Yuck.
One of the bad things about the September 11th attacks, other than the mass death, destruction, the resulting wars, and the low interest rates that spawned the housing market collapse and subsequent decimation of the banking sector and economy in general, is how the attacks have affected Major League Baseball.
I’m a baseball guy, and even though my Red Sox have been conspicuously absent from this year’s playoffs, I’ve watched most of the postseason games. There are a lot things that piss me off about the playoffs this year: the insufferable broadcasting duo of Joe Buck and Tim McCarver; the insufferable broadcasting trio of Ernie Johnson, Ron Darling, and John Smoltz; and of course, the marathon length of these games. With the season on the line, managers understandably pull out all the stops and play the percentages. It isn’t uncommon in the postseason to have three or four different pitchers see action in a single inning. And all those pitching changes add up. And I swear the breaks in between innings are longer in the playoffs than in the regular season.
So what’s MLB’s solution to these long-ass games, all of which start at 8pm or later on the east coast and don’t end until midnight or later? They play God Bless America during the seventh inning of every fucking postseason game. Awesome. Way to add game time by injecting a completely irrelevant relgio-nationalistic anthem into the middle of the fucking ballgame.
During the regular season, MLB teams typically play God Bless America only on Sundays. And that’s strange, since people are asking god to bless America on his day off, which seems rather presumptuous. At Yankee Stadium, the hymn is performed during every game. During some of these renditions, fans have been literally prevented from moving around freely by stadium security, which is some seriously fascistic shit. But this postseason, some person or persons, somewhere, decided it would be best if this terrible song were sung during the seventh inning of every playoff game. And don’t forget, the national anthem is already sung before the game. Isn’t that enough for all you armchair patriots, you jingoistic fucks?
The last time I was at Fenway Park on a Sunday and they asked the crowd to rise for God Bless America, I remained seated for the whole song. Fuck ‘em. But I had no problem standing up immediately afterwards for the seventh inning stretch and “Take me out to the ballgame,” which is a song that predates God Bless America by the way. I imagine that many people around me thought I was being an asshole by not standing. No one said anything of course, because they were undoubtedly too chickenshit. This country is full people who think that being a great American means pledging allegiance to the flag, wearing an Old Glory pin on your lapel, supporting the latest war in a vast sandbox that just happens to sit atop a giant pool of oil, and generally thinking that your country is better than every other. And when you’re attending some apolitical event, like a baseball game, which is supposed to be a brief escape from the harsh realities of politics and life in general, and you’re told to stand and ask god to bless America, well you do that too. Why? Out of respect. Whatever the fuck that means. It’s like during the Iraq war when people slapped a yellow ribbon magnet on the back of their SUVs that read “Support the Troops.” (Apparently the irony was lost on most people.) And that was good enough. Sure maybe you voted for politicians whose idea it was to start the war in the first place, and sure maybe you voted for politicians who wanted to slash the benefits of the soldiers who made it out alive, but I mean, Jesus, you had the fucking sticker on the back of your car! What more could you have done?
I think I’m in the minority on this one. Most Americans believe in god, and sports fans are typically conservative, which is no surprise when you consider all the macho posturing that goes on in sports. I wrote an email to the Red Sox a couple of months ago asking if they planned on doing away with God Bless America at some point, and I haven’t received a response. The answer, sadly, is probably never, because the ownership of the Red Sox, just like every other in MLB, doesn’t have the balls to acknowledge the sheer pointlessness of the song and pull the fucking plug on it.
- Max
"And that’s strange, since people are asking god to bless America on his day off, which seems rather presumptuous." - I laughed so hard my eyes watered. But really, I think it's such bullshit. I hate going to any kind of event and having religion shoved down my throat.
ReplyDeleteFinally, an issue that I am passionate about. I have looked for information of this caliber for the last several hours. Your site is greatly appreciated.
ReplyDeleteI was telling my wife today that I hate that song and i hate even more that they play it at all the games. Even if you believe in God, why would you want him to bless only America and not the rest of the world? Honestly, they ought to change it to "God bless America, but fuck everyone else."
ReplyDeleteI was talking to my girlfriend last night about annoying Christmas songs, and I used that as my chance to change the topic to how much I hate the playing of God Bless America at baseball games. This morning, I Googled "I hate God Bless America" and your blog came up. I'm glad I'm not the only heathen traitor whose skin crawls when he hears the song being played at baseball games.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, the national anthem is already played before the game. Second, the seventh inning stretch is when Take Me Out to the Ball Game, a fun song that's a more appropriate selection for the middle of a baseball game, is supposed to be played. Third, if they want to play a patriotic song, why not one without such heavy-handed religious overtones, like America the Beautiful?
If we continue to ruin the seventh-inning stretch with a somber, religious, and patriotic song more than 10 years after 9/11/2001, then we're letting the terrorists win, heh.
Actually, this crap has existed in our country since as far back as World War I. Politicians got us worked up then pushing the religious and nationalism buttons for their own purposes while we paid for it with blood and money.
ReplyDeleteThere was a moment of clarity during the Vietnam War where some of us stepped back and said, "hey, I love my country, but what the f*&% are we doing there?"
But, by the 1980s Reagan and Lee Greenwood got us back to the dark side with "God Bless the USA." Everything's gone downhill from there.
The problem seems to have gotten the worst it's ever been since now you have the Christian right folks who have basically made patriotism there personal religion. They actually think America is "their" country and everything America does must be according to their way of thinking. This is very, very disturbing since the very people who consider themselves the most patriotic are the ones destroying this country.
You're right that sports should be a refuge from all of this crap. I would add that there's a problem with sports venues honoring war veterans. Normally, I have no problem with this if they actually defended or are defending our country. But, since the Vietnam War, the fact is that our military is NOT defending us. Instead, they're being sent out to destroy other countries for the benefit of a few special interests.
When I'm at a ballgame, I don't want to think about this stuff. At a ballgame, I'm trying to temporarily distract myself from all this crap. Instead, it's being shoved in my face.
Yes yes yes!!! Concur with everything you say. And now Dodger Stadium is doing it too. Can't stand it.
ReplyDeleteCouldn't agree more.... I have to get up and grab a drink and avoid hearing that shit every 7th inning now, and it pisses me off. Gald I'm not alone...
ReplyDelete