Play It a Bit Less, Uncle Sam

Some one asked me the other day if I thought it was a good idea to play the national anthem at all sporting event. My considered reply is that I would love to hear our beloved fight song only when an American team is playing in an international event...on an occasion when the team is to be distinguished from its opponent by virtue of nationality. Otherwise, it might be mistaken as a bit of jingoistic overreach ...I mean, when the Giants play the Dodgers I think we all have a pretty good idea that each team hails from the United States. Honoring individual nations at an international venue by playing each national anthem often results in a very stirring and dramatic moment. The emotional impact of the anthem increases in proportion to the frequency with which it is rendered. Most first-world countries are sufficiently secure with their sense of national identity and do not require incessant recitations of their national tune to otherwise rouse their patriotism.