National anthem debate in sports continues: No anthem for a Pennsylvania hockey league

Posting this for my Algonquin College Sports Business Management students.  Each year we have a discussion on controversies and issues surrounding national anthems in sports.  Here's a good example for the "no anthem" side of the argument:

Pennsylvania Prep Hockey League Ices National Anthem
By Michael Popke — AB Managing Editor 

Citing the need to not waste precious ice time, the commissioner of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League has discouraged the playing of "The Star-Spangled Banner" before games. Late last week, Ed Sam sent an email to the PIHL's 183 high school team members in central and western Pennsylvania conveying that message.

“The National Anthem should not be played only because of time constrains [sic],” Sam told Pittsburgh's CBS affiliate, KDKA-TV. “It’s not that we’re not patriotic, that’s the furthest from the truth. Ice is very, very hard to get and it’s not cheap. We’re talking $300 an hour sometimes or even higher than that.” 

... 

According to a Fox News Radio report, Sam later tried to soften his admitted "poor choice of words," telling reporter Todd Starnes that "a lot of our teams never really played the National Anthem. But some of them did."

(Thanks to former student Rod Jacobs for sending this one.) 

Guy tries to sing the anthem at 100 different ballparks this season

Befitting its status as a sprawling and geographically diverse nationwide industry, Minor League Baseball and road trips go hand in hand.  But it's safe to say that no one's ever embarked upon a Minor League road trip quite like the one put together by Whittier College professor Joe Price, who has taken a sabbatical from academia in order to sing the national anthem at more than 100 ballparks over a five-month period. Fittingly dubbed "The Anthem Project," Price's tour will take him to more than 40 states. He'll sing in four time zones and across six levels of play and expects to travel at least 15,000 miles. Full story from MLB.com

Unexpected Celebrity National Anthems: Phish

At a New Jersey Nets game several years ago:

Strange giveaway promo: Rene Rancourt bobblehead

Back in December, the Boston Bruins gave away Rene Rancourt bobbleheads to the first 10,000 fans in the building. Rancourt is the Bruins anthem singer. (via @nhlbruins)

Things I didn't know about Rene until I looked him up on Wikipedia: he's been singing the anthem for the Bruins for over 30 years, he started his anthem singing career at Fenway Park, his fist pump at the end of his performance is a tribute to former Bruin Randy Burridge.

And he also sings "at auto races, charity events, and nursing homes in and around New England".

Leslie Nielson sings the Star Spangled Banner

Leslie Nielson, playing Lt. Frank Drebin, pretending to be opera singer Enrico Pallazzo. (Thanks Kmac for the link.)

Steven Tyler performs the National Anthem at a Bruins game

Guy plays national anthem on an electric baseball bat fiddle

From BoingBoing.net:

"Glenn Donnellan, who plays for the National Symphony Orchestra, created an electric violin from a Louisville Slugger bat. He played the National Anthem Aug. 8 (2009) at the game between the Washington Nationals and the Arizona Diamondbacks."

Bob McCown says one anthem is plenty

Here's an article for my Algonquin class -- specifically the group that's debating anthems this week. Here's a slightly different take on National Anthems from Bob McCown. He suggests one anthem is enough at pro sports events.

Still, the answer isn't to afford equal treatment to the anthem of another country. The answer is to get rid of it altogether. I mean, what is the basis for playing "O Canada" in the U.S. anyway? Well, the answer is because one of the 30 teams in MLB is in Canada. Is that enough? Uh, no!

Doesn't it make more sense to respect the nationalities of the players involved? Sure it does, but if you go down that road the playing of the anthems would have to commence before noon for a one o'clock start.

No, the correct response is gettting rid of anthem-playing all together.

Look, I've heard the song. It's catchy. But every tune gets old after a while. I mean, do you still like "Hey Jude" as much as you did the first 500 times you heard it?

When I go to a mid-season sporting event, the playing of the anthem is a mind-numbing experience. I don't stand there quietly pondering the great freedoms we enjoy or the majesty of the Rocky Mountains. I don't get teary-eyed or weak-kneed. And the only lump in my throat is likely to be the pizza I bit into just before the music started to play.

I confess there are moments when it is possible to feel real emotion when "O Canada" begins, but never at a sporting event.

I realize that eliminating the anthem altogether isn't going to happen, though that would be my preference. But surely we never need to hear more than one anthem at any one time…anywhere…under any circumstance!

Cleaning out the inbox: game entertainment miscellany

• Man sues White Sox over t-shirt toss
  "It boggles the mind that someone would discard their fellow fan to the ground in pursuit of a cheaply made XXXXL T-shirt that will probably used to wipe off the dipstick during an oil change in a matter of days."
  
  
• Behind the scenes at the Chicago Blackhawks
  "It's a red three-ring binder and carrying it at his side at all times is Tom O'Grady, a decidedly old-school Chicago hockey fan in a decidedly new-school gig - orchestrating the in-house entertainment for Blackhawks games at the United Center..."
  
  
• Video: Slow-to-fast wave how do they do that?
  
  
• Video screens at the new Yankee Stadium they're bi
  
  
• Teams should let fans in stadium see whole picture Yes, they should. NHL & NFL lead the way for in-venue replays
  
  
• Wes Johnson: Voice of the Capitals All about the PA announcer for the Caps
  
  
• R. Kelly sings the National Anthem at a boxing match Bad idea, or as the kids are saying these days, "#FAIL"
  
  
• A new blog I found about GameDay Fan Experience
  
  
• Reno Aces 7th Inning Stretch Impressive and creepy at the same time. Reminds me of the Stay Puft Marshmellow Man
  
  
• Cool photo: giant American flag on the field in the shape of the continental USA
  
  
• Cool vid: "Play" from the St. Louis Cardinals