Staff Reports
Football season is officially here, and with it comes the annual match of “Who can get the most people to forget the game is happening?” Last night’s opener featured America’s team—the Dallas Cowboys—versus the Philadelphia Eagles. Excitement? Sure! But nothing quite piqued the crowd’s interest more than the performance of the black national anthem. Yes, folks, in a stadium filled with eager fans, the sounds of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” somehow competed with cheers for touchdowns and commercial breaks. Somehow, the crowd—a delightful mix of passionate football fans—seemed less than captivated.
Now, let’s break this down. The anticipation of the game is like waiting for a kid to open Christmas presents, but instead, they decide to read the instructions to a board game nobody cares about. So when the singer started belting out the anthem, some folks in the audience seemed more interested in their nachos than in what was, objectively speaking, a lovely rendition. NBC decided to face the challenge head-on by keeping the cameras on the crowd, revealing a scene more suited for a TikTok cringe compilation than a proud national moment.
The reactions were priceless. Picture a bunch of football fans, like deer caught in headlights, shuffling around while a single brave soul clutches a beer, maybe wondering if he accidentally walked into a karaoke bar instead of a football game. It’s as if everyone collectively agreed to look anywhere but at the singer. “Hey, did you see that new nacho cheese dispenser over there?” was probably the thought swirling around in a few heads. Meanwhile, viewers at home might have felt like they were watching a bizarre social experiment unfold more than any sporting event.
We get it; some might argue that adding the black national anthem is a necessary show of representation and respect. But when it’s delivered at a raucous football game, some fans feel it leaves them debating whether they should stand, salute, or check their fantasy team’s stats. One might have wondered if the right etiquette was to throw a fist in the air or just shout “Go team!” louder than anyone else. The ultimate question remains: what do you do when the anthem, regardless of which national anthem, isn’t quite rallying the crowd? Is there a handbook for this?
There’s a silent chaos to it all—especially with NBC’s camera panning across the stands, revealing a lively audience with all the enthusiasm of a Monday morning meeting. With folks sipping their drinks, the unspoken agreement was loud and clear: the football game might take precedence over keeping the rhythm of the song. And that’s perfectly okay! It’s the game we show up for, after all, not necessarily for an impromptu song contest akin to a reality show audition.
So, to sum up the wild events of the night: football has kicked off, with fans looking for touchdowns rather than anthems. Maybe this could all be a brilliant message on the complexities of patriotism—or perhaps just an unintentional comedy show set to the chaos of football season. As we roar into the rest of the season, let’s keep the sports in focus, love our country, sing wherever appropriate, and leave heavy lifting for the field, where it belongs. Because in the end, whether you’re in the stands or on your couch, there’s only one anthem we all can unite behind—the one that celebrates the game itself.
