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National Anthem Etiquette


Guest EagleBackr

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Guest EagleBackr

...was reading on the TU message board that a lady fan of the Hurricane called up during their coach's radio show Monday and chastised their team and coaching staff for not having their hands over their hearts during the national anthem. An apparently embarrassed Coach Wo said that's the way they did it at the Naval Academy (where he played), but that he would consult with their AD to see if they should change their literal and figurative stance.

Here's my question: do our guys put their hands over their hearts during the national anthem? I've never noticed one way or the other. And if TU's players and coaching staff decide to have their hands over their hearts during the anthem on Saturday night and ours don't, is Coach Sutton going to be the one fielding phone calls from offended fans on HIS coaching show?

(This microscopic bit of trivial pursuit brought to you in lieu of actual Mayor's Cup speculation and analysis, which has been eerily lacking this year from both camps...)

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From USFlag.org:

The Salute

"To salute, all persons come to attention. Those in uniform give the appropriate formal salute. Citizens not in uniform salute by placing their right hand over the heart and men with head cover should remove it and hold it to left shoulder, hand over the heart. Members of organizations in formation salute upon command of the person in charge.

The Pledge of Allegiance and National Anthem

The pledge of allegiance should be rendered by standing at attention, facing the flag, and saluting.

When the national anthem is played or sung, citizens should stand at attention and salute at the first note and hold the salute through the last note. The salute is directed to the flag, if displayed, otherwise to the music. "

This has been a question for me for some time - what is the appropriate way to show honor to the flag during the National Anthem? I was taught, or at least I thought that I was taught, that you stand at attention facing the flag, but not saluting. Saluting (hand over heart) was saved for the Pledge of Allegiance. This web site, and others that I've checked, indicate otherwise. I think that it would be appropriate for our team to position themselves in the appropriate manner during the National Anthem, just like everyone else in the arena.

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In answer to your question, EB, I don't think that the team DOES cover their hearts, or at least not all of them do. I sit right behind the team and have watched them many times during the National Anthem. Their behavior is customarily more lax than I would prefer. I've mentioned that before in another thread.

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Guest EagleBackr
In answer to your question, EB, I don't think that the team DOES cover their hearts, or at least not all of them do. I sit right behind the team and have watched them many times during the National Anthem. Their behavior is customarily more lax than I would prefer. I've mentioned that before in another thread.

I would imagine the ORU team and the coaches have far better things to do than read our message board drivel (at least, I would HOPE they do!), but maybe "orumom" or someone else with ties to the team might see this and pass it along to the coaches - they might want to consider a change in our anthem approach this Saturday night. Not because it looks good; but because, with U.S. Service men and women risking their lives every day overseas, it's the right thing to do...

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From the "Emily Post Institute":

The National Anthem

Everyone, even very young children, should rise and remain standing during the playing of "The Star-Spangled Banner." It is not easy to sing, and you need not do so if you do not have the necessary range or "ear," but you must stand quietly until you hear "O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave."

If you are on the way to your seat at a sports event, or in any public place, when the strain, 'Oh say, can you see, by the dawn's early light," sounds, stop where you are and stand at attention until the end. Don't talk, chew gum loudly, eat or smoke during the singing of the anthem

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United States Code

The United States Code is the codification by subject matter of the general and permanent laws of the United States. It is divided by broad subjects into 50 titles and published by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives. Since 1926, the United States Code has been published every six years. In between editions, annual cumulative supplements are published in order to present the most current information.

UNITED STATES CODE

TITLE 36

CHAPTER 10

PATRIOTIC CUSTOMS

?171. Conduct during playing

During rendition of the national anthem when the flag is displayed, all present except those in uniform should stand at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. Men not in uniform should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Persons in uniform should render the military salute at the first note of the anthem and retain this position until the last note. When the flag is not displayed, those present should face toward the music and act in the same manner they would if the flag were displayed there.

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Some of players do place their hand over their heart (Micky M.) and some place a double handed cup over their private (Larry Owens). Others use the behind the back, head down, contemplative stance to show their allegiance (JB, Ken Tutt). The one that shows the most disrespect is Adam Liberty, which is very ironic because of his name. You'd think he would be the main one at a full 'atten-hutt' because his parents understood what the price of freedom was for our country and commemorized it with his name. No, Adam elects to sit during the playing of our beloved nation's national anthem. It's his way of sticking it to his parents and our country for our policy on the war in Iraq.

How do I know all of these things? Well it's my business to know. I very critically analyze our coaching staff and fans also. I've noticed that Coach Sutton has a nice cup formation when he places his hand over his heart, while coach Hankins goes for a hand below the heart type salute so that he can make sure not to cover up too much of his nice threads.

Most of our fans would have this caller to coach woj. in a tizzy if she was at last night's game. Between kids playing freeze tag on the entry level and most of the guys trying to check out the chic singing the anthem, we all make for a pretty unpatriotic bunch of fans. :wink:

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Guest EagleBackr

Whoa, whoa - WHOA!! Are you serious about Adam Liberty not standing, and for the reasons you listed? I never noticed. If so, we gotta problem here...

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No, EB. That post was just a pun. I'm sure that Adam stands along with the rest of our team and fans. I sure did have fun writing it though!

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WOW, lol, youreally had me going there on that one. I have class and sit with some of the guys from the squad...i was atcually going to say something to em at class tomorrow...lol...you bringer of division! :lol:

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Guest EagleBackr
No, EB. That post was just a pun. I'm sure that Adam stands along with the rest of our team and fans. I sure did have fun writing it though!

*whew*.....Had me going there! All I could think of was, "wrong gesture, wrong time, wrong place," etc. I mean, I'm all for free speech, but that would be a stretch, especially for a scholarship athlete at a conservative private school. I'm not real big on protests from athletes during NCAA competition - the only reason they would have a forum in which to protest in the first place is because the school GAVE them one. If the school deemed any individual protest too radical (sitting during the anthem, gestures, etc.), I think the school should have the right to remove that person from their stage. Student protests are a different matter, but that's for another forum...

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i guess i'm going to have to get better at my sarcasm. :o

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just wanted to say this is a facinating thread.

nice research.

I just want the majority of the people who sing the anthem to get the words correct. " throught the par-uh lus night..er..fight..errrr..light...

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Let me add in a little bit about this. IIRC, the Jehova(sp) Witness church does not believe in Saluting the flag or the singing of the National Anthem. I do not recall ever seeing any of them sitting down as was joked about in the above, but then again it was over 30 years ago when I was dating a young lady from that church.

They do not mean any disrespect, but it is (or at least it was) one of their beliefs.

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Did anyone else notice? EVERYONE on the bench, players and coaches alike, had hand over heart during the National Anthem. It made me proud!! A great bunch of guys.

Thanks, coaches, for encouraging this great bunch of kids to do the right thing during this traditional patriotic moment.

BTW, after the discussion on this board, for the first time in my entire life I placed my hand over my heart, Pledge of Allegiance style, during the singing of the National Anthem. It felt good!

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Guest EagleBackr
Did anyone else notice? EVERYONE on the bench, players and coaches alike, had hand over heart during the National Anthem. It made me proud!! A great bunch of guys.

Thanks, coaches, for encouraging this great bunch of kids to do the right thing during this traditional patriotic moment.

BTW, after the discussion on this board, for the first time in my entire life I placed my hand over my heart, Pledge of Allegiance style, during the singing of the National Anthem. It felt good!

Ah, the POWER of the message board! Wasn't that cool what they did? Maybe next game, we can get them to bounce out on one leg during intros - kind of like Simon Says!! Seriously, I was proud of our guys - in that regard and many others...

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Guest HollowPoint

Answer for EagleBackr

The final order of our alphabet was set by the Romans. The word ?alphabet? is derived from the first two letters of the Greek alphabet, ?alpha and beta.? It was Greek alphabet that set much of the order for the Romans to adopt. I hope this helps.

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Guest EagleBackr
Answer for EagleBackr

The final order of our alphabet was set by the Romans. The word ?alphabet? is derived from the first two letters of the Greek alphabet, ?alpha and beta.? It was Greek alphabet that set much of the order for the Romans to adopt. I hope this helps.

Uh, gee, thanks HP - that's very interesting, but I like my/Steven Wright's explanation better!

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