I'm with all of you on the way the national anthem is being handled these days, but I have to say, I don't really get why it's important to show pride in our country at sporting events. Should I be singing it before I play checkers?

Also, while the showing off is annoying, I do think we need to be able to poke fun at ourselves. Blind devotion to a country with no room for a sense of humor is a dangerous path. Love the country, but putting it on a pedestal may be ill-conceived.