The starring role of 'The Star-Spangled Banner' in professional sports began with baseball.
The Boston Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs met in the 1918 World Series.
The yawn was checked and heads were bared as the ball players turned quickly about and faced the music. Jackie Fred Thomas of the U.S. Navy was at attention, as he stood erect, with his eyes set on the flag fluttering at the top of the lofty pole in right field. First the song was taken up by a few, then others joined, and when the final notes came, a great volume of melody rolled across the field.
The practice spread to other sports as well. After the war ended in 1945, NFL Commissioner Elmer Layden stated his intention to make“We must not drop it simply because the war is over. We should never forget what it stands for,” Layden declared.general manager and World War I veteran Arthur Ehlers decided not to play “The Star-Spangled Banner” before each game and opted to save it for special occasions.
Over the years, the anthem has certainly played a part in cultural wars. Most recently, quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s decision to protest racial injustice by kneeling during “The Star-Spangled Banner” has been the subject of heated debate.
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