Ongoing History Daily: Why are national anthems played at sporting events?
It is a tradition in Canada and the US for the national anthems to be played before sporting events. Ever wonder when that began?
The earliest example of such a sporting performance was during the first game of the 1918 World Series between the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs in Chicago. The US had entered the Great War a year earlier, so many young men were fighting in the army. During the seventh inning stretch, the house band tried something different: a new version of The Star-Spangled Banner.
The outpouring of patriotism from the fans was so great, that the band played it again during game two. And then game three. When the series moved to Boston, their band played it, too. When the song was made the official national anthem in 1931, the tradition spread even further.
By the time World War II began, playing the national anthem before a game had become entrenched. Today, almost no one knows this story. To most, it’s just something we’ve always done.
