It鈥檚 been a decades-long tradition in North America, but a Canadian professor of sport management says it might be time to re-examine the legitimacy of national anthems being played before games.
Last weekend, sports fans in Canada voiced their displeasure with U.S. President Donald Trump鈥檚 announcement he was raising tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports by 25 per cent. In hockey and basketball arenas across the country, they roundly booed the American national anthem before games.
On Monday, Trump agreed to pause the tariffs for one month. That night, Nashville, Tenn., fans returned the favour before the Predators lost to Ottawa 5-2.
On Tuesday, boos continued before NHL games in Vancouver and Winnipeg as well as Toronto鈥檚 Scotiabank Arena before the Raptors-New York Knicks contest.
The spectator angst created headlines worldwide. And it reignited the long-standing debate of whether anthems belong in North American sport.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 a great question, it鈥檚 definitely timely and topical,鈥� said Michael Naraine, an associate professor at Brock University. 鈥淚 do think it鈥檚 time we look at, 鈥楧o we need to play the national anthem before a game?鈥欌��
While the anthem firestorm is smouldering, it could rage again Feb. 15 when Canada and U.S. meet in Montreal at the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament.
Both anthems have been performed before games for decades, starting as a gesture of solidarity for the troops fighting alongside one another during the Second World War. But singing The Star-Spangled Banner before games south of the border reportedly dates back to the late 1800s.
Naraine said the American military had a role in the anthem being played before U.S. sports events.
鈥淲hat many people don鈥檛 realize is part of the reason, at least in the United States, why the national anthems were traditionally played was because they were paid advertisements by the U.S. military,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he U.S. Department of Defense, through its various arms like the Army, Navy, etc., would have contracts with major professional sports leagues to play the national anthem, have the military salute, colour guard and things of that nature.
鈥淭here鈥檚 always been this, I wouldn鈥檛 call it a dual helix but I鈥檇 call it the intertwining of patriotism, the military complex and sport in North America.鈥�
Trevor Harrison, a retired political sociologist at the University of Lethbridge, feels eliminating national anthems will be difficult.
鈥淰ery much so,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f you suddenly said, 鈥楪ood evening folks, we have this game tonight, let鈥檚 drop the puck,鈥� I think many people would say, 鈥楯ust a second here,鈥� because we鈥檙e so used to it.
鈥淚t鈥檚 almost like a Pavlovian kind of response.鈥�
Offensive lineman Ryan Hunter of the Toronto Argonauts welcomes hearing O Canada before games. After an extended time playing football in the U.S., the North Bay, Ont., native appreciates the chance to hear his own anthem again.
鈥淚 grew up listening to (O Canada) every day at school and also in sports,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just something I enjoy and appreciate as part of my pre-game ritual.
鈥淚 will say, man, if someone knocks out the national anthem with, say, a guitar or just good vocals, there鈥檚 nothing that sets the stage better for a big game than a national anthem that gets the people going 鈥� it鈥檚 always something you remember if you were there.鈥�
When Hunter, 29, was in the U.S., the playing of the American anthem was a time for reflection.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a thank you to that country for allowing you to participate in professional sports or high-level sports in their country,鈥� said Hunter, the CFL鈥檚 top lineman last season. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a good thing to hear to remind you of where you come from.鈥�
As does former NHLer Nick Kypreos 鈥� who played for Washington, Hartford, the New York Rangers and Toronto from 1986-97.
鈥淚 think most of us (pro athletes) are totally on board with that,鈥� said the 58-year-old Toronto native, who earned a 鈥�94 Stanley Cup ring with the Rangers. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been listening to music for an hour in the dressing room, then we shut the music off and we get serious, everything is focused and ramped up.
鈥淭hen you go out there and it鈥檚 a chance for a few minutes just to reflect. It鈥檚 always been part of the fabric since I can first remember and if they took it out, are they taking it out for the right reasons?鈥�
Kypreos has always appreciated hearing both anthems before games.
鈥淵ou never forget where you came from, where home is, family,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 always thought two anthems was the right thing to do.
鈥淎gain, if it鈥檚 one last chance just to calm things down before everything gets crazy at puck drop, I always appreciated it.鈥�
Naraine said while other countries also play their anthems before games, it鈥檚 usually reserved for playoff and international encounters or those played on important holidays.
鈥淚n Australia with Australian Rules Football, each team has its own fight song and they play that as the team comes out on to the field,鈥� Naraine said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the same thing with American college football or some NFL teams where they play their fight songs.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 have that in hockey so we kind of adopted the national anthem.鈥�
Harrison suggests Canada鈥檚 anthem angst was fanned by Trump鈥檚 earlier talk of making the country the U.S.鈥檚 51st state.
鈥淢any Canadians were really incensed by that,鈥� Harrison said. 鈥淪o how do you vent both your sense of pride but also to show the other side how angry you really are?
鈥淪ports becomes the venue for that. It would be nice if people as individuals and teams just competed on some other kind of level but the intertwining of all of these things together probably makes that quite impossible.鈥�
As for why anthems are such a hot-button topic, both academics agree: Sport is political.
鈥淚t has become political because it鈥檚 used by various actors for those political purposes,鈥� Harrison said. 鈥淲hen a shipyard opens and a ship is set for launch, there are those who want to be there for the photo opportunity.
鈥淧oliticians also want to be there every time there鈥檚 a sporting event even though they couldn鈥檛 throw a football 10 yards 鈥� it鈥檚 kind of a way of reflectively showing their patriotism but also connecting with the fanbase, many of whom view sports in a kind of hyper-sense as attached to their identity.鈥�
Canadians are guilty of the latter, especially regarding the country鈥檚 place on hockey鈥檚 world stage. And at no time was Canada鈥檚 identity more threatened than during the 鈥�72 Summit Series versus the former Soviet Union.
鈥淵ou think about the 1972 Canada-Russia series in the context of the Cold War,鈥� Harrison said. 鈥淭his is basically saying our system is better than yours and we produced better athletes and Canadians are incredibly proud of that moment, (Paul) Henderson and all that.
鈥淲e can forgive many things, including Bobby Clarke鈥檚 most horrible destruction of (Soviet star Valeri) Kharlamov鈥檚 ankle (in Game 6) but it was like, 鈥楾his is war,鈥� and that鈥檚 how people viewed it. We as fans, many of those sports are so attached to our sense of who we are, our sense of identity and so it鈥檚 easy for politicians to also play on that.
鈥淒onald Trump will go to the Super Bowl (Sunday) even though I don鈥檛 think he gives a damn about it. But he鈥檒l go because, 鈥楳y folks love it.鈥欌��
