Over the past four weeks I, like the vast majority of our country, have been overwhelmed with World Cup fever. I have watched hour upon hour of soccer coverage despite the fact that prior to this my soccer knowledge was at the novice level at best. Enjoying every minute of it though, I have come to a newfound love and respect for the sport, which has given me hope that I will continue to follow different teams and leagues moving forward. I hope that this will continue for me even during what Americans consider soccer’s “off season”, which is the three years in between World Cups. One thing I have come to love about soccer is how formal and respectful a sport it is. I love that before an international match both teams stand and observe their respective national anthems. I have noticed that other countries respond to their national anthem a little differently then we Americans do, and that for some countries it is custom for everyone to sing along. In the opening match of the tournament, I watched as every single Brazilian player along with what seemed like every Brazilian citizen in the building (including the kids who walked out with the players) sang along with their national anthem as it played. It wasn’t just the fact that they sung along though, it was the fact that they sang with such passion for their country that it gave me chills just watching it. It also made me envious of this moment, wishing that I could experience something like that in my own country.
Last week I had the pleasure of visiting the National Museum of American History in Washington DC and was able to view the actual flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write our national anthem. It was an amazing sight, and I suggest everyone go visit it if you have the chance. Adjacent to this there was also an exhibit that discussed the most famous performances of the song by amazing artists like Whitney Houston, Beyonce, and others. While I appreciate these performances, I do not believe it would be the same as having every person in the building sing simultaneously. Americans pride ourselves on individual achievements. That is one of the main theories of capitalism, become very skilled at a trade, gain success and show it off. I love this about our country; it is a main reason why we are the greatest country in the world. However, in this instance, I feel that showing our national pride as a group can outweigh the individualism of one great performer. We have seen this before in an unbelievably moving moment before a Boston Bruins game immediately after the Boston Marathon bombing. Watching it over a year later it still has the lasting effect it did 14 months ago, filling you with national pride and love for your country. So the question remains, why can’t we feel this way every time we go to a sporting event?
I love our national anthem. Every single time I hear “land of the free” I am overwhelmed with goose bumps. I have never been one to sing along though because I felt it took away from the performer brought on to celebrate our country with us. I feel this may be a main reason why you see so many athletes and fans not singing along, because like me, they know the fans around them would much rather hear Beyonce sing then them. However, since seeing the Brazilian national anthem I have been inspired to start singing along. I have gone to five baseball games over the past two weeks and at every single one I sang every word of The Star Spangled Banner. I did not sing very loudly because I know I am no songbird, but nevertheless I sang. I have to say that it changed my experience. I learned that I enjoyed the song even more singing along rather than just observing, and I decided after the first time that I would be doing this at every event I attend from now on. It gave me an even larger sense of American pride than I already received from hearing that beautiful song, and I don’t believe that I am the only one who would feel this way.
Another advantage the entire World Cup experience has given us is that it has encouraged Americans across the country to show their national pride EVERYWHERE. The beauty of it is that this is all coming from a joyous experience like the World Cup rather than a tragic one. We have not seen this many flags being flown, people wearing their national colors, and spontaneous “USA” chants popping up everywhere since 9/11. Those horrific events re-shaped our country and re-energized the masses with the pride they had for living in the greatest place in the world. Something that we did not exactly lose focus of, but didn’t outwardly show as often. It is wonderful that we can rally around sport rather than react to tragedy to support our country. The fact that the World Cup coincided with our Nation’s birthday only enhanced this experience, making July 4th that much more special for everyone. I believe that we can maintain this level of national pride by singing along with our national anthem every time we hear it. Either have a band perform and the crowd sings along, or get someone to get everyone started like they did in Boston, only to let the people take over. I think this would enhance our experiences and the overwhelming love for our country that we already possess. Brazil is in the midst of huge political conflict over the World Cup and the upcoming Olympics, but even with that, they can show their pride during their national anthem. Just watch this performance and tell me that you would not want that to happen every night in our country. You know the words, and I promise we would not be able to tell how off-key you are with 40,000 others drowning you out. I believe it is time to change our custom and encourage everyone to sing their hearts out to show their pride. Do it once and I promise you will never stand silent during our national anthem again.
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