Why Kneeling For Black Lives Matter May Convince MLS, NWSL To Get Rid Of National Anthems

As the NWSL became the first North American pro team sport to return on Saturday, every North Carolina Courage and Portland Thorns starter kneeled during the national anthem at the opening game at the league’s Challenge Cup, in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.

In the wake of unrest and protests over the last two months following the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis, it was fair to wonder how long the unanimity of the gesture might continue. The answer came only hours later in the tournament’s second contest between the Washington Spirit Chicago Red Stars. And the blowback suggests the NWSL and MLS might be better off doing away with the pregame anthem ritual altogether.

As they did in the first match — and as has occurred all across Europe in leagues that have re-started following coronavirus-related shutdowns — all players from both teams kneeled in observance of Black Lives Matter’s cause. But a handful of players returned to standing for the anthem that followed, albeit while wearing “Black Lives Matter” T-shirts over their jerseys.

In particular, Chicago’s Rachel Hill stood while next to her, her black teammate Casey Short not only kneeled, but broke down sobbing in the emotion of the moment. Julie Ertz, kneeling on Short’s other side, moved to embrace and console her teammate.

Afterward, Hill and other players who chose to stand were the target of a scathing social media reaction from fans, to the point club owner Arnim Whisler felt the need to defend them on Twitter.

Whatever you think of Hill’s decision or Short’s reaction, the NWSL and MLS are two of the only soccer leagues in the world that feature any national anthem pregame. Elsewhere, such observances are usually reserved for international competition between countries.

In a recent interview with ESPN’s Taylor Twellman, New England Revolution manager and former U.S. men’s national team boss Bruce Arena said playing the Star Spangled Banner at U.S. sporting events “puts people in awkward situations.” He explained that we don’t make the same observance before concerts, drama productions or other group gatherings.

As for kneeling when it is played, Arena said he would support players who felt the need to do it, perhaps reflective of a shifting ideological center on the issue. Even so, there is far from a consensus on what it means to kneel versus what it means to stand, leaving everyone to make their own interpretations.

The ritual seemed especially superfluous Saturday night, in what was already the second game of the day at Utah’s Zions Bank Stadium, not to mention a game that was played without fans due to COVID-19 concerns. At their own closed-door tournament in Florida next month, MLS has announced it won’t play the anthem before matches, and it hasn’t committed to resuming the tradition if and when games resume to teams’ home stadiums later this year.

If players continue to face scrutiny for their personal choice of how to observe the Star Spangled Banner, it would make sense for both leagues could eliminate it entirely. It won’t stop players from paying homage to Black Lives Matter or other causes in orchestrated pregame observances. It will lend considerably more gravitas to the occasions when anthems are played is at international matches or on patriotic holidays like Memorial Day or the 4th of July. And while it might break with tradition in American sports, it will be another way to bring both the NWSL and MLS in line with the soccer world.


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