Mike Wise of the Washington Post has successfully fulfilled his duties as a columnist this week. He’s written an opinionated piece about sports that has people debating a topic that ultimately has no solution.
Well done, Mike.
In a piece entitled “Fans who yell ‘Oh!’ during national anthem are tainting a moment meant to unite Americans“, Wise calls out Orioles fans that rudely interrupting the Star Spangled Banner at Nationals Park.
How dare people from Baltimore do such a thing in our NATION’s capital.
Wise didn’t go as far as to say that Orioles fans were being unpatriotic by yelling “OH”, but did say that they undermined the idea that the song was written to unite instead of divide. “A national anthem is a national anthem, not a convenient vehicle for one’s immense pride in his or her team,” Wise wrote.
He conveniently tied an unrelated Davey Johnson quote about the Orioles fan attendance to prove his point about the anthem. “I hope I don’t hear, during the national anthem, the ‘Ohs!’ too loud. But I’m sure I probably will,” Johnson said.
“Sadly, Skip, it’s in their blood,” Wise responded.
I tend to side with the Baltimore Sun’s Peter Schmuck.
The Nationals, meanwhile, dress up four employees like giant cartoonish mascots of our greatest presidents and make them participate in a “sausage race” during every home game. Where’s the patriotic outrage?
Right on, Pete.
If we’re looking to be outraged about something allow me to question the fan base for a second. I attended Friday night’s game in D.C. and yes, I shouted ‘OH’ as loud as a possible could, but that’s not my point.
While sitting in section 111, I was continuously blocked by fans in my section getting up in the middle of an inning to go grab some chili fries or chicken fingers or popcorn or cotton candy or overpriced crappy beer. It got to the point where I wanted to stop one of the constantly roaming Nationals fans and ask them the score just to see if they had any clue as to what was going on during the game.
It seems that Nationals Park is a beautiful place to watch Teddy lose a race during the fourth inning and with its open concourse structure it’s great to roam around if you aren’t interested in baseball. But I was and I found myself surprised that the same city that watches sixty minutes of hockey so intently could be so carefree at the ballpark.
Now there’s some real drama for you.
Zach Wilt is the Founding Editor of BaltimoreSportsReport.com and Host of the BSR Podcast. You can follow him on Twitter @zamwi or send him an email: zach@baltimoresportsreport.com.
Has this guy never been to a Washington Capitals game? Caps fans scream RED during the National Anthem.
caps fans also scream ‘o’ during caps games…i know i do. raised in nova – and like all my friends – grew up an o’s fan.
if you switch teams at 28 cause a team moves closer to you, you were never really a fan…i like the nationals, but i can never stop rooting for the o’s.
Sour grapes from the DC writer who saw his club lose 2 of 3 from the “Oooooh’s”.
This guy is a moron. As previously stated the Caps crowd yells “RED” and “O”. Maybe he should learn a little about the sports in the town he writes for.
He also completely misinterpreted what Davey Johnson said as well. Davey was quoted saying that he hopes to not hear a lot of “O’s” during the anthem. News flash Mike Wise, he didn’t want to hear the “O” because that would signify that the stands were filled with O’s fans, not because they say “O” during the anthem.
Regardless of the who does it and why they do it, I don’t feel the national anthem should be altered with any O’ Red, Brave, or whatever. People don’t have much respect for anything anymore, this is one thing we should.