[stillcool]

19. they could skip right along to ...

Queen, and We are the Champions. Same, same.

[Bucky]

20. I say do it. If white fans in the seats turn their backs, let the chips fall

I'd rather see who hates that beautiful song than remain in doubt about who the enemy are among us.

[Jamaal510]

25. I'd be fine

with no national anthem, period. There's no need for a national anthem in sports. Sports were fine before it was introduced.

As I think about this more, I also find it funny that the "get politics out of sports" people aren't all over this. They should be the main ones who oppose having a national anthem before every game, considering that the anthem itself happens to be politically-related. Instead, they'd rather direct their ire at (mostly Black) players who dare to speak out against racism.

[Buckeyeblue]

29. I'm for no national atheme

How about a moment of silence before each game for everyone to say a quick silent prayer for the well being of each player.