Sports is entertainment.

Why do we play the national anthem at sports events?

Why do we not play the national anthem at concerts, plays and other entertainment events?

Because professional baseball, about 100 years ago sought to leverage patriotism in their marketing program – playing the national anthem at baseball games used the propaganda method of “transference” – literally transferring a feeling of patriotism to the playing of a pro sports baseball game. This was specifically to market professional baseball games.

We play the national anthem at certain sports events as a form of propaganda messaging to use patriotism – and transference – to sell us on sports.

Later, other sports adopted this marketing propaganda. Eventually it made its way to middle school and high school athletic events, but primarily football. There is rarely a band available for baseball, soccer, track, tennis, swimming and other sports. Playing the national anthem at sports events has been ingrained in to our thinking – we no longer realize we have been duped into a marketing charade.

I wrote about this a year an half ago in February 2016 – “How pro sports uses the national anthem for promotional propaganda“. Read it.

Sports businesses have found that linking themselves to patriotism is a successful business strategy. Why do sports teams play the national anthem at the start of each game? This is not something we do at most activities.

The reason is because it is good for business: See “Why do we sing the national anthem at sporting events?” Linking the military with pro sports began during World War I as a way of tying patriotism to sports attendance. By World War II, the playing of a recorded national anthem became common place at professional baseball games. In the 1950s, the playing of the national anthem gradually migrated to other sports.

It seems neither President Trump nor some sports players understand they have been duped in to becoming cogs in this propaganda machine.

Read the link and then ask yourself, “Why do we play the national anthem at selected sports events and not others? Why is sports the primary venue at which we play the national anthem?”

Understanding this helps you to see the goofiness and silliness of the national anthem being used to play us – while players now twist it into another propaganda effort as a form of protest.

The real issue is: Why do we even play the national anthem at professional entertainment business activities (aka pro sports)?