I can't believe...well, yes I can.

[RedDragonBrass]

One can be patriotic or not, having that choice is what freedom is about. As for me I'm very patriotic and served in the military for 18 years part of it during a war. I think its O.k. to disagree with the U.S., and the way that it handles things but when you disagree stand up and be counted. What bothers me about people not participating in allegiance at ball games is most of them are probably wonder what the i-phone 6 is going to be like. To be completely asleep at the wheel, that more than anything is what got us where we are.

[The Annoyed Man]

I'm confident that at a college football game, the National Anthem was played by a college band, mostly standard arrangements, reasonably competently played.

However, at most sporting events, the undignified, incompetent renditions by even otherwise accomplished musicians has diminished the respect and dignity of this custom. I refuse to be afflicted by these spectacles, which are among the principal uses for the mute button.

After hundreds of these performances, and fewer and fewer of the more dignified ones, it is little wonder that few pay much attention, and respect is in short supply.

One of the major irritants in my life....... singers at games who think that the Star Spangled Banner is an R&B song, scale runs and all.

[JALLEN]

I'm confident that at a college football game, the National Anthem was played by a college band, mostly standard arrangements, reasonably competently played.

However, at most sporting events, the undignified, incompetent renditions by even otherwise accomplished musicians has diminished the respect and dignity of this custom. I refuse to be afflicted by these spectacles, which are among the principal uses for the mute button.

After hundreds of these performances, and fewer and fewer of the more dignified ones, it is little wonder that few pay much attention, and respect is in short supply.

One of the major irritants in my life....... singers at games who think that the Star Spangled Banner is an R&B song, scale runs and all.

It was the yodeling that got me, before the mute button was invented. I think it was yodeling anyway.... either that or death throes.

As I said, if the start of a sporting event has anything but a military band or school band, off it goes for the duration.

I used to help out the Longhorn Band during basketball season when they were short handed, over Christmas and bowl games. It was ridiculous to have a very high quality band sitting there, and yet have the National Anthem mutilated by some wannabe recording artist or some youth choir. The ravages of old age and decrepitude preclude me from that hereafter, but I won't miss those excruciating performances.

[jmorris]

I was forced to watch part of the US vs Mexico soccer match last night. (oh how I hate soccer)
Anyway, the entire Mexican team sang their anthem very enthusiastically. Then, the camera scrolls down the US team and more were singing than I expected, but a couple didn't have their hands on their heart. The worst was one player with his head down, eyes closed, and hands clasped behind his back.

Maybe he was just getting into the zone or maybe it was political, but you could at least show proper respect when you're representing your country on a big stage as a member of the US National Team.

I found an old article about this particular player who says he cannot participate in the National Anthem because he is Jehova's Witness. I never heard of this before, but if that's what they have to do, I guess it's accepted. For the other players, if they're not Jehova's Witnesses, what excuse would they have?

I was unaware that JW's couldn't participate int he National Anthem. I'd question why he can then play for the National Team then?

And, good for the Mexican Team. There's nothing wrong with pride in your country.

Jeff B.

Because playing for a team is not the same as pledging your life to a nation. JW believe that they can only pledge their life to Jehovah. Singing the national anthem is a form of that.
http://thejehovahswitnesses.org/flag.php

[ShootDontTalk]

One of the major irritants in my life....... singers at games who think that the Star Spangled Banner is an R&B song, scale runs and all.

I assume you're using that term loosely. Most of these people are tone deaf and couldn't read music if their life depended on it.

[The Annoyed Man]

One of the major irritants in my life....... singers at games who think that the Star Spangled Banner is an R&B song, scale runs and all.

I assume you're using that term loosely. Most of these people are tone deaf and couldn't read music if their life depended on it.

You'd be right. It's a shame too, all that money, but not enough brains to by a copy of Auto-Tune software.

[talltex]

Just a general lack of respect for anything and anyone else in some situations. I attended the TCU / Texas Tech game a couple of weeks ago in Lubbock. First game I have gone to at that stadium, but have always liked the school. My wife and son are both TCU grads and my son is currently enrolled at Tech on a second degree. I was really surprised at the rude behavior of many of the Tech fans and the Tech employees who were doing the announcing and operating the sound system. We were sitting next to the TCU band in a mostly "purple" section. Prior to the start of the game, each school band played their school song. As the Tech band played the stadium was silent and everyone (including players and coaches on both sides) stood respectfully and listened. As soon as the TCU band started to play the stadium was filled with fans booing and yelling and all the Tech players jumping up and down and pumping their fists and yelling,and then, about 10 seconds into it, the staff kicked on the giant speakers mounted on the Jumbo-tron scoreboard and blasted loud cannon shot noises to drown out the band. After that the announcers came on and warned that anyone throwing any items on the field would be removed from the stadium. This was met by a blizzard of flour tortillas being "frisbeed" onto the field which the event staff scurried to remove as the teams lined up for the kickoff. No one was removed or even approached. There were two young, very pretty girls in Tech colors, sitting right behind us that started yelling profanities ( including a non stop "bomb" attack). After a few minutes of that, my son turned around and told them they needed to tone it down with the language. They said "oh its just part of the cheering for the team." He said it didn't matter...told them he was attending Tech also but they were in a public venue and that his 78 year old grandmother was sitting there as well as his mother and it just wasn't acceptable. At half time, after my wife had turned around and spoken to them also, they got on their phones and located some other seats with some of their friends and moved. The game was as wild as any I've ever seen and the crowd was fired up as expected. When TCU scored to take the lead with 23 seconds left, the game had to be halted before they kicked the extra point because the fans started throwing more tortillas and also full bottles of water onto the field. When it was over, as is their custom, the TCU team and coaches always come stand in front of the band and salute them as they play the school fight song. as the TCU fans stood and saluted them and the band started to play, the Tech crew again blew out the speakers with the "cannon blasts" drowning them out. The Sheriff's dept. was providing most of the security and after the wild finish about a dozen additional deputies showed up to escort the band and the TCU fans out of the stadium. I was really surprised by the behavior shown there. The only games I've been to in the last 10 years have been at TCU and UT and I'd never seen that type of thing occur at either place.

[Texsquatch]

Just a general lack of respect for anything and anyone else in some situations. I attended the TCU / Texas Tech game a couple of weeks ago in Lubbock. First game I have gone to at that stadium, but have always liked the school. My wife and son are both TCU grads and my son is currently enrolled at Tech on a second degree. I was really surprised at the rude behavior of many of the Tech fans and the Tech employees who were doing the announcing and operating the sound system. We were sitting next to the TCU band in a mostly "purple" section. Prior to the start of the game, each school band played their school song. As the Tech band played the stadium was silent and everyone (including players and coaches on both sides) stood respectfully and listened. As soon as the TCU band started to play the stadium was filled with fans booing and yelling and all the Tech players jumping up and down and pumping their fists and yelling,and then, about 10 seconds into it, the staff kicked on the giant speakers mounted on the Jumbo-tron scoreboard and blasted loud cannon shot noises to drown out the band. After that the announcers came on and warned that anyone throwing any items on the field would be removed from the stadium. This was met by a blizzard of flour tortillas being "frisbeed" onto the field which the event staff scurried to remove as the teams lined up for the kickoff. No one was removed or even approached. There were two young, very pretty girls in Tech colors, sitting right behind us that started yelling profanities ( including a non stop "bomb" attack). After a few minutes of that, my son turned around and told them they needed to tone it down with the language. They said "oh its just part of the cheering for the team." He said it didn't matter...told them he was attending Tech also but they were in a public venue and that his 78 year old grandmother was sitting there as well as his mother and it just wasn't acceptable. At half time, after my wife had turned around and spoken to them also, they got on their phones and located some other seats with some of their friends and moved. The game was as wild as any I've ever seen and the crowd was fired up as expected. When TCU scored to take the lead with 23 seconds left, the game had to be halted before they kicked the extra point because the fans started throwing more tortillas and also full bottles of water onto the field. When it was over, as is their custom, the TCU team and coaches always come stand in front of the band and salute them as they play the school fight song. as the TCU fans stood and saluted them and the band started to play, the Tech crew again blew out the speakers with the "cannon blasts" drowning them out. The Sheriff's dept. was providing most of the security and after the wild finish about a dozen additional deputies showed up to escort the band and the TCU fans out of the stadium. I was really surprised by the behavior shown there. The only games I've been to in the last 10 years have been at TCU hi and UT and I'd never seen that type of thing occur at either place.

Keep in mind that you're also referring to a student body that has a "tradition" of destroying the bleachers in their own student section by jumping on them and passing the pieces down during the game. I don't know how the tortilla thing started, but wait until someone catches a full water bottle to the nose. I'm sure there's lawyers who attend these games just in case.