Roy Absent during National Anthem (MERGED)

He isn't.

He is held to the exact same standard that all the other NBA players are. And every other NBA player except Roy apparently understands this, because they all line up respectfully for the national anthem.

Are you proposing that none of the players should stand for the national anthem? What would you like them to do--wander around the court while it's being performed, or shoot baskets, or talk on their cell phones?? I suppose all of those things would be "appropriate" in a country where we are all allowed to do what we want to . . .

 

How about this shocking idea: no national anthems before games. They're not exactly state functions (until Obama nationalizes the NBA, NFL and MLB, of course!).

Then players can pray or wander about or watch YouTube...whatever gets them ready to play basketball.

Of course, not being present during the national anthem works too. It's probably bad form to shoot baskets or chat during the anthem, if you're there, but being elsewhere by one's self seems fine to me.

 

I just read The Road to Woodstock by Michael Lang. An absolute must for any "hippie". Thank me later for the read.

 

and thank you for yours... as usual it's provided laughs for the rest of us to enjoy

STOMP

 

So you're fine with ALL of the players standing in the tunnel during the national anthem?

 

Yup. If you're out there, be polite and remain stationary and quiet. But there's no need to be out there if you'd rather just think, meditate, pray or whatever else in the locker room.

 

It's really very simple. Roy and the other Blazers are "performers," and part of their job is standing at attention during the playing of the national anthem. There's no law that says this must be done, but it's a tradition in the NBA, and most Americans are pretty happy with it.

You and Joe Schmo, on the other hand, are part of the "audience." No one is looking at you--they're all looking at the court. You are not being paid to perform, you are not on stage, and thus you don't have the burden of being "showcased" like the players are. It's nice if you stand at attention, as well, but if you don't, very few people will notice.

There is always a different set of expectations for "performers" and "audience members." You can go out and take a crap anytime you want during the opera, too, but the performers on stage don't have the same freedom you do. Their first duty is to carry out their performance on stage, whatever that may be.

 

I suspect that most fans would find it very odd if ALL of the players on both teams chose not to pay their respects to the flag and the national anthem . . . and just hung out in the locker room during this time.

 

fixed

STOMP

 

give it up already......

I suspect most fans don't care, and if you extrapolate the data from this forum, on the care/don't care decisions, I bet you'd have your "most fans" decision.

We have a pretty diverse crowd, I bet the data would work.

 

Based on tradition. There's nothing innately strange about the players not being on the floor during the national anthem. In fact, I'd say it's odder that the anthem is played before before every single sporting event.

If players stopped coming on the floor for it, fans would adjust. The "new tradition" would be fans listening to the anthem prior to the players coming out and the game starting.

If I controlled things, I'd say scrap the anthem before sporting events altogether. Play it at state events or when an American wins an Olympic event. You know, reserve it for things that don't happen every day. Suppose we played the anthem before going to the bathroom...not only would that be inconvenient, wouldn't that begin to dilute the significance of it?