I have no idea when the idea of playing the anthem at the beginning of a game started, but its been around a lot longer than ESPN.
I used to spend my days photographing collegiate sports. I would sometimes shoot three or four games in a day. I will admit that hearing it several times a day can make a person a little jaded.
But there is nothing in the world like hearing that song, with the wind snapping the flag, and the sun shining down on your face on a nice October afternoon. Its almost a religious experience.
So, would tell ESPN to STFU.
My solution. Play the anthem at the first and last home games and the playoffs through to the Superbowl.
On September 5, 1918, at Comiskey Park, the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs were playing the opening game of the World Series, which started earlier than usual due to World War I. During the 7th-inning stretch, a military band played “The Star Spangled Banner” and Fred Thomas, on leave from the Navy, snapped to attention. From then on, the song has been played at every World Series game, every season opener, and whenever a band is present to play it. The custom of playing it before every game began during World War II, when the installation of public address systems made it practical.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/The_Star_Spangled_Banner
“But there is nothing in the world like hearing that song, with the wind snapping the flag, and the sun shining down on your face on a nice October afternoon. Its almost a religious experience.”
And a couple of F16’s buzzing the stadium.