Sports journalist and professor Kevin Blackistone declared that the national anthem should not be played before sporting events on Wednesday, saying that a “war anthem” should not be conflated with a “simple game.”
In a discussion on ESPN’s “Around the Horn,” Blackistone and a number of other panelists discussed Northwestern University’s American flag-themed uniforms, which have stirred controversy for their blood-stained appearance.
Blackistone, however, took things one step further, saying sports are too rife with “military symbolism.” His examples included “singing a war anthem to open every game” and “going to get a hot dog and being able to sign up for the army at the same time.”
“You are conflating a war anthem with a simple game,” he admonished.
Wow, Blackistone, tell us how you really feel about being an American or a sports fan.