Do the Minnesota Twins hate America, and do you care?

[DaveW]

What a ridiculous "controversy"

http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2015/05/07/why-are-some-twins-players-absent-for-national-anthem/

 

Frankly anything the Twins do stopping short of supporting ISIS is fine with me as long as they are winning. Also, why is such a "patriot" taking pictures during the national anthem of the players, shouldn't he be looking towards the flag which is in the exact opposite direction of where he is looking?

 

This is why we can't have nice things!!!!

 

[DaveW]

Another thing: I found it very confusing on why they played the national anthem before the NFL draft, just seemed so random.

[Mike Sixel]

A: stop with the anthem.....

 

B: no, I don't think they are UnAmerican, but if I ran a team, they'd be lined up.....

[JB_Iowa]

To me, the sign of respect is how you act during the anthem if you are on the field or in the dugout.

 

I''ve never found the sign of respect to be whether you are present.  A lot of people are late for games..  I expect latecomers to stand still wherever they are in the stadium but I don't find failure to be present for the anthem to be a sign of disrespect.

 

Also, the Twins have a lot of players from foreign countries (or US possessions).  I expect them to stand still if on the field/dugout but find no disrespect in their absence.

[D. Hocking]

Sweeps month - the news tries really hard to find controversial stories in May for setting ad rates, and in the this case (as in many cases) they might have been trying a bit too hard.  

 

They were talking about this on the radio today.  For baseball games, they have so many other things going on, often the Anthem is no longer right before the game, so often the players are behind the scenes doing things to get ready for play, esp. in day games when they do not have as much prep time beforehand.

 

That said, I heard Mauer texted Dennis Rodman to see if he can join him the next time he goes to see Kim Jong Un. 

[Winston Smith]

This is just silly!

[scottz]

Frankly, I'm disappointed this thread didn't start with the national anthem.

 

Please rise.

 

[Richie the Rally Goat]

What a ridiculous "controversy"

http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2015/05/07/why-are-some-twins-players-absent-for-national-anthem/

 

Frankly anything the Twins do stopping short of supporting ISIS is fine with me as long as they are winning. Also, why is such a "patriot" taking pictures during the national anthem of the players, shouldn't he be looking towards the flag which is in the exact opposite direction of where he is looking?

 

This is why we can't have nice things!!!!

globally it's unusual for a country to play the national anthem before every sporting event.

 

If missing the national anthem means win more games, great, can they miss God Bless America or TMOTTBG at the 7th inning stretch too?

[Craig Arko]

Were I to be concerned over patriotism I'd worry a lot more about why citizens are absent from voting so much.

[Hrbowski]

 

Were I to be concerned over patriotism I'd worry a lot more about why citizens are absent from voting so much.

I'm not worried about either.

[Hrbowski]

I think that I would try to be present, but come on, I don't think they are missing every one. Which players were present?

[Seth Stohs]

Much ado about nothing. 

[David HK]

Well, the other side of that coin might be something like this--

 

As per the Twinkies- Tempest in a teacup, anyone?  

[gunnarthor]

I hate nationalism. That guy complaining is an idiot and hopefully the FO doesn't over react to it.

[Pius Jefferson]

Typical overreaction from both sides.

 

The story was closer to The good question segment than stirring a hornets nest of anti- patriotism with the Twins.

[diehardtwinsfan]

Anti-patriotism is a completely different topic altogether, and unfortunately people like to lump in all sorts of actions into this definition that have no business being there (like this one for instance).

 

I don't think it is terribly wise from a marketing concept being a team in the US with some silly nationalistic tendencies, but in reality, I really don't care if these guys were there or not. That's part of what being in a free country means.

[Old Twins Cap]

National rituals like the Star Spangled Banner or raising the flag are meant to unify people and give them pride in what they stand for together. 

 

Anyone or any organization that uses those rituals to suggest a person or group is "less than" because they are not doing the rituals correctly is violating the most basic tenets of freedom and the very reason we have rituals in the first place -- to unify, not divide.

 

The anthem and the flag do not belong to any group, and there should be no litmus test about patriotism based on how you do or do not participate.  This is a form of patriotic pandering and leads directly to the type of social purity and status sorting witnessed in fascist Germany in the the 1930s.

 

Judge players not by the quality of their salute but by the content of their character, and in this case, by their OPS or ERA.

[Bill Tanner]

The Twins producing only 7 players does not show a lack of patriotism, but it should get the organization's attention that something should change, whether it is adjusting the order of pre-game events to accommodate player pre-game routine and/or simply establishing expectations with the players that they will be on the base line.  I would not be surprised if MLB re-established expectations with its organizations.  

[spinowner]

So how about foreign players? Why should they have to act like they are patriotic during the national anthem when they are citizens of other countries?

[Seth Stohs]

Remember a bunch of years ago when Mahmoud Abdul Rauf (formerly Chris Jackson) was fined/suspended for not standing for the national anthem of NBA games? 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ew9G-qYP8Uo

[spinowner]

 

globally it's unusual for a country to play the national anthem before every sporting event.

If missing the national anthem means win more games, great, can they miss God Bless America or TMOTTBG at the 7th inning stretch too?

I felt the same way most of us did after the 9/11 terrorism, which was the impetus for GBA being performed during the stretch, but I wish we could lose that. No one team would do it on their own so an edict would have to come down from the commissioner. There would be a great hue and cry for a week or so but then everyone would forget about it and we'd have another minute shaved off of the length of the game.

[Boom Boom]

Yeah... I really don't care.

 

I guess I understand why the Twins organization might care because it has to do with their image, but just because the players aren't on the base line for the anthem doesn't mean they're too busy burning the flag.

 

I once got scolded by a fan for not removing my cap during God Bless America. I politely explained that GBA is not the national anthem. Would I be required to remove my cap for Proud to be an American?

 

I just think it's ridiculous how these things are interpreted as a slight against the USA.

[GM64]

The tenor of this discussion (so far, anyway) gives me great hope for the rationality of people. I guess Facebook had altered my perceptions. Quite frankly, I'm (pleasantly) astounded. 

[Shane Wahl]

Don't hate me for this:

 

I don't think the national anthem should be played at sporting events.

[Mike Sixel]

 

Don't hate me for this:

 

I don't think the national anthem should be played at sporting events.

 

Agreed.

[Shane Wahl]

Don't even get me started about GBA . . . 

[Squirrel]

 

Don't hate me for this:

 

I don't think the national anthem should be played at sporting events.

I don't mind it being played, but would be okay if it weren't. But stop the performances of it. Seems like they always have to trot someone out there and usually it's bad, or overdone, or out of character. Just find a simple version to play over the PA system if it must be played and be done with it.

 

And get rid of GBA already. At this point it's just phony patriotism. And unnecessary.

[DaveW]

 

I don't mind it being played, but would be okay if it weren't. But stop the performances of it. Seems like they always have to trot someone out there and usually it's bad, or overdone, or out of character. Just find a simple version to play over the PA system if it must be played and be done with it.

 

And get rid of GBA already. At this point it's just phony patriotism. And unnecessary.

National anthem is fine with me, I agree on the performances, maybe leave it to the random Sunday day game or playoff games, I will admit the NHL playoffs does it right usually in Boston and NY as they bring out guys with a ton of "history" with the club to sing it, thats cool, but bringing out some pop singer I have never heard of is lame.

GBA is a terrible song and so freaking pointless, the Yankees act like its their duty to force you to stay in your seat for that stuff. It's has nothing to do with 9/11 at this point, it's just some stupid "Yankee way" they continue to sell in order to make themselves feel special. It's 2015, 9/11 was 14 years ago, having facial hair isn't unprofessional, acting like you are somehow better than every other organization isn't "classy" it makes you actually look like a bunch of douchebags.

[gunnarthor]

 

Don't hate me for this:

 

I don't think the national anthem should be played at sporting events.

I agree.  It used to seem more like tradition than anything.  But now it's steeped into questionable nationalism and that rubs me the wrong way.

[SheboyganBrats]

I am also encouraged by the responses so far.  For the record, I'd get rid of both God Bless America and the Star Spangled Banner. I don't need to have superficial shows of patriotism at sporting events, and I don't need to look to see if my neighbor is standing with his cap over his heart.  There's something vaguely McCarthyite about doing that, and it's his/her business anyway.  Besides, even an ISIS terrorist could figure out that all he has to do to look patriotic is stand and sing our national anthem.  I don't know why the reporter is doing this story, other than for ratings.