Why sports events start with the National Anthem

The atmosphere was heavy, and to add further sorrow, a bomb exploded in Chicago the day before the game, claiming innocent lives and casting a shadow over the festivities.

Rain delayed the match, and just over 19,000 fans gathered at Comiskey Park, a stark contrast to the usual crowds of 32,000. The mood was somber, but everything changed during the seventh-inning stretch when the U.S. Navy band began to play the national anthem.

A chain reaction
According to the Chicago Tribune, Red Sox infielder Fred Thomas, who was in the Navy and had been granted furlough to play in the World Series, turned toward the American flag and saluted. This gesture sparked a chain reaction among other players, and as the song came to a close, the stadium erupted into thunderous applause, transforming the atmosphere into one of unbridled patriotism.

The New York Times noted that this moment was “the highest point of the day’s enthusiasm,” and from then on, the anthem began to feature prominently in future games. As a tribute to wounded veterans, the Red Sox offered free tickets to those who had served, honoring them during the anthem at the decisive Game 6.

The spirit of patriotism spread across the nation, with more ballparks incorporating the anthem into their rituals. By the time the anthem became official in 1931, the NFL had already mandated its playing at every football game, a practice that soon extended to most major sports.

The evolution of sound systems during World War II played a crucial role in the anthem’s omnipresence, making it “heard everywhere,” as author Marc Ferris explains in his book Star-Spangled Banner: The Unlikely Story of America’s National Anthem. “Before the opera, before the movies, before the theater,” he says, the anthem became synonymous with American pride.