Anthem expert Mark Clague is one of the few who can identify when forever began. Pausing for patriotism before the game has been a tradition forever, it seems. It’s good to stop and pause and remember why we are free to do what we’re free to do.” “I’ve never thought about why we do it,” Howard says. But for all her knowledge about and experience with “The Star Spangled Banner,” she’s not sure about that historical connection between the song and sports. She’s sung it herself as a fan at Cincinnati Reds games and other sporting events. Amy Howard is a music and voice teacher from Wheelersburg, Ohio, who ends her classes with the song.
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When 16-year-old McKenna Howard sang the National Anthem at the recent Little League Softball World Series in Portland, Ore., her mom Amy was watching and listening closely from her bench seat in the stands. What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming? O say can you see by the dawn’s early light But it’s merely the latest chapter in a more than 150-year connection between “The Star Spangled Banner” and sports, one both powerful and controversial. The controversy ramped up this week, with the announcement that Nike has hired original NFL protester Colin Kaepernick for a new campaign marking the 30th anniversary of the apparel company’s “Just Do It” slogan. Since 2016, the anthem has served as a platform for protest with some NFL players, and a symbol of division in the country. The National Anthem, once again, is the focus of attention. But there’s a third player in this game, too - a musical one. Today is one of the biggest dates on the American sports calendar: the start of a new NFL regular season, as the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles host the Atlanta Falcons. This story is part of American Anthem, a yearlong series on songs that rouse, unite, celebrate and call to action.