It would have been inconceivable just a few years ago, but the long tradition of playing the national anthem before sporting events in the United States of America is legitimately debatable.
Soccer League became the first North American team sports league to resume amid the coronavirus pandemic and — more pertinently — the first to return since the killing of George Floyd sparked worldwide outrage. As “The Star-Spangled Banner” played before Saturday’s nationally televised NWSL Challenge Cup opener, every starter for the North Carolina Courage and Portland Thorns took a knee to protest against systemic racism and police brutality and to support the Black Lives Matter movement." data-reactid="17">The subject resurfaced over the weekend, after the National Women’s Soccer League became the first North American team sports league to resume in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic and – more appropriately – the first to come back since the murder of George Floyd sparked worldwide outrage. As “The Star-Spangled Banner” played before the opening of the nationally televised NWSL Challenge Cup on Saturday, each North Carolina Courage and Portland Thorns runner took one knee to protest systemic racism and brutality police and to support the Black Lives Matter movement.
NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick started the practice in 2016, or when U.S. women’s national team star Megan Rapinoe became one of the first white athletes to join him when she knelt before a pair of USWNT matches later that year." data-reactid="18">In the wake of the deaths of Floyd and others, a majority of Americans now support athletes who kneel peacefully and silently during the anthem, a Yahoo News poll recently found. This was not the case when NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick started training in 2016, or when United States National Women’s Team star Megan Rapinoe became one of the first white athletes to join him when she knelt before a pair of USWNT games later that year. .
NFL initially banned kneeling during the anthem, then quickly changed its mind as additional players besides Kaepernick continued to kneel through the 2019 season. The U.S. Soccer Federation implemented a rule against kneeling that was kept in place for three years before being scrapped earlier this month under pressure from media and its own players. Since then, the calls to stop playing the anthem before domestic sporting events have gotten only louder. " data-reactid="19">Since then, leagues and governing bodies have attempted (and most often failed) to find an appropriate response. The NFL initially prohibited kneeling during the anthem, then quickly changed their minds as other players besides Kaepernick continued to kneel throughout the 2019 season. The American Federation Football has put in place a no-knee rule that has been in place for three years before being removed earlier this month under pressure from the media and its own players. Since then, calls to stop playing the anthem before national sporting events have grown stronger.
Soccer, on the other hand, said it would not play the anthem before games when its own summer tournament kicks off in Orlando, Florida, on July 8." data-reactid="20">As the first league since Floyd’s death, NWSL management knew their players wanted to make a statement, and therefore wanted the anthem to be played. Major League Soccer, meanwhile, has declared that it will not play the anthem before games when its own summer tournament kicks off in Orlando, Florida on July 8.
Apparently, the decision was made because the health crisis will prevent fans from attending.
The reality is that not having fans also presents the leagues with a practical excuse to avoid controversy altogether. In a way, getting rid of the anthem now looks like a shirk, an easy way to leave the leagues and supporters off the hook for having to deal with some serious issues they face.
Playing the national anthem at sporting events provides athletes with one of the most prestigious platforms for protesting. (Photo AP / Jeff Chiu)
In the past month, a significant portion of the American population has been forced to confront these truths in a direct and meaningful way for the first time in their lives. To bring about lasting change, these difficult conversations will have to continue.
One of the most passionate voices of the NWSL opening weekend came from Red Stars defenseman Sarah Gorden. “I stand up when the people behind bars aren’t disproportionately black or Latino,” Gorden wrote on Instagram. “When my son can go to the school in his neighborhood because she has the same resources as the one we applied to in the rich white neighborhood.
“I will stand when the country looks the same to my black son as you do to your white son / daughter,” she continued, after also noting the disproportionate wealth gap and maternal mortality rates between races. . “Until then, I kneel.”
The anthem should be removed before national sporting events. But the problems that Gorden raises are going nowhere, and not playing the anthem anymore keeps people from really wondering what kind of country they want to leave their children to, which side of history they want to be.
