# national anthem before sports events **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 31, 2000, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-anthem-before-sports-events/9856 "2000-03-31T23:04:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2000, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-anthem-before-sports-events/9856/1 "2000-03-31T23:04:00Z")
I just read today in Lou Boyd’s trivia column the following “fact”: “In 1918, some returning servicemen who were watching Babe Ruth play in the world series were getting rowdy, so some quick-witted individual asked the band to play _The Star-Spangled Banner_. A riot was averted, and thus the tradition commenced of playing the national anthem before sporting events.” So, what do the Teeming Millions have to say? Is L. M. Boyd leading me down the garden path again? ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2000, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-anthem-before-sports-events/9856/2 "2000-03-31T23:18:00Z")
Yes. Playing the National Anthem before baseball games started during WWI as an attempt to drive up patriotic fervor. Players would often hold military-style drills before the games using bats in place of rifles. It took a few years before everybody played the National Anthem all the time before the game started. For a while, it was just reserved for holidays and other special occasions (Opening Day, World Series). By WWII, I believe playing the National Anthem was SOP. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2000, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-anthem-before-sports-events/9856/3 "2000-03-31T23:20:00Z")
Also, servicemen wouldn’t have been returning in 1918 to watch the World Series. The war wasn’t over yet. The season that year was also cut short because the government issued a “Work or Fight” order to baseball. The season ended early and a special dispensation was given to the Cubs and Red Sox to play the World Series. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2000, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-anthem-before-sports-events/9856/4 "2000-04-01T00:11:00Z")
How do they decide whether to play the Canadian or American national anthem first? ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2000, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-anthem-before-sports-events/9856/5 "2000-04-01T00:23:00Z")
If you go see the Blue Jays in Toronto, it goes U.S., then Canada. If you see the Blue Jays play in New York, it goes Canada, then U.S.A. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2000, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-anthem-before-sports-events/9856/6 "2000-04-01T07:36:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by BobT: > \*\*If you go see the Blue Jays in Toronto, it goes U.S., then Canada. If you see the Blue Jays play in New York, it goes Canada, then U.S.A. > \*\* And if you see the Blue Jays play in Atlanta, they fly the Canadian flag upside down. In other places, they just forget the words to O, Canada. Anything for our friends from the Great White North. * * * Dan Tilque ---
**Author:** ![Beruang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@Beruang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beruang)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2000, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-anthem-before-sports-events/9856/7 "2000-04-01T07:54:00Z")
And when did playing the anthem become required by law in Pennsylvania, thus giving Sinead O’Connor a platform for yet another obscure political statement? ## Born and raised in the US, I always sing the Canadian anthem when it is played. I know the words (we’ll, most of 'em) thanks to an ex-intern from Vancouver, and dammit, it’s got a great melody! “The dawn of a new era is felt and not measured.” Walter Lord ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2000, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-anthem-before-sports-events/9856/8 "2000-04-01T15:00:00Z")
> [@](#): > > So, what do the Teeming Millions have to say? Is L. M. Boyd leading me down the garden path again? You read L. M. Boyd? I’ll never trust anything you say again. 🙂 * * * _It is too clear, and so it is hard to see._ ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2000, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-anthem-before-sports-events/9856/9 "2000-04-03T04:48:00Z")
Thank you, BobT, for your answer. ZenBeam, what can I say? In one of the local newspapers, he’s right next to the comics page, so I’m irresistibly drawn to his column, in the same way that people stare at a car accident. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2000, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-anthem-before-sports-events/9856/10 "2000-04-04T14:36:00Z")
Now, I hope no one takes offense, here, but does BobT have any authority for his explanation? Otherwise, while I consider it a possible story, I can’t say that it has any more validity than the story posted in the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Ursa\_Major](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a88e57/32.png) [@Ursa\_Major](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ursa_Major)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2000, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-anthem-before-sports-events/9856/11 "2000-04-04T15:04:00Z")
The _Star Spangled Banner_ may have been sung at ballgames in the 1910s and 1920s, but the National Anthem wasn’t. The USA had no national anthem until 1931 when Congress made it official. So, technically, the tradition of playing the National Anthem before sporting events only dates back to 1931. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2000, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-anthem-before-sports-events/9856/12 "2000-04-05T05:23:00Z")
Ursa, I guess you get the prize for best answer. That would be good for a trivia quiz! DSYoung, I trust BobT at least as much as I trust Lou Boyd. ---
**Author:** ![Ursa\_Major](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a88e57/32.png) [@Ursa\_Major](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ursa_Major)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2000, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-anthem-before-sports-events/9856/13 "2000-04-05T05:30:00Z")
BTW, Arnold, get the damn _LA Times_! Just because you live behind the Orange Curtain doesn’t mean you have to read that rag, the _Regester_. The only thing it’s good for is the funnies and the surf report. Do they still put Boyd on the same page with Ann Landers, Dear Abby and Miss Manners? Talk about living up to the company one keeps! ---
**Author:** ![kknick34](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a698b9/32.png) [@kknick34](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kknick34)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2000, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-anthem-before-sports-events/9856/14 "2000-04-05T05:40:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by BobT: > \*\*Also, servicemen wouldn’t have been returning in 1918 to watch the World Series. The war wasn’t over yet. > > \*\* Seriously wounded serviceman would have been sent home before the ended of the war, Boston would have been a logical port for them to land. ---
**Author:** ![lswote](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lswote/32/5737_2.png) [@lswote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lswote)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2000, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-anthem-before-sports-events/9856/15 "2000-04-05T05:52:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by BobT: > Also, servicemen wouldn’t have been returning in 1918 to watch the World Series. The war wasn’t over yet. > The season that year was also cut short because the government issued a “Work or Fight” order to baseball. The season ended early and a special dispensation was given to the Cubs and Red Sox to play the World Series. ## Were servicemen required to serve for the duration of the war? Didn’t they enlist for specific periods of time and if so, I could see that some enlistments would be over before the end of the war and thus these servicemen could attend a baseball game. “The truth does not make a good story; that’s why we have art.” ---
**Author:** ![Ursa\_Major](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a88e57/32.png) [@Ursa\_Major](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ursa_Major)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2000, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-anthem-before-sports-events/9856/16 "2000-04-05T05:59:00Z")
It took American troops the best part of a year just to get into action, and were in France for barely a year before 11/11/18. The US military wasn’t going to send any troops back to the States before Willy cried “Uncle”. The seriously wounded were treated in France. Many wouldn’t make it back home until after most of the healthy troops started heading back in 1919. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2000, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-anthem-before-sports-events/9856/17 "2000-04-04T18:09:00Z")
I do get the LA Times at home, but at work someone always leaves the OC Register in the break room, so when I go get my coffee I read the comics that the LA Times doesn’t have, then shuffle on over to the trivia quiz of the day, and Lou is right there staring at me. I’m not strong enough to resist the temptation! ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2000, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-anthem-before-sports-events/9856/18 "2000-04-04T19:07:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Do they still put Boyd on the same page with Ann Landers, Dear Abby and Miss Manners? Talk about living up to the company one keeps! You, sir, are no gentleman. Miss Manners is a true diva, and any lowly columnist should be honored to be placed on the page with her. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2000, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-anthem-before-sports-events/9856/19 "2000-04-04T19:14:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Also, servicemen wouldn’t have been returning in 1918 to watch the World Series. The war wasn’t over yet. > > The season that year was also cut short because the government issued a “Work or Fight” order to baseball. The season ended early and a special dispensation was given to the Cubs and Red Sox to play the World Series. The United States declared war on Germany April 6 1917. If any servicemen were on a one-year tour, they most certainly could have been back in the US for a World Series beginning anytime from May on, as could soldiers discharged for whatever reason. Which is not to say I believe the OP is correct, but it’s not necessarily incorrect for this reason. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2000, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-anthem-before-sports-events/9856/20 "2000-04-04T19:17:00Z")
Jeez, color me embarrassed. I guess I was just so affronted on Miss Manners’ behalf that I neglected to read any further, thus posting pretty much the same response to the troops’ coming home as two other people. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-anthem-before-sports-events/9856.md?page=2)