It is best known among Italians as the " Inno di Mameli" (, "Mameli's Hymn"), after the author of the lyrics, or " Fratelli d'Italia" (, "Brothers of Italy"), from its opening line. DoD does not pay outside parties to host such community outreach activities.”ĬNN’s Barbara Starr contributed to this report." Il Canto degli Italiani" ( Italian pronunciation: "The Song of the Italians") is a canto written by Goffredo Mameli set to music by Michele Novaro in 1847, and is the current national anthem of Italy. “Community relations participation, such as flyovers, color guards, and military band support, are unpaid activities. “DoD does not require or request that athletes be on the field during the playing of the national anthem when military members are part of the patriotic opener,” he said in a statement to CNN. In fact, Pentagon spokesman Army Major Dave Eastburn recently clarified the Defense Department’s current relationship with professional sports. There is nothing in the report to suggest teams were paid or coerced into pulling players on to the field as part of “paid patriotism” initiatives. The report does mention several instances where teams were paid for anthem performances, but that was about the specific artist or presentation. Luke Sharrett/Getty Imagesīut the connection between “paid patriotism” and players being mandated to be present for the anthem is tenuous. Some deals between pro sports teams and the Department of Defense included arranging emotional military homecomings (however, not the one pictured). ![]() That’s when the practice became particularly widespread, because the new tech coincided with a huge swell in patriotism. “That was expensive, so it was only for special occasions,” like opening day.įerris says that after World War II, sound systems allowed teams and parks to play the anthem sans band. “The thing is, you had to hire a band,” he told NPR in 2016. Historian Marc Ferris wrote a history of the national anthem in which he points out that, at first, the anthem didn’t exactly come free. Over time, other sports began adopting the practice. Nationalism stoked by World War I meant that people were more affected by the song, and the fact that major league baseball players were being actively drafted meant those who weren’t drafted benefited from showing their patriotism. It’s no coincidence that its first surge in popularity came during wartime. Its first big moment reportedly came in 1918 during the 7th-inning stretch of the World Series. Over time, a mix of technology, war, and keeping up appearances kept the song in the sports spotlight. There are records of “The Star Spangled Banner” gracing the diamond going back as far as 1897, but the song wasn’t adopted as the national anthem until 1931. Here’s a fascinating fact: The national anthem was played at baseball games decades before it was actually the national anthem. The national anthem wasn’t always played before sporting events … It’s also easy to forget that, while there are game-day expectations about how we should handle ourselves during the anthem, there’s very little actually set in stone. The tradition runs deep, and it’s easy to forget it wasn’t always this way. ![]() The anthem kicks off every NFL, MLB, NBA, MLS and NHL game featuring an American team, and is played before every NASCAR race. It’s not a mandate, it’s just a fact, as culturally ingrained as team colors and touchdown cheers. In America, the game doesn’t start until the national anthem plays.
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