Illini fan writes Op-ed: "Shocked & appalled" at Gopher fans during National Anthem

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Omega015 said:
Just remove the anthem from sporting events and then we don't have to worry about this anymore.
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The equivalent of tearing up a street because a couple of people insist on jaywalking. Or do you have some other problem with the national anthem at public events?
 

bleedsmaroonandgold said:
Don't agree with this line of logic. I am on record on this thread saying that I don't mind the "Gophers" yell at the end. However, espousing freedom of speech/expression does not mean that you cannot be offended by the way someone chooses to exercise those rights. An extreme example would be if there was a Nazi demonstration on my street this weekend. If I say "that is offensive, and I don't think that people should say those hurtful things and behave that way", does that mean I am an enemy of free speech? No. What free speech means is that I don't say "I think these Nazis should be arrested for their offensive views."
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I never said he couldn't be offended and I am not bitching about his freedom of speech. I said how ironic and it is. Please keep your Nazi sympathies away from my posts.
 

maxwellsmart said:
The equivalent of tearing up a street because a couple of people insist on jaywalking. Or do you have some other problem with the national anthem at public events?
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It's unnecessary.

We'd certainly have fewer op-ed pissing contests about patriotism if we did away with it. It's not like this country is lacking for displays of patriotism.
 

All the posts justifying this change because of freedom of speech feels a little icky to me. If folks use some other word instead of "Gophers," for instance something racially offensive or vulgar, doesn't our freedom of speech still apply? Is this a trivial matter? I certainly grant anyone the right to view it so, but I couldn't disagree more. I just shake my head at all the comments saying "everybody else does it." Any chance to behave to a higher standard is much more admirable, to me. I am not a veteran, but have come to really appreciate the sacrifices so many have made over the centuries so I can enjoy all the freedoms I have. I've been to so many sporting events and heard the anthem what seems like a million times and had a phase of my life where I tired of hearing it. But, now in my old age, I guess I feel I have too few opportunities to show my respect to our vets and be patriotic, so I'll never ever change the words.
 



Heaven forbid anyone should celebrate a moment of happy community whimsy. We all gotta have our buttocks clenched prim and proper or we aren't "patriotic". Much a-doo about nothing...
 

Like others have said this guy must not go to many sporting events as this happens everywhere and I really have no problem with it.
 

Dean S said:
Gopher Americanus. A peculiar breed of freedom loving Gophers who exude their patriotism in the last line of the National Anthem, giving their last bit of devotion to that freedom. Let freedom ring!

Speaking as a veteran!
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Love your attitude on this, and thank you for your service to our country! Others may just be taking themselves and this situation a bit to seriously.
 

I wish it wasn't done, but not "shocked and appalled." More like it is something someone from Grand Forks would do. We don't have to be as big of a yahoo. The guy seems to play the veteran card a little too freely. As one, never felt honored by the singing of it. I do get pissed though when people singing it try to make it all about themselves and put their own interpretation on it. Much more offended by some damn car dealer flying about 50 American flags around his lot or somebody flying a flag that is in tatters.
 



People are gonna do what people are gonna do. The beauty of America.
 


GopherinPhilly said:
Little ironic that this guy is offended by people excercising the very freedom the song proclaims so loudly. Typical. You are free as long as your choices match mine. But if you want something different then you are a bad American.
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heh, exactly. I'm pretty sure I know the political tendencies of the complainer.
 

I don't care for those who say Gophers and don't do it myself but, seriously, it was "several". What is that mean, 2 or 3 people? I bet if he looked at the crowd around him he could have found half a dozen people who didn't take their hats off or were talking during the anthem.
 



GophersInIowa said:
I don't care for those who say Gophers and don't do it myself but, seriously, it was "several". What is that mean, 2 or 3 people? I bet if he looked at the crowd around him he could have found half a dozen people who didn't take their hats off or were talking during the anthem.
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I don't do it myself, but apparently the guy that wrote the op-ed doesn't get out much. As has been stated, this is not unique to Minnesota. Not even to the United States.

See this article from Winnipeg- it has a nice summary of many alterations: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/spor...s-fans-alter-national-anthems/article4201533/
 

I never really liked this - thought it was kind of tacky.

But I might start yelling it now just to piss off this dude and any other uptight nannies.
 

Seems like a really juvenile and stupid thing to do. This is common?

That said, it's like listening to MMA/WWE fans, political aficionados of both stripes, 14 year old boys, or any other really annoying and flagrantly unsophisticated person. Just roll your eyes and move on.

I'm equally annoyed with vet flag-waving, which has reached epidemic proportions. Many of the vets I served with were good people, and a few were "heroic", many average, but there are also more than a few really awful people in the military. I just roll my eyes at guys like this. Get over yourself.
 

I say Gophers at the end. No apologies from me. Much ado about nothing.
 

This is what this guy chooses to spend his time worrying about?? God... Loosen up, guy. Life's to short to worry about all the little things.
 

He didn't want it to be read as an anti-minnesota rant huh? Then why didn't he leave the minnesota name out of it? I get that it happened during the MNIL game but obviously he has heard this at other games as well but decided to be anti-MN about it and insert the minnesota name into his little rant. Poorly veiled. Get a life dick.
 

You know, I actually find it really obnoxious that the crowd feels the need to sing during the anthem. They oftentimes can't hold a pitch, they rush the song, or collectively overpower the performer. At a Gopher bball game last year (or the year before?) there was an excellent violinist who played the anthem, but the entire crowd couldn't just keep quiet - they rushed him and by the end no one could hear it. For me, it's a sign of respect to stand silently with my hat in hand, listen to the performer(s), and watch the flag go up. But you know what? I don't care what other people do because it's really not that big of a deal, and everyone shows their own respect in different ways. As others have said, we're not lacking for displays of patriotism in this country, and something so trivial as adding a word to the end of the anthem that happens to be the mascot of our team doesn't really bother me. We can certainly debate if replacing one or 50 words with vulgarity is okay, but that's pointless since what we're actually talking about is saying Gophers at the end. Who cares.
 

GopherinPhilly said:
Little ironic that this guy is offended by people excercising the very freedom the song proclaims so loudly. Typical. You are free as long as your choices match mine. But if you want something different then you are a bad American.
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+1

To be honest it is very American to complain about the free speech we as americans enjoy. Our military members fight to protect free speech but once that free speech is spewed by a person that does not take your feelings into account that does not negate them from exercising it.

And on thought of the original "complaint" you can be offended by the words of the national anthem being changed but the fact is that you sign up for the military to protect our freedoms not just your political correctness.
 

I have heard it at gopher games before. Many times at twins games. I was recently in Green Bay when they stomped my beloved vikes and some fans inserted packers at the end. Heard in in madison. It is done all over the place. I agree with many that it is a bit tacky and I don't support it but shocked and appalled? Wow take a rest man.
 


RailBaronYarr said:
You know, I actually find it really obnoxious that the crowd feels the need to sing during the anthem. They oftentimes can't hold a pitch, they rush the song, or collectively overpower the performer. At a Gopher bball game last year (or the year before?) there was an excellent violinist who played the anthem, but the entire crowd couldn't just keep quiet - they rushed him and by the end no one could hear it. For me, it's a sign of respect to stand silently with my hat in hand, listen to the performer(s), and watch the flag go up. But you know what? I don't care what other people do because it's really not that big of a deal, and everyone shows their own respect in different ways. As others have said, we're not lacking for displays of patriotism in this country, and something so trivial as adding a word to the end of the anthem that happens to be the mascot of our team doesn't really bother me. We can certainly debate if replacing one or 50 words with vulgarity is okay, but that's pointless since what we're actually talking about is saying Gophers at the end. Who cares.
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I feel the opposite. It's our national anthem, we sing it at sporting events and other venues to celebrate our "common good". I don't care when singers change the overall tempo, but when they start adding beats and runs where they don't belong it makes it hard to follow. There is a reason they often announce that the singer is there to lead us in the national anthem. It's suppossed to be a sing along. I respect a person's right to not participate but I respect the people who have the guts to sing along (in tune or out of tune) to the best of their ability more.

I blame Atlanta for the trend to change the ending, they changed it to home of the brave(s) a long time ago figuring a tiny tweek wasn't disrespectful, then it got out of hand, every high school event I've been to they change the ending now too.
 

I attend a lot of HS sporting events, and I see a lot of little kids talking and running around during the anthem. That bothers me more than the "Gophers' bit. Let's face it - at most places, people anticipate the end of the song, and start to cheer/clap/whatever during the final line of the song, so more often than not, I don't even hear the final notes.

Actually, I used to like it years ago at Dallas Cowboys games when they had that guy come out and play the anthem on a trumpet. I've also heard a solo saxophone version at a HS game that was interesting.
 



Omega015 said:
It's unnecessary.

We'd certainly have fewer op-ed pissing contests about patriotism if we did away with it. It's not like this country is lacking for displays of patriotism.
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Fine, but unnecessary still makes giving it the boot overkill. Lots of things we love are unnecessary . . . like college football. BTW, at this point we have well over 50 posts here. Somebody thinks it's worth their time, one way or another.
 

I'm just surprised there's someone that calls himself an Illinois football fan.
 

really funny coming from a guy cheering for a team with a racist team name but hey to each his own
 

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