Hats off during God Bless America?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Mathias

Mathias

So this has been bugging me since I went to a Pens/Islanders hockey game recently. Coming back to my seat from the bathroom, during intermission some high school choir was singing God Bless America. I had on my trusty Penguins hat walking in, and immediately some old codger points at it indicating he wants me to take it off because of the song.

He goes, "this ain't Pittsburgh, this is America - take off your hat".

Realize that I had just walked back in, so I had no idea what was going on. So I reach for my hat, but then it hits me. I don't have to do shit for this song.

I tell him to fuck off, it's not the national anthem. The guy stares daggers at me and calls me shit like communist and Nazi. I flipped him the bird, tell him that Pittsburgh is more American a city than Long Island could ever hope to be, and went to my seat.

Really? Do we really have to prove our fucking loyalty to America at every whim and song? Personally, I think taking off your hat during anything other than the National Anthem or Taps is disrespectful to the gesture and symbolism behind doing it for those songs. God Bless America is just a damn song. What's next? Taking off your hat and placing it over your heart for a rendition of Yankee Doodle?

Fucking over patriotic zealous morons...
Added at: 00:30
 
Gusto

Gusto

I'm with you on this one. And I'm one of those guys who will actually sing along to O Canada at a sporting event.
 
AshburnerX

AshburnerX

You only take off your hat when...

- Your in a church/mosque/synagogue/place of worship (unless it's a yahmmicca or other required headgear)
- Your National Anthem or the Anthem of another country is playing
- At a funeral
- At dinner (and at the table) in someone's home

Any other time? They can go fuck themselves.
 
W

Wasabi Poptart

As far as I know, you didn't need to remove your hat unless the flag was being presented. Otherwise, it was not the national anthem and the old guy was picking on you for liking a suck ass team (GO FLYERS! - Nah I can't even pretend that I am paying attention to hockey).
 
redthirtyone

redthirtyone

Yeah the Pittsburgh comment takes some of the edge off his argument.

I'm of the opinion that patriotism, while good, is currently a little overboard. It's been almost 10 years since 9/11. Can we please go back to singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the 7th-inning stretch again?

On the way to work there's an office building that always has the flag in front of the building flying at half-mast. ALWAYS. Kinda diminishes the meaning of the gesture when you ALWAYS do it.
 
Mathias

Mathias

I don't know what he really meant about the Pittsburgh comment. Pittsburgh is pretty much the definition of blue-collar America.
 
Neon Pirate

Neon Pirate

AshburnerX said:
You only take off your hat when...

- Your in a church/mosque/synagogue/place of worship (unless it's a yahmmicca or other required headgear)
- Your National Anthem or the Anthem of another country is playing
- At a funeral
- At dinner (and at the table) in someone's home

Any other time? They can go fuck themselves.
Click to expand...
In the senile codger's defense it is probably too shriveled to reach, much like his mind and manners apparently are. But I agree wholeheartedly with the sentiment and Ashburner thanks for posting the proper etiquette!
 
Cajungal

Cajungal

Staff member
They don't play "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" at the 7th inning stretch?! BAH. See, what I get tired of is having two patriotic songs in a row at football games. It's the anthem and one other one that I can't remember right now. You watch the players getting antsy, and of course, the singer freaking drags it out and can't just pick a damn note to stay on. Then the song becomes more about "look at how good I am" than expressing their love for America anyway. Let's just pick one song of tribute and stick with it.
 
Null

Null

Cajungal said:
They don't play "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" at the 7th inning stretch?! BAH. See, what I get tired of is having two patriotic songs in a row at football games. It's the anthem and one other one that I can't remember right now. You watch the players getting antsy, and of course, the singer freaking drags it out and can't just pick a damn note to stay on. Then the song becomes more about "look at how good I am" than expressing their love for America anyway. Let's just pick one song of tribute and stick with it.
Click to expand...
Some teams do play Take Me Out to the Ballgame, some don't. It's pretty idiosyncratic. I'm pretty sure the Cubs do. I only remember that one because I think they were playing the Yankees in interleague play and a very drunk William Petersen (Grissom from CSI) in the stands was given the microphone to sing it. He was enthusiastic and fortunately didn't try anything fancy.
 
Tress

Tress

Pittsburgh, long known as a haven for elitist-communist thought...

I love that the guy calls you a communist and a Nazi. Kudos to you for telling the old moron to go fuck himself.
 
Neon Pirate

Neon Pirate

HCGLNS said:
In the NHL you only have to pay proper tribute to God Bless America when the game is being played in Philadelphia.
Click to expand...
As it should be, HCGLNS, and in Kate we trust. We do, however also take off our hats to properly litter the ice for any Flyers hat trick!
 
Mathias

Mathias

Tress said:
Pittsburgh, long known as a haven for elitist-communist thought...

I love that the guy calls you a communist and a Nazi. Kudos to you for telling the old moron to go fuck himself.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I sat down in my seat and went, "wait a tick?"
 
phil

phil

Some people will question your commitment if you were to hesitate to get on your knees and blow a guy dressed like Uncle Sam.

Personally, I don't get the whole taking off your hat thing. I do it anyway, but even if someone kept their hat on during the national anthem I wouldn't question their patriotism.
 
CrimsonSoul

CrimsonSoul

As former military, Phil, I feel it would be like a slap in my face if you didn't take your hat off during the national anthem. On the same hand though I wouldn't say anything to you about it because that is your right not to do so and I respect that.
 
Espy

Espy

phil said:
Personally, I don't get the whole taking off your hat thing. I do it anyway, but even if someone kept their hat on during the national anthem I wouldn't question their patriotism.
Click to expand...
It's just a custom from an older time that has stuck. It's a sign of respect, but honestly most people could never tell you why it's a sign of respect because most of them have no idea why. Myself included. It's just one of those customs. Like how we stone the person who loses the lottery every year.
 
Tress

Tress

A quick Google search revealed this:

The origins of this tradition happen to be the same as the origins of the tradition of saluting. Knights, wearing helmets that covered their heads, would typically lift their visors to show their faces to their monarchs and others as a sign of friendliness and possibly respect in some cases. The tradition of using ones right hand also comes from this. Most people are right handed and thus, if your right hand is exposed and busy lifting your visor, it can’t contain a weapon. This then is a sign symbolic of submission.
Click to expand...
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top