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Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!yale-com!death
From: death@yale-com.UUCP (Doctor Death)
Newsgroups: net.misc
Subject: Re: National Anthem at Sporting Events
Message-ID: <1758@yale-com.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 15-Jul-83 10:52:27 EDT
Article-I.D.: yale-com.1758
Posted: Fri Jul 15 10:52:27 1983
Date-Received: Fri, 15-Jul-83 20:07:12 EDT
References: ihuxw.409
Lines: 25

Last year at the Yale/Dartmouth game ( i think ) we were graced with 
the ABC television crew covering our wonderful game. We received
from ABC-On-High the command that we were to play the national anthem
early, at 12:00 instead of 12:30 when coverage started (sorry, "we"
being the Yale marching band). I was extremely annoyed at ABC's attitude
(among other things), but especially about the way they made us play
the anthem so early. Now, I don't particularly care whether we
play the Star Spangled Bananna or not, it's usually just a nuisance anyway,
but I think we either should have played it at the right time
or not at all. Either the Bananna is an integral part of the sporting
event, in which case it deserves hearing, or it's dull and time-consuming
and silly and should be eliminated. 

A number of articles so far have suggested that "a little patriotism
is good for us" but perhaps playing the national anthem at sporting events
in effect "sanctifies" the event by invoking patriotic blessings. 
ESPECIALLY at Ivy League events, for pete's sake. God, you can
barely call them sports, sometimes, and besides everyone's usually
too trashed to walk by the third quarter anyway, and no one even remembers
the first half, much less pseudo-patriotic fooferah before the game even
starts. 

			it's hard to sing anyway
					-=- death -=- 
					announcer & Loud Drum Player, YPMB