I am sick of "God Bless America" at baseball games

[DianeG5385]

Except when Ronan Tynan sings, only 'cause it sounds so nice. I just think most people have lost a connection with the reality of America and have bought in to a marketed "product", America, the commodity.

[DS1]

1. I was just about to start a thread on this too

"Am I the only one that clicks on mute with GBA comes on?" :7 :hi:

[bayby]

3. I just turned the TV right off !

Does this happen at every game ? How dare they shove this bogus piece of propagandistic crap in my face.

[bayby]

34. ..

[HEyHEY]

5. As was I

I've been meaning to for few days.


It makes you guys looks silly

[The Jacobin]

2. It's required

MLB required it to be sung at all games after 9/11, but I remember reading toward the end of this season that some teams have quit doing it.


P.S. Tynan is amazing. He was far and away the best and most moving thing at the Reagan funeral.

[rocktivity]

9. It's inappropriate

It's not fair to those who don't believe in God. Besides, it hasn't worked.

:headbang:
rocknation

[nickgutierrez]

21. We don't know that yet

We'll find out on Nov. 2nd whether (g)od has or has not blessed America.

If he/she/it/adsk;ofgjhfuahewah exists. :)

[RPM]

4. Song Sucks

Goddamn show tune - it especially sucks when its sung by the guy at Yankee Stadium: He's built more of a career on the basis of 9/11 than the Bush Administration.

Was at Yankee Stadium last summer; sat and left my hat on as that hack started singing and some yappie woman told me to stand and remove my cap. I told her it's an F'ing showtune - not the national anthem and that 9/11 was over two years ago - move on!

That made me feel very good.

[OneBlueSky]

16. it sure does . . . so bad that Woody Guthrie wrote a song . . .

in response to it . . . it's called "This Land Is Your Land" . . .

[RPM]

30. "this land" has been butchered too...

... I love the blank looks i get when i tell people about the missing verse....

[VelmaD]

6. I miss "Take Me Out to the Ballgame"

dammit *grrrrrrrrrrrr*

[demosincebirth]

10. In Oakland, they play Take Me Out to the Ball Game...

at every game during the 7th inning stretch. I love that song!

[Onceuponalife]

22. East Bay homie

Yeah, I go to A's games, too. They don't play it there, thank God!

I turn the channel. I agree with my avatar, Woody Guthrie. This song is not for the common man or working people.

[sir_captain]

23. They play that at every ballpark during the stretch

they just don't show it on tv.

[ofrfxsk]

7. I am too but I like how they handled it tonight

Just the usual ballpark organ and the fans singing. No production and no screeching teen idol or opera singer, etc.

If they're going to do it, do it as bare bones as possible.

[Red State Rebel]

15. I was suprised they did it that way....

that organist has been with the Cards for as long as I can remember. He has to be close to retiring.

[MelanieArt]

8. My husband and I just change the channel

until the religious anthem is finished. It has no place at a public sports event. There's nothing like paying to see your team play, and then being put in the unneccesary position of having to proclaim loyalty to a diety you don't believe in, or being singled out in a crowd. It's very frustrating.

[IrishBloodEngHeart]

11. the dodgers don't do it

The national anthem is sung at the beginning of the game, and take me out to the ballgame is sung at the seventh inning stretch. As it should be.

As a season ticket holder, two patriotic songs a game is a bit ridiculous. One is plenty.

[Zuni]

13. Exactly

National Anthem before a game, and baseball music for the rest. nest thing that will happen is that they will haul Lee Greenwood out to croon his latest 'patriotic' crap at major games.

[Zuni]

12. The national anthem is one thing

but an old show tune that is frequently butchered is quite annoying.

[miss_kitty]

14. Yeah WTF is that about

it is sick-making, :puke: :puke: :puke: if it's part of the über-patriotism jingoistic phoney-baloney showoff bullshit started due to the cheney-bush junta...let's just pledge our allegiance and our souls to Der Führer while we're at it

[GOPisEvil]

17. You and me both.

"Take Me Out To The Ballgame" is more than sufficient for 7th inning stretch entertainment.

[alarimer]

18. So am I

I am glad someone brought this up. I hate that damn song. Just another way of milking 9-11 and showing our arrogant super-Patriotism. Blech!!!
Do they sing it when they play in Canada, I wonder?

[chookie]

19. For we non-baseball folk

Do they sing this instead of the National Anthem, or in addition?

The weird thing about this current revival of interest in God Bless America is the Christian right. Heck -- they were even advocating it replace the National Anthem, which is *just* about the constant struggle to maintain our democracy, which is sung to the tune of a real rouster of an old drinking song, whereas God Bless America uses the word "God" and thus is more inherently American and patriotic, because God rules all - and particularly when we are at war fighting non-Christians, this is paramount to achieve victory. :eyes:

My advice is -- make up your own lyrics to the tune and sing with great gusto.

During the jingoism of the Reagan adminstration, when they hijacked Springstein's song "Born in the USA" (disembowelling it's real meaning) and used it as an anthem of arrogance, we used to sing, because this was back in the days of the Evil Empire, "Born on the Outskirts of Minsk" in Russian accents.

not really related but -- remember when capitalist marketing "experts" post-911 hijacked John Fogarty's classic "Fortunate Son" and cherry-picked the lines "Some folks are born made to wave the flag, ooo they're red white and blue" playing while American youth strutted arrogantly in jeans waving flags . That the rest of the song is passionately anti-war, anti-hypocrisy and screaming against boys like young smirky -- they edited that out. Never knew what poor John Fogarty thought of the rape of his art, but he got revenge just last week singing it at a fundraiser with The Boss.

[sir_captain]

24. The national anthem

is sung at the beginning of each game. Take me out to the Ballgame is sung at each 7th inning stretch. On Sundays and for nationally televised games, God Bless America has been sung since 9/11. The Yankees still play both GBA and Take me Out to the Ballgame at the 7th inning of every game.

[UpsideDownFlag]

20. i prefer, at most, the national anthem.

im not sure when they switched over.

[cmd]

25. MORE! MORE! MORE! ME! ME! ME!

That song that I abhor says so much about so many in this country. We already are so blessed compared with the remainder of the world. What does it say when we go begging for more blessings? I don't even want to get into why it's so stupid to sing it at baseball games.

God bless every being on this earth and help us live as equals.

[MaineDem]

26. Me too

The Sox normally only do it on Sunday games, I think. But in the playoffs it's been every game. What does that say? To me, it says Major League baseball is making a spectacle our of the Seventh Inning Stretch. It should be "Take Me Out..." and nothing else!

It's false patriotism. I turn the station, leave the room, or hit mute for it every time. I find it very disturbing.

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

27. If I'm wrong someone please correct me, but at Cubs games

I'm pretty sure it's the Star Spangled Banner pre-game and Take Me Out to the Ballgame at the 7th inning.

As for Dr. Tynan, he's got a beautiful voice, but I really wish he would use it for something other than shilling for Bushco. He's a big Repuke.

BTW, I've always believed the national anthem should have been America the Beautiful and not the God awful hard to sing Star Spangled Banner.

[sniffa]

28. due to popuLar demand

we wiLL forgo the singing of the nationaL anthem

(crowd cheers wiLdLy)

[catmandu57]

29. It looked like naziland last night

fucking flags and idiots. Yes, I'm sick to death of that fucking song.

[DrWeird]

31. They should switch it to "This Land Is Your Land"

and then back to "Take Me Out to the Ballgame."

[MsAnthropy]

32. God hasn't blessed America for four years now

or even acknowledged our existence. I think he has Alzheimer's and has forgotten we exist (stolen from somebody, I can't remember who).

[Phillycat]

33. Okay, I'll be the lone dissenter.

I like it. I love this country and I like the words. I am NOT under any circumstances saying you DON'T love this country, but I do like the song.

By the way, I agree with the poster above who said the national anthem should be "America The Beautiful", sung, of course, by Ray Charles.

[Anaxamander]

38. I love Ray, but

why America the Beautiful? To me it doesn't have nearly the passion or immediacy of the Star Spangled Banner.

[Phillycat]

39. Well...

First off, nobody can sing the Star Spangled Banner. Not normal, non-professional singers, anyway.

The song is about a battle, which I feel reinforces the global view that we are a warlike nation.

Nobody uses the word "ramparts" anymore.

Now, America the Beautiful. The words are great! Check it out:

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

[kick-ass-bob]

35. Except he takes so long that the Yankees use it to their advantage

the other teams pitcher has waited much longer than normal because he takes 4 minutes to sing it!

(Notice they score in the 7th a lot?)

[ArkDem]

36. Any mention of god or america just makes me want to PUKE!

[Patiod]

37. Besides, that was always the Flyers song

During the Broad Street Bully days. Sung by Kate Smith, of course

[okieinpain]

40. oh now don't let bush and his cronies, take away your love of

country. It's a good song, and there is nothing wrong with seeking a little help from the man above.

[dr.strangelove]

41. I LOVE THAT SONG

I AM SO HAPPY THEY SING GOD BLESS AMERICA. This song always makes me feel very patriotic.

I don't see what there is to get very upset over. If you believe in god, I'm sure you do want him to bless America, if you don't believe in god, what do you care what those who believe are singing.

What is up with all the anti-religion bashing here on DU lately. I thought this was a liberal/democratic forum.

[alarimer]

42. some of us don't like it shoved down out throats

That is my objection to public displays of religiosity (if that it even a word!!). Plus that song is just so arrogant. As if we haven't enough blessings, we need more??? We ought to be helping out the less fortunate here and abroad, instead of crowing about how horrible 9-11 was, how it was the WORST THING EVER ANYWHERE. Poor, poor, pitiful us. LOL