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NFL Cancels Live National Anthem Performances

Credible reports indicate the decision is made. The NFL will not be having national anthem singers on the field or even in the stadium this season. The players will still engage in full tackle football. But anthem singers are out and the NFL’s traditional use of military and police honor guards could be limited as well.

The league cites COVID-19 as the reason for limiting these patriotic displays. But not everyone is buying it.

NFL Cancels Live National Anthem Performances

Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports reported on the league decision.

The award-winning sports reporter claims that the NFL’s COVID-19 mitigation strategy involves not having anthem-singers on the field. The NFL will reportedly also curtail the use of military and police honor guards at games as well.

McCarthy reported:

The objective is to strictly limit the number of people on the sidelines who can potentially infect players and coaches with COVID-19, said sources. By the same token, the league will also crack down on the number of credentialed reporters and photographers with access to the playing field. Given the pandemic, the number of medical personnel on the sidelines will remain the same.

The ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ will still be played before each NFL game, said sources. But the anthem will not be performed live, such as the annual Super Bowl anthem performance most recently sung by Demi Lovato before Super Bowl LIV in February.

Instead, the league’s 32 teams may ask performers to sing the anthem off-site, then pipe it live inside their stadium, or have singers pre-record the anthem elsewhere, then play their rendition before kickoff.

“This year will be different due to COVID concerns. They want to limit the number of people around the players on the field,” he added.

The Hypocrisy Of This NFL Anthem Policy Is Staggering

So let’s break this down.

The NFL has no problem allowing hundreds of players to tackle each other in close proximity.

The league is also fine allowing its prized players to travel and live together for the duration of this upcoming season.

But, someone standing alone in the middle of an empty field singing “The Star Spangled Banner” crosses the line. That behavior is far too “dangerous” for the league amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Give me a break.

Why Is The League Really Doing This?

Make no mistake about it: the NFL’s decision to cancel live anthem performances has nothing to do with coronavirus.

If you ask me, it’s clear that the pandemic is being used as an excuse for the NFL to cater to the left by erasing yet another sign of patriotism from their games. They’ve already applauded players for kneeling during the national anthem.

So it really comes as no surprise that they are getting rid of the person singing it.

Needless to say, I will not be watching NFL games this year. And I expect that many of my fellow Americans will follow suit.

James Conrad

James Conrad’s passion for politics is only overshadowed by his longstanding interest in Hollywood. His unique perspective as a gay conservative fuels him to challenge celebrity views and those who think they have a right to tell anyone how to think or vote. James proudly wields his minority point of view to combat identity politics and cut through his typecast. Fun fact: James’ guilty pleasure is the British royal family.