Earlier this September, President Donald Trump tweeted, saying, “Sports fans should never condone players that do not stand proud for their National Anthem or their Country. NFL should change policy!” His tweet referred to the “Take A Knee” movement, a spreading NFL protest in which football players refuse to stand for the national anthem in order to protest the racism that is prevalent in the United States.
In 2016, Colin Kaepernick, quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, took a knee during the playing of the national anthem before the pre-season game. He refused to stand for the song, saying, “”I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.” Kaepernick’s stance was in reference to the police brutality against people of color.
Since then, Kaepernick’s past teammates (Kaepernick himself is no longer employed by the NFL, in their attempt to avoid his controversy), and other NFL players and coaches have refused to stand for the Star-Spangled Banner before the games. On September 24, President Trump spoke out against this “Take A Knee” rally, calling it unpatriotic. In the games following Trump’s tweet, more than 200 NFL players refused to stand, or even leave their locker rooms for the national anthem. Sports on the collegiate and high school level have also joined in, including baseball player Bruce Maxwell from Oakland, and the Los Angeles Sparks basketball team. While Trump has called for fans to leave the games and managers to fire these athletes, most coaches have defended their team’s right to protest.
In fact, the history of the playing of the national anthem at sports’ games has more to do with its monetary value than its patriotic meaning. In 1918, World War I held the U.S. in a somber state. As Game 1 of the World series—Boston Red Sox versus the Chicago Cubs—began, ticket sales were at an all-time low. The crowd lacked the typical excitement and merriment found at major league sports games. However, during the 7th inning stretch, the band began to spontaneously play the Star-Spangled Banner. The crowd swelled with pride for their country’s war effort, and the spirit within the stadium instantly changed. The New York Times morning sports article talked more about the playing of the national anthem than the actual game. The music stunt worked to increase ticket sales and attendance, and in a few years, the national anthem would preface every major-league sports game. Many of the players argue that patriotism, which President Trump accuses these athletes of lacking, includes the right to protest for purposes in which one believes. Typically, the players who continue to go on the field are most often veterans or close friends or family of veterans.
Indeed, the song did increase patriotism for a country in midst of a world war, however, that was not the reason the song continued to play during major league baseball games. The song played because it created a profit for the sports teams. It was used for economic value, not patriotic pride.
Currently, the national anthem fills many Americans with pride for their country. But for others, America’s racism causes them to look skeptically upon this nation. To many, like Colin Kaepernick, patriotism means protecting the right to assembly and petition, rather than a blind love for the country. And while to some, not standing for the song is disrespectful, it has always been the citizen’s choice to stand or not stand. Furthermore, the national anthem has come to mean a display of patriotism; but in the sports realm, the Star-Spangled Banner was founded upon a love not for American pride, but for American consumerism.