Fans can now walk around during 'God Bless America'

The city paid the plaintiff $10,001.

over 2 years ago Travis G 14 comments 0 recs |

Comments

seems like the right outcome

I’m not sure about paying out $22,001 for this (the lawyers got $12,000), and the guy seems like kind of a jerk, but I still like this outcome. I’m as patriotic as the next red-blooded American, but I don’t want the NYPD forcing people to conform to the Yankees’ notion of patriotism, and I especially don’t want them roughing anybody up in the process.

by long time listener on Jul 7, 2009 3:30 PM EDT reply actions

Time to get rid of God Bless America already

We get it, George loves America. We all love America.

Does that mean we should have to listen to the same scratchy recording of Kate Smith singing God Bless America before a damn Flyers game from the damn 70s every single game?

Enough already. Have someone come and sing it on Memorial Day and July 4th, and that’ll be just fine, thank you.

by New York Sports Jerk on Jul 7, 2009 3:44 PM EDT reply actions

Wow, SJ!

You and I agree again. Amazing! We have to stop this … it’s getting scary.

by Ed Valentine on Jul 7, 2009 3:45 PM EDT up reply actions

+1

by holycowboy on Jul 7, 2009 4:24 PM EDT up reply actions

It's worse than just the song.

It’s the near-jingoistic shots that they always have on the big screen of the cops or the servicemen or the flag. It looks like the intro to a Sean Hannity segment.

I was at a game last season when, during “God Bless America” in the 7th, the clock turned to exactly 9:11pm. The guy running the Yankee Stadium cameras must have had an orgasm of patriotism, because they kept the camera on the clock for almost the entire rest of the song.

Encouragingly, though, pretty much everybody in the stands groaned or booed (deferentially, of course). The crowd reaction was almost as strong as it is when they show Giuliani on the screen.

by dzawaki on Jul 7, 2009 5:58 PM EDT up reply actions

i hear ya

by holycowboy on Jul 8, 2009 10:27 AM EDT up reply actions

yeah get rid of it

and if they were to keep it, get a better version of it or a live singer. i can’t stand the kate smith version. i have to mute it every game.

LET'S GO BUFFALO!!!!!!

by BenAllen on Jul 7, 2009 6:02 PM EDT reply actions

Does anyone else see the irony

in celebrating America, the land of the free, by forcing people, whether they want to or not, to adhere to the music and stationary position demanded of them by figures of authority? The POINT of America and our freedom is that if you want to walk around and talk about something else during “God Bless America” as long as you don’t interfere with anyone else, you can feel damn free to do that.

Sorry if that’s too political.

by Lord Duggan on Jul 7, 2009 6:04 PM EDT reply actions

+1

by potroast on Jul 7, 2009 6:33 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

+1

by holycowboy on Jul 8, 2009 10:29 AM EDT up reply actions

"God Bless America" is not the National Anthem and there

is no protocol anywhere for what to do when it is played. They may as well force people not to walk around while playing Gary Glitter’s “Rock ’n Roll.”

by garp on Jul 7, 2009 8:03 PM EDT reply actions

Wow I can't believe it....

I am so upset by the sentiments that I read here today. I understand that the way it was handled probably wasn’t the greatest, but basically what I am reading here is that we shouldn’t bother to show patriotism or national pride unless it is a holiday or a national crisis! Isn’t baseball America’s national pastime? It is only right that we should show some patriotism and respect. Fine you don’t want to be around during the the playing of it I don’t care go to the bathroom…and now you can, but don’t bother people who want to show pride in their country and show respect to the service men and women, including the police that protect us on a daily basis.

No wonder the country is where it is when we have people who don’t care about it!

by Patriot09 on Jul 8, 2009 4:35 PM EDT reply actions

At risk of venturing into banned discourse on this site....

I consider myself to be an ultra-patriot, bordering on an American Nationalist. And I love me some pro-America gestures at games, but the greatest and most visionary thing about our country is that we have the right to CHOOSE our expressions. Someone choosing to not take part in a patriotic gesture, or saying that they don’t like the old recording of “God Bless America”, assuming they aren’t interfering with your own desires to be patriotic, shouldn’t create any problems.

As Thomas Jefferson (the greatest American of all time in my opinion) said
“Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add ‘within the limits of the law’ because law is often but the tyrant’s will, and always so when it violates the rights of the individual.”

No one here is preventing people like you and I from choosing to salute the flag, and have therefore done nothing wrong. However, authoritatively forcing people to stand at attention for a song is NOT American liberty.

P.S. Go Yankees!

by Lord Duggan on Jul 8, 2009 4:53 PM EDT up reply actions