The next time you’re at a sporting event, professional, collegiate or otherwise, take a moment to look around and take notice of what’s going on while the national anthem is performed.

The public address announcer will ask all in attendance to stand and honor America, and if you’re a man, you are asked to remove your hat.

What happens next is up to the individual. There are those who will belt the Star-Spangled Banner to the top of their lungs. Others will place their hands over their hearts and a select number will do both.

And there are those who will stand impassively with their hands in their pockets, while others will take a moment to check their phones before the action begins.

No matter what you do or don’t, the great thing about this country and the song that represents it is you have the freedom to do any of those things. Or nothing at all.

Apparently, Michael Strahan didn’t get that memo. Strahan, who earned a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame for his play as a defensive end with the New York Giants, is better known these days for his work on morning television.

But it’s what happened during his weekend job, as one of the hosts of Fox’s NFL Sunday pregame show that got him into trouble with the banner bunch.

On the day before Veterans Day, Fox elected to take its Los Angeles-based pregame show to the pier at a local military base. The program doubled down on the flag-waving by having the anthem played against a backdrop of sailors, adorned in their crisp white uniforms.

During the playing of the anthem, the cameras panned down the row of co-hosts and Strahan was found to be the only one of the seven without his hand over his heart, instead placing his hands in front of him.

It didn’t take long for the patriotism posse to go into action, demanding that Strahan explain himself and then apologize.

Strahan defended himself, saying he wasn’t making an anti-military statement. He reminded people that he himself is the son of an Army major, with other members of his family serving in the armed forces.

Eventually, the furor died down and Strahan will likely be seen in households Thursday as part of Fox’s Thanksgiving coverage.

Still, there are larger questions raised by all this. Namely, how does singing a song, any song, before a sporting event, make a person inherently patriotic? And who gets to decide such things?

There’s a pretty good chance we’re going to have to grapple with these matters a lot more in the coming four years.

By the way, if you’re one of those folks who yells “Oh” as the anthem makes its turn to the crescendo, starting with the line “Oh, say does that star-spangled banner,” supposedly in tribute to the Orioles, here’s a thought:

Maybe you want to stay out of this conversation. This kind of talk is designed for, as my mom used to say, grown folks. Your conduct in those moments clearly demonstrates that you’re not ready for that.

And that’s how I see it for this week. You can reach us via email with your questions and comments at Sports at Large at gmail.com. And follow me on Threads, BlueSky and X at Sports at Large.

Until next week, for all of us here and for producer Spencer Bryant, I’m Milton Kent. Thanks for listening and enjoy the games.

The next time you’re at a sporting event, professional, collegiate or otherwise, take a moment to look around and take notice of what’s going on while the national anthem is performed.
The public address announcer will ask all in attendance to stand and honor America, and if you’re a man, you are asked to remove your hat.
What happens next is up to the individual. There are those who will belt the Star-Spangled Banner to the top of their lungs. Others will place their hands over their hearts and a select number will do both.
And there are those who will stand impassively with their hands in their pockets, while others will take a moment to check their phones before the action begins.
No matter what you do or don’t, the great thing about this country and the song that represents it is you have the freedom to do any of those things. Or nothing at all.
Apparently, Michael Strahan didn’t get that memo. Strahan, who earned a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame for his play as a defensive end with the New York Giants, is better known these days for his work on morning television.
But it’s what happened during his weekend job, as one of the hosts of Fox’s NFL Sunday pregame show that got him into trouble with the banner bunch.
On the day before Veterans Day, Fox elected to take its Los Angeles-based pregame show to the pier at a local military base. The program doubled down on the flag-waving by having the anthem played against a backdrop of sailors, adorned in their crisp white uniforms.
During the playing of the anthem, the cameras panned down the row of co-hosts and Strahan was found to be the only one of the seven without his hand over his heart, instead placing his hands in front of him.
It didn’t take long for the patriotism posse to go into action, demanding that Strahan explain himself and then apologize.
Strahan defended himself, saying he wasn’t making an anti-military statement. He reminded people that he himself is the son of an Army major, with other members of his family serving in the armed forces.
Eventually, the furor died down and Strahan will likely be seen in households Thursday as part of Fox’s Thanksgiving coverage.
Still, there are larger questions raised by all this. Namely, how does singing a song, any song, before a sporting event, make a person inherently patriotic? And who gets to decide such things?
There’s a pretty good chance we’re going to have to grapple with these matters a lot more in the coming four years.
By the way, if you’re one of those folks who yells “Oh” as the anthem makes its turn to the crescendo, starting with the line “Oh, say does that star-spangled banner,” supposedly in tribute to the Orioles, here’s a thought:
Maybe you want to stay out of this conversation. This kind of talk is designed for, as my mom used to say, grown folks. Your conduct in those moments clearly demonstrates that you’re not ready for that.
And that’s how I see it for this week. You can reach us via email with your questions and comments at Sports at Large at gmail.com. And follow me on Threads, BlueSky and X at Sports at Large.
Until next week, for all of us here and for producer Spencer Bryant, I’m Milton Kent. Thanks for listening and enjoy the games.

Sports at Large is a weekly exploration of the issues and people who play and watch sports. SaL goes behind the headlines and stats to find the how and why, and the ways in which sports intersect with and influence our daily lives. SaL features interviews and commentaries from professionals and fans a like to tell a more complete story. One person described it as ----a thinking fan's guide to sports.----

Sports at Large

Sports at Large is a weekly exploration of the issues and people who play and watch sports. SaL goes behind the headlines and stats to find the how and why, and the ways in which sports intersect with and influence our daily lives. SaL features interviews and commentaries from professionals and fans a like to tell a more complete story. One person described it as ----a thinking fan's guide to sports.

Sports at Large is a weekly exploration of the issues and people who play and watch sports. SaL goes behind the headlines and stats to find the how and why, and the ways in which sports intersect with and influence our daily lives. SaL features interviews and commentaries from professionals and fans a like to tell a more complete story. One person described it as ----a thinking fan's guide to sports.

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