The Athletic Doesn't Want The National Anthem Played At Sporting Events Anymore

We hadn't heard much from The Athletic since October when the New York Times-owned outlet refused to acknowledge that it falsely framed then-star pitcher Trevor Bauer of sexual assault and strangulation.

But The Athletic returned to the news this week. The outlet released an op-ed arguing that sporting events should no longer play the national anthem:

The author cited several failed renditions of “O Canada” as the basis of the argument, including John deCausmeaker stumbling over the lyrics on Thursday night in St. Paul.

Ian Mendes adds that fans don't care as much about "The Star Spangled Banner” as patriotic patrons believe.

He referenced how Mark Cuban's Dallas Mavericks ceased playing the anthem in 2021 and it didn't make the news until 13 games later.

Now, the piece is not overly anti-anthem. It does argue that "the national anthem should be played sparingly and reserved for moments that evoke genuine feelings of national pride."

But I'd argue sporting events should evoke such feelings. Sports are entrenched in the fiber of American culture.

We have the best sports in the world. It is not close.

Few gatherings symbolize the privilege of being an American than attending a sporting event while other nations live in squalor and war zones.

We are privileged. As Americans, we all are.

So, if you are arguing that we should play the anthem less, you are not the good guy. Or the emphatic guy. You are the ghoul.

The Athletic piece embodies how far sports journalism has fallen. The industry used to garner great respect. Sports fans grew up wanting to be Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon.

Today, sports writers are some of the most unkillable rodents in all of media.

On average, sports writers spend more time complaining about race, politics, and white owners than they do celebrating and promoting the game they cover.

Ian Mendes is a sports writer. He hardly covers Vietnam.

The Athletic certainly isn't as bad as Deadspin, where they lie about and smear children. But the outlet is up there. Or down there.

P.S. -- we still await for The Athletic to acknowledge Trevor Bauer's innocence.