I am a sports fan. I am also a very proud American. I attend dozens of high school, college, and professional sports events a year.
At many — perhaps most — of the sports events I attend, I hear a variation of this prior to the national anthem: “Ladies and gentlemen, please rise to honor our flag and the men and women of our armed forces….” [Again, some version of the sentiment, not always those words.]
As someone who served my country for over 30 years, I am offended by this notion. It is our country’s national anthem, not our military’s theme song.
Why isn’t this troubling to sportswriters, given how often they are accused of inserting liberal political opinion or rhetoric into sports coverage?
Heck, why isn’t it troubling to all of us, military and civilian alike? I don’t think anyone in our armed forces believes that the anthem is dedicated to them, yet somehow sports events have decided that military honor guards, military aviation flyovers, and other martial elements are required accessories to the traditional expressions of pride in our country.