Despite Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry's request that universities strip scholarships from college athletes who are not present during the national anthem, LSU will not be changing its beloved football pregame tradition.
It's the strangest thing that the national anthem is played before sporting events between two American teams, at all levels of competition.
I certainly can understand it in international competition, because one of the teams is representing the US, while the other is representing another country.
But for domestic sports, it's strange.
The history of why we have the anthem at sporting events dates back to World War II. The reason for it, though, is somewhat unclear. Patriotism perhaps? A draw to get people to serve their country? A reminder that even during war, sports endured?
In any case it's a silly tradition that has gone on for far too long. And gets more political all the time. You have to be present, stand, remove any head cover, and put your hand over your heart in order to be considered patriotic. Otherwise you're labeled as anti-American.
And if the intent is to continue to make it patriotic, then why not extend it to concerts, shows, and other public gatherings?
