National anthems | The epic of another time

Nobody is a stranger to removing hats and caps before the start of a game. If the arm knows how to carry the sword, the hand is held a little further from the heart. National anthems had their heyday, but that era may be over.

Nicholas Richard
The Press

If it’s hard to know when the national anthems became a staple before every sporting event, it’s even harder to know when their relevance has expired. If in the United States the anthem is a symbol that has almost no comparable, its prestige has been somewhat damaged in Canada, especially in Quebec.

Michel Vigneault, sports historian and lecturer at the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM), explains that the national anthem is initially a patriotic movement, and not an obligation. He clarifies that these chants were never subjugated or imposed by leaders, but rather became a tradition established by cities, teams and leagues. A tradition which began in the United States, in Boston in 1918, and which was accentuated at the end of the Second World War.

In Canada, even if patriotism is less embodied than in the land of Uncle Sam, Canada’s Minister of Sports, Pascale St-Onge, maintains that the national anthem still has a special connotation, because the athletes and spectators remain attached to Canadian symbols such as the flag and the national anthem.

She even advances that to play theO Canada before the games is a moment that Canadians appreciate and that it is a “sense of shared pride […] which gives us the opportunity to take a break to celebrate our values ​​and the many reasons we can be proud to be Canadian”.

If everyone agrees on the traditional aspect of decorum, others question, precisely, this feeling of pride. Thus, wondering if the anthem has its place before the puck is dropped or the ball is thrown becomes the main interest.

Sébastien Lemire, Bloc Québécois sports critic, questions the relevance of interpreting the national anthems. According to the MP, they only serve to politicize the sport. Even though M.^me St-Onge assures that there is no official protocol rule that requires or imposes to play the anthem, Mr. Lemire finds it curious that twenty years ago, this moment was not broadcast on television or radio . Which is the case today. “We have politicized the sport enormously and there is always a risk of slippage in there,” he believes.

For the show

Tradition is one thing and entertainment is another. Yet national anthems have become a mix of the two. Both in Canada and the United States. Whether it’s before the Super Bowl or before a playoff game at the Bell Centre. In both cases, the homeland is secondary and the spectacle takes precedence.

This is why Mr. Lemire doubts the need to send a political message in this kind of event.

Mr. Vigneault also believes that setting up a crescendo appetizer before a sporting event makes us forget the primary meaning of the anthem, which was to pay homage and celebrate the country and the soldiers who have returned or disappeared.

He also points out that this tradition does not exist in Europe. “It’s very North American,” he says.

In his opinion, the anthems find their place in international meetings, such as World Championships or the Olympic Games, where the superiority of the different countries is put at stake. Which may not be the case in a Tuesday night game between the Montreal Canadiens and the New York Rangers, for example.

This is also what Sébastien Lemire believes, who wonders what theO Canada where the Star Spangled Banner for Saku Koivu, a Finn, when he was captain of the Habs. In fact, the same question arises with regard to all players and fans gathered in an arena or stadium. He wonders who it serves and who would complain if we eliminated the national anthems.

A question that would not even be relevant in the United States.

The American case

From Whitney Houston in 1991 to Colin Kaepernick in 2016, the American national anthem has often been the scene of memorable gestures. For better and for worse.

If its relevance will never be questioned, unlike Canada, there is no doubt that the anthem divides even in the United States. Something that seemed unthinkable before.

Rafael Jacob, associate researcher at the Raoul-Dandurand Chair and analyst of American politics, has noted in recent years that this ultra-powerful symbol has evolved in the perception of Americans. “It’s less universal. Let’s say, more disputed. »

Several athletes have begun to take advantage of national anthems to speak out politically. Which displeases some more conservative sports fans.

On the other hand, even if the symbol has crumbled, it is still extremely strong in the country of Joe Biden. “It would be unthinkable, at least I’ve never seen it, for someone not to stand up during the national anthem. »

Mr. Jacob has attended various sporting events in all major American cities and our neighbors are working hard when it comes time to glorify the tricolor. Military and veteran jets are usually included. ” It’s impressive. There is really something deep and visceral about it,” he says.

The divide has deepened since Donald Trump won the presidential election in November 2016. Rarely has the country been so divided, and until recently sport was one of the few pillars of American society that made the difference. unanimity. To a point where the national anthem had become a real moment of communion. For a few hours, Americans put aside their social, political and religious differences.

“Does that remain as a place of communion? asks Mr. Jacob. I would be tempted to say yes, because sport and the national anthem are so intrinsically linked in the culture of the XX^e century. He even speaks of the “ultimate symbol”.

However, the national anthem is disputed and it is wrong to believe that its unanimity persists. It is also possible to draw a parallel with the National Football League (NFL).

“Sunday football is still popular, but even the NFL has become divided, because the League has taken a stand in certain social and political debates,” said Mr. Jacob. There are consequences for some consumers who do not like these positions. Even that unites Americans, but it probably unites them less than a few years ago. National anthems are the same. It crumbled, not much, but it crumbled. »

A fad that is running out, a symbol questioned and a relevance that divides. Fragile in a country that teaches it to its children, the land of our ancestors has blossomed and given new colors. A different color, which is part of a new tradition, even transformed.