Personally, I like the idea that a professional sports franchise owner, like Mark Cuban, will stop exploiting the Star Spangled Banner to sell his product. For decades, professional sports teams have used patriotism for profit. The owners and players wrapped themselves in the flag they now burn. 

Let us be honest, corporations – especially multinational corporations – do not do anything that does not benefit the corporation. This practice of playing the national anthem, parading the flag in front of the crowd, “honoring” our uniformed services personnel, flyovers – it was all done to evoke the emotions of the audience. It stoked our good feelings towards our great nation with the expectation that these good feelings would be associated with their product i.e – the game itself. They exploited our patriotism to keep us patronizing their product.

Indeed, watching the NFL became a religious ritual. Families would gather around the television on Sunday, often in lieu of religious services, so that they did not miss the kickoff. The Catholic Church changed mass times from noon to 11 a.m. and added a Saturday vigil mass to make it more convenient for NFL fans because it recognized it was losing the competition for souls. 

Sports before Sermons cry the parishioners!  

The professional sports industry assembled a great public relations campaign. We were told that America was motherhood, baseball, and apple pie. How many WWII movies do you recall containing a sequence where a soldier, usually from Brooklyn, who was at the front lines, listening to a radio broadcast of a Dodgers game? 

Then there was NFL Films. Who can forget the legendary voice of local Philadelphia newscaster John Facenda narrating NFL Films tapes of spectacular plays or momentous games? NFL Films and Facenda’s lines became better known than Bible verse in many households.

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Of course, all of the scenes had a soundtrack of stirring music, often martial in nature. I am pretty sure I can recall When Johnny Comes Marching Home being played in one NFL Film score. It was moving to watch these films. 

Even today there are legendary scenes of NFL players milling around before the game with soundtracks akin to those of war movies. NFL players dressing in their battle armor in the locker room, thumping their chests on the sidelines, colliding their helmets together. One could almost imagine Roman Legions preparing to do battle with barbarians. 

Strength and Honor Brother We Need that Playoff Bonus!!! Take the Hill or Rather the Pitcher’s Mound !! Hold the Line Change!!! 

These are so inspirational. Armchair Quarterbacks and Barroom Coaches everywhere start to tingle with the excitement that their jobs and families do not provide. Who does not get goosebumps? It is quite possible that some of the couch potatoes actually put down the bag of pretzels during the flyovers and move from the couch to stand and salute. 

One cannot help but be emotional. The publicists hired by the various sports leagues are not stupid people. They know what will attract a loyal – even a fanatical – audience. 

Fanaticism is what the owners want because this is what keeps the cash coming into their coffers. (Actually, the word ‘fan’ is derived from fanaticism). This is what the players want too. They are entertainers after all. They are extremely well-paid entertainers. Their only job is to attract and keep an audience so corporations can advertise their products to the viewers. This is what it is all about and nothing more than this. Selling products and services to the viewers. 

What better way to do this than to exploit the natural feelings of love most sports fans have for their country. A love of country job outsourcing corporations do not share.

So yes, it is great to see that, finally, a professional sports franchise owner is shedding the hypocrisy of playing the national anthem before the game. For this we must thank Mark Cuban.

But the real person we all must thank is that unknown person, who influenced a dumb jock, to kneel down during the national anthem, to show his disdain concerning an issue about which he knew nothing, except what he was told by some Leftist ideologue. 

What a great country this is. Even when its enemies try to destroy it they improve it.

God Bless America.