Show some respect

“ ... and the home of the brave.”

Not the Chiefs.

Not the Wildcats or Jaguars. Not the Patriots, Falcons or Bears. Not the Eagles or Panthers.

We’ve all heard it. At the end of the national anthem, lots of fans can’t wait that extra couple of seconds for the festivities to begin and insert a chant of their team’s name for the last word of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Even more sadly, that often becomes is the loudest, most vibrant part of the evening’s rendition of the song.

Something is backwards here.

The custom is to take about two minutes for America, to remove our hats, to stand respectfully, hand over heart, and either listen quietly or sing along loudly. It might remind us of the blessings and obligations of citizenship, and it might remind us that we have so much more that binds us together than what might divide us for a couple of hours over a football game.

America deserves at least that much.