Please rise...

...and disrespect your country. 

No. I don't think that's what they say when it's time for the anthem, but lately, I have to wonder if that's what people have decided to hear.

While I was watching the movie "The Rookie" last night in my fevered state, it got me thinking about how pure and uninterrupted the national anthem was when it was sung at this tiny little baseball field where this tiny little team played it's tiny little district-championship-winning game. And then I remembered how obnoxious it was at The Tank yesterday before the Sharks game I probably shouldn't have attended.

What has happened to us that we can't be still and calm during our country's national anthem? Many do sing along, and I love hearing all the voices, but oh my goodness, there is so much hooting and howling and crap that goes on that it literally makes me sick to my stomach. Yesterday, there was a Chicago Blackhawks fan that clapped through the entire song. CLAPPED. What? Earlier this season when we played the Blackhawks there was another of their fans that made comments throughout the whole song. Both displays were completely disrespectful. 

But it's not just opposing fans that do this. I see/hear Sharks fans do it too, and I just don't get it. The anthem has nothing to do with the actual game, so why get all crazy about it? Heaven forbid we're playing the Stars because then there is a loud chorus of boos when the poor anthem singer gets to the "broad stripes and bright stars" portion of the song. It's wrong at so many levels. At least they started telling the anthem singers to pause before starting so that the awesome "Hey [opposing team name]? You suck!!" chant doesn't drown out the first few words. They forgot to tell the saxophonist playing yesterday though. We missed the first few notes of the song, because in case you hadn't heard Blackhawks, You Suck!! Never mind that they beat us...that's a separate story...

Now, I did a little Internet surfing this morning about why it is we even have the national anthem sung or played at sporting events and found this little tidbit on Mental Floss, and though it pains me greatly to credit the Chicago Cubs or Boston Red Sox for anything, I guess they started it. I guess it didn't really surprise me to learn that it was baseball that started the whole anthem singing thing for real though. It's been around forever and is still considered America's pastime.

After searching a little more, I actually found some legal code addressing what one should do when the anthem is played. Per United States Code, 36 U.S.C. § 301, individuals are to stand at attention when the anthem is being played, facing the flag if it's present. So, in my mind, standing at attention means you're not clapping, you're not saying things, you're not cheering, you're certainly not booing, and honestly, thought it doesn't reference it, I'm not even sure you're supposed to be singing along - although I always sing along, so I'd like to think that's okay. Not that I'm always right, but it seems patriotic to sing along with your anthem. (To be honest, I even sing along with the Canadian anthem because it's such a beautiful song.) Now, I'm all for free speech and a person's choice to not sing along or put their hand over their heart or salute. That's fine. But stop ruining it for the rest of us. It's just not okay.

As someone who sings the national anthem at sporting events on occasion, I can honestly say I don't hear any of the chatter that goes on, but then again, I've never had the pleasure of singing at a Sharks game - maybe someday. Still, it's even a little unnerving to hear people cheer when I hit the note on "free". I love that they seem to be enjoying my rendition of the song, and I love that they are cheering about our wonderful freedom, but I don't know. I've never clapped or cheered at that part when anyone else is singing, and I've never really understood it. Maybe one of you can explain it to me.

Anyway...these are just my thoughts on a (finally) feverless morning. Maybe you've got thoughts of your own. Maybe you don't care at all. That's okay. Just please...next time you're at a game, think about it before you do something crazy during the anthem. For me. Thanks.

Remembering another Butler game from years ago...

So, as I was watching the NCAA championship game tonight, and cheering for Butler, I remembered that a long time ago, 19 years to be exact, I actually sang the national anthem for an NIT game at the University of Wyoming where I worked at the time in the athletic department. Our opponent? Butler. And we beat them. By two points.

I found an old LA Times article with a summary of the game...kinda funny that the other game summary in the article is about WVU. I don't think I'd made my final decision about going to WVU when we played our game against Butler. It's all very interesting to me now.

I actually have two banners from that game that I might someday hang in a sports room in a house I may own. For now, they reside in a storage bin. One is an ESPN banner, you know the heavy duty papery ones they used to hang around arenas when they televised a game...yeah, I have that. I'm not even sure they do that anymore since so many people have more permanent signage options. These were the old days! The other is a nice cloth NIT banner which I really did try to give back to the NIT representative, but he told me that I did such a nice job singing the anthem that I should keep it. Nice.

Wyoming lost its next game that year to Colorado, a game played in Boulder, and our long season was over. I remember that we hosted the WAC tournaments that year for both men and women, and I'm not sure I've ever been busier in my life. So many games, so many things to coordinate...so much fun!!

There are a lot of days when I miss working in athletics. Days like today when I remember nights like that one in 1991. There's really nothing like a full arena cheering for the home team and rejoicing in their victory. It was fun to think back on that tonight. Fun to remember some of the players from those days and how much fun Cowboy basketball was. There's nothing quite like a college basketball game, and I'm glad I got to be a part of so many of them up close and personal. Now I mostly just watch on TV, but every now and then, when I venture to a game, the excitement returns almost instantly.

Maybe my Mountaineers will get back to the Final Four next year. Maybe ASU can be just a little bit better. And maybe those Wyoming Cowboys will once again give me something to smile about. But for now, it's time for baseball and post-season hockey.

It's already a long season...

Sigh.

Week 3 of college football, and I'm on the verge of throwing in multiple towels. I follow five teams:

1. Arizona State (alma mater #1)
2. West Virginia (alma mater #2)
3. San Jose State (current employer and the town near which I live)
4. University of Wyoming (team I grew up with...and former employer)
5. Northern Illinois (former employer)

I was pretty jazzed in the first full week of the season when I went 4 for 5. But that joy was fleeting. INow? I'm just hoping they all don't lose the rest of their games. This weekend, which began in the football world on Thursday, was just awful. I went 1 for 5. Thank you, NIU, for not making it a total wash.

It was sheer torture two weeks ago to watch WVU self-destruct against East Carolina. Adding insult to that still throbbing injury was ASU's OT loss last week to unranked UNLV. While nursing that wound, I then had to endure WVU losing in OT this week to unranked Colorado. OY! Needless to say, both ASU and WVU are no longer ranked. And ASU just made it worse tonight with it's less-than-stellar showing (at home no less!) against Georgia. UGH. Not UGA. UGH. To add insult to today's injury, SJSU lost to Stanford...never a pretty sight, and Wyoming got destroyed by BYU...who apparently just doesn't let anyone score anymore.

So, for ASU, they are still 1-0 in the PAC 10, which I GUESS should make me happy, but I've been burned too many times before. My Sun Devil pride is wounded and I fear the conference play that ensues very soon. I mean, USC is still in the PAC 10 last time I checked, and oh joy! we play them in SoCal. I restate my earlier sigh...

WVU hasn't played a single conference game yet, so yeah, there's still some hope there. But they were poised to win it all last year and faltered at the end, so the Mountaineer part of me doesn't have a lot to hold onto.

Wyoming is likely done as they've now had two huge conference losses, but that is not really a surprise. I don't think anyone expected them to do a lot this year.

Poor NIU has only won one game, and one of their two losses was in conference, so they're not really on an uphill swing either.

SJSU losing to Nebraska was not surprising, and while it's a total bummer to lose to Stanford, I guess I wasn't that surprised. At least we've won both of our home games. We'll see what happens going forward. At least I know the national anthem at the Boise State game will be good. :-)

I hope your teams are having more success than mine. Please don't rub it in if they are. That's just mean. If your teams are in a state of ick like mine, I'm happy to commiserate with you. Say it with me now: Sigh. Take comfort in knowing that basketball starts in a month, and the NHL drops the pre-season puck this week. Go Sharks!

I'm out.