Written with contribution from Sheriff David Clarke
The Dallas Mavericks, owned by billionaire Mark Cuban, were, for a short little while, the first professional sports team to axe playing the National Anthem before their games. The decision was apparently made by the ever attention-seeking Cuban himself. However, the NBA, which originally stated it was going to allow teams to decide how to handle their pregame stuff on their own has now decided to force the team to play the song.
Just saying that the NBA has to force teams to play our National Anthem is repulsive.
“It was my decision, and I made it in November,” team owner Mark Cuban told The New York Times. Cuban did not elaborate any further than that concerning the decision.
The anthem has not been played before any of the team’s 13 pre-season and regular season home games. Oddly enough, the policy was not announced in advance. This was likely done to avoid hearing backlash about the decision constantly on social media networks. After all, we know that none of the major news organizations are going to be offended by Cuban’s choice.
According to Western Journal, the National Basketball Association actually has a rule in the books about players rising for the National Anthem, but they, at first, said they were going to allow teams “to run their pregame operations as they see fit,” due to “the unique circumstances this season.”
The National Football League also had such a policy of players standing for the Anthem until black players found some racial component to it.
That, of course, has now changed.
Much of the hoopla surrounding this decision comes about as a result of the controversy that has been sparked in recent years concerning professional athletes taking a knee during the song as a means of protesting against so-called racial inequality and unfair treatment by law enforcement officers.
The Times went on to report that Dallas used to play “God Bless America” when the team was owned by Donald Carter and adopted the national anthem when Ross Perot owned it just prior to Cuban buying it.
There have been a lot of mixed reactions to the decision on social media.
The American flag 🇺🇸 & National Anthem 🎶 were two of the things that united people in this country. Regardless of sex or race or ethnic background or political party-these were the civic rituals that brought us together. They still should.
I will not watch @dallasmavs anymore. https://t.co/mRBFOsiwRI
— Scott Walker (@ScottWalker) February 10, 2021
So Mark Cuban, Owner of the Dallas Mavericks, NBA, has decided not to play the National Anthem at their home games., I hope that the fans, or former fans should I say, not only not attend games, not watch on TV, or purchase team appeal, @boycottthemavericks
— Mark Boultinghouse (@mtboultinghouse) February 10, 2021
I have been a lifelong Dallas Mavericks fan! Diehard! But I’m not sure if we are going in the same direction! They, Mark Cuban, has decided to not play the National Anthem anymore before their games. I’m not going to get behind that! I’m done watching!
— Dale West (@CoachDaleWest) February 10, 2021
Last year, Cuban stated that he supported protesters who kneeled during the National Anthem. Why? It is an in your face to the fans who stand at attention to honor America and the players who do as well. The kneelers made it divisive, not the Anthem.
“If they were taking a knee and they were being respectful, I’d be proud of them. Hopefully I’d join them,” he said to ESPN.
Fox News is reporting that now the NBA is requiring all teams in the league to play the National Anthem before each game in “keeping with longstanding league policy.”
NBA Chief Communications Officer Mike Bass has released a statement about the change, which comes just one day after Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said he had no plans of playing the anthem at future home games.
“With NBA teams now in the process of welcoming back fans into their arenas, all teams will play the national anthem in keeping with longstanding league policy,” Bass stated.
Cuban then told reporters at the New York Times, “We are good with it.”
Sources who are allegedly close to Cuban spoke with The Athletic earlier in the day on Wednesday and said that his decision to nix the anthem wasn’t “because they don’t love U.S., but because many feel the anthem doesn’t represent them, and they want to continue discussion of how to represent people from all communities when honoring U.S. at game.”
Ah Mark. All communities in the U.S. are American, you dope.
Cuban also released a statement on Wednesday saying, “We respect and always have respect the passion people have for the anthem and our country. I’ve always stood for the anthem with the hand over my heart – no matter where I hear it played.”
Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks will resume playing the Anthem tonight vs. Atlanta. Statement from Cuban, in part: “The hope is that those who feel passionate about the anthem being played will be just as passionate in listening to those who do not feel it represents them.” pic.twitter.com/XnXpd8ThlW
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 10, 2021
“But we also hear the voices of those who do not feel the anthem represents them. We feel they also need to be respected and heard, because they have not been heard. The hope is that those who feel passionate about the anthem being played will be just as passionate in listening to those who do not feel it represents them,” he added.
Did Cuban say some are feeling they are not being heard on the Anthem? Does he mean like all the Trump supporters who were not heard about their complaints of the 2020 election irregularities not being taken up? Is it important that they be heard and respected, Mark? Where was the passionate listening to them you talk about, Mark?
The NBA made the right choice in this case. Let’s see how long it lasts. The NFL caved giving the players the choice to stay in the locker room during the playing of the Anthem.
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