Singing National Anthems at sports event

Subject: RE: Singing National Anthems at sports event
From: JulieF
Date: 11 May 01 - 05:52 PM

I have no problems with National anthems being played when there are two different countries involved. ( that's including England and Scotland etc) but why do you need to play it when you are not playing at National Level ?

Julie

Subject: RE: Singing National Anthems at sports event
From: M.Ted
Date: 11 May 01 - 05:42 PM

I must say that I always enjoy hearing the anthems played when you see television coverage of "official state visits"--Apparently, at least here in the US, when you travel on the "Official State Visit" it means that you get your national Anthem, plus a dinner at the White House on the good china--Anyway, I have always loved the Russian Anthem--also loved the way that it it woven into the Pet Shop Boys cover of the Village People song, "Go West"--

Subject: RE: Singing National Anthems at sports event
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 11 May 01 - 05:06 PM

I many national anthems are tremendous stuff. We shouldn't be too po-faced about this kind of thing. People don't fight wars because of national anthems - if all the national anthems were junked we wouldn't gain a thing, and we'd lose a lot of enjoyment.

During the Football World Cup (real football that is) the ant hens were the best part of some games. The Italians versus the Romanians was the best combination I reckon. Especially the Romanian, which I think was worth a goal up.Check them, and others at this site which gives the national anthems of pretty well all the countries in the planet, with midis, words in English and whatever language they speak in the countries concerned, and national flags.

Subject: RE: Singing National Anthems at sports event
From: mousethief
Date: 11 May 01 - 04:36 PM

Funny, when the national anthem is played (or sung) at the baseball game, I never think of militarism or nationalism. I think of the people singing, and how their voices sound, and of veterans who have risked their lives so I can lounge around and go to baseball games instead of being dictated to by goons in jack-boots, and about the cub scouts (or whoever) holding the flags and whether or not they got into the ballgame free or had to buy tickets too. Also I remember the time that the SSB was sung by the Kingsmen, and it sounded absolutely horrible.

But I never want to go out and take over 3rd world nations or denigrate people from other countries. Maybe what you see depends a lot on where you've been and not just where you are.

Alex

Subject: RE: Singing National Anthems at sports event
From: Snuffy
Date: 11 May 01 - 04:04 PM

I would have thought Swing Low was nearer a NATIONAL anthem than Three Lions

Subject: RE: Singing National Anthems at sports event
From: catspaw49
Date: 11 May 01 - 03:33 PM

Like John, I always thought the last two words of the SSB were "PLAY BALL."

I think the whole thing is dumb.......Ken Burns is correct in the origin of the 7th inning stretch, but why they started playing it before EVERY damned sporting event is beyond me.

On the plus side, it is good for laughs. Roseanne's shennanigans not withstanding, a lot of the singers are awful and it's really a riot when some actually forget the words.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Singing National Anthems at sports event
From:
Date: 11 May 01 - 02:37 PM

I would even go to a sporting event, and I am just not a sports fan, to hear the Welsh sing their anthem.

mg

Subject: RE: Singing National Anthems at sports event
From: Matt_R
Date: 11 May 01 - 11:08 AM

England has no national anthem? What about:

It's coming home, it's coming home
It's coming, football's coming home
It's coming home, it's coming home
It's coming, football's coming home

Everyone seems to know the score
They've seen it all before
They just know
They're so sure
That England's going to throw it away
Going to blow it away
But I know they can play
Cos I remember

Three Lions on a shirt
Jules Rimet still gleaming
Thirty years of hurt
Never stopped me dreaming

So many jokes, so many sneers
But all those oh-so-nears
Wear you down
Through the years
But I still see that tackle by Moore
And when Lineker scored
Bobby belting the ball
And Nobby dancing

Three Lions on a shirt
Jules Rimet still gleaming
Thirty years of hurt
Never stopped me dreaming

I know that was then
But it could be again...

It's coming home, it's coming home
It's coming, football's coming home
It's coming home, it's coming home
It's coming, football's coming home

Three Lions on a shirt
Jules Rimet still gleaming
Thirty years of hurt
Never stopped me dreaming

Subject: RE: Singing National Anthems at sports event
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 11 May 01 - 10:51 AM

When it used to be played in UK cinemas the first note would lead to a stampede for the exits!
Most live theatres used to play it before the play to avoid that and everyone would try to stand up in the cramped rows, dropping coats and programmes that you'd just got sorted out and when you sat down again you had to fight for the armrests all over again.
RtS

Subject: RE: Singing National Anthems at sports event
From: Robby
Date: 11 May 01 - 10:40 AM

Albamist,
If you are really interested in how the singing of the US National Anthem at sporting events got started, the answer pertains to WWI and baseball. According, to Ken Burns' PBS documentary on baseball, it was at a baseball game in Chicago, during WWI, that a band played The Star Spangled Banner during the seventh inning stretch, for a show of patriotism and support of the boys in France. According to the documentary, this had such an affect on the fans in attendance, that the Anthem began to be played at every baseball game. Now it's pretty much traditional in all sports.
BTW, the playing/singing of the Anthem is not required at any sporting event. In fact, during the Philadelphia Flyers Stanley Cup victories, their home games began with the playing/singing of God Bless America, by the late Kate Smith.
Robby

Subject: RE: Singing National Anthems at sports event
From: DougR
Date: 11 May 01 - 12:12 AM

Oh Jeeze. What a scintillating topic. DougR

Subject: RE: Singing National Anthems at sports event
From: GUEST,geordie
Date: 10 May 01 - 11:59 PM

Nationalism dosen't start wars..stupidy does and greed allows them to continue.

Subject: RE: Singing National Anthems at sports event
From: Joe Offer
Date: 10 May 01 - 11:37 PM

I've always felt a bit uneasy about the national anthem sung at events - I always feel like I'm being hoodwinked into a tacit support of militarism. What's worse is when they want me to sing the anthem because I'm known as "that guy that sings stuff" - sometimes I take advantage of the situation and sing "America the Beautiful," which I like much better.
Who are these people who require us to sing the national anthem, anyhow? Sounds a lot like propaganda to me...
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Singing National Anthems at sports event
From: GUEST
Date: 10 May 01 - 11:16 PM

They wouldn't. Not a bad idea!

Subject: RE: Singing National Anthems at sports event
From: John Hindsill
Date: 10 May 01 - 08:11 PM

If they didn't sing the National Anthem at sporting events, how would they know when to PLAY BALL!!!? - ;>)

Subject: RE: Singing National Anthems at sports event
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 10 May 01 - 07:55 PM

"We know who we are" - I'm not too sure that's actually true of the English. Does the first "we" mean the same as the second "we" in that sentence?

The idea of having some solo singer do a national anthem just strikes me as absurd and undignified. Have a band play the tune, and if the players and the crowd know it, they can sing along. Or not.

Subject: RE: Singing National Anthems at sports event
From: kendall
Date: 10 May 01 - 07:30 PM

I see the singing of a national anthem as another display of nationalism. I am opposed to nationalism. It starts wars.

Subject: RE: Singing National Anthems at sports event
From: Snuffy
Date: 10 May 01 - 07:12 PM

We English don't need a national anthem. We're not insecure - we know who we are. Loudly proclaiming who you are and what you stand for is for all those other "lesser breeds without the law" who wish they were as good as us. If they say it loud enough and often enough, one day they'll maybe even believe it. Look at our postage stamps, for instance. ***BG***

Wassail! V

Subject: RE: Singing National Anthems at sports event
From: GUEST,emily b
Date: 10 May 01 - 07:08 PM

I think they still use the National Anthem in the states, at least here in Texas as a way to haul out any dignitary or newscaster that thinks he/she can sing. What an audience these people have. Who else can say they've sung to 40,000 people?

I heard an amazing rendition of the Star Spangled Banner by one such singer. He started in a key that was just too high and the song stretches the top range. About 3 lines into it, he smoothly switched keys. I'm not sure if he knew what he was doing or not. I doubt that most people even noticed and his high notes came out just fine.

As to a real answer, I don't know and until this moment it never occurred to me to wonder why. Hmm! Now you've got me thinking.

Emily

Subject: RE: Singing National Anthems at sports event
From: The Walrus
Date: 10 May 01 - 04:27 PM

Mousethief,

Of course England is a nation, otherwise the rest of the world would have no one to blame all their historical problems on .

Walrus

Subject: RE: Singing National Anthems at sports event
From: mousethief
Date: 10 May 01 - 04:13 PM

Is England a nation? Or is that a topic for a different thread?

Alex

Subject: RE: Singing National Anthems at sports event
From: GUEST
Date: 10 May 01 - 04:11 PM

The English never get to sing the national anthem at sporting events as we don't have one. Which is a shame.

Subject: RE: Singing National Anthems at sports event
From: mousethief
Date: 10 May 01 - 04:08 PM

I think they used to play the national anthem a lot more than they do nowadays. I think the baseball or hockey game thing is a holdover from when they would play it for many other public events as well.

Alex

Subject: Singing National Anthems at sports events
From: GUEST,Albamist
Date: 10 May 01 - 03:08 PM

Little Hawks response in the thread "What Songs Make you Laugh Out Loud" was the singing of the US anthem at hockey games, when both teams are full of Canadians, Swedes and Russians (and a smattering of Finns and Czechs) and of course the occasional American thrown in for good measure. As a Scot now living in Canada, this and other examples, where anthems are sung at events that have no national significance has always struck me as odd. It reminds me of when I lived in Zambia and would go to see a movie, a bell would ring just before the national anthem was played, and at that point you had to stop everything and stand perfectly still even if you were in the parking lot. (the bell would also ring outside) failure to do so could result in arrest for showing disrespect to the anthem. How did this practice originate,does it only happen in "New" countries, is it a sign of some kind of national insecurity? Opinions please Albamist