American national anthem at WSOP main event???

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To a European watching American patriotism is like watching your parents kiss. I'm sure many are physically sick.

Just because an event is at X, doesn't mean the X national anthem should be played. Honestly it would be like Greece playing their national anthem before every event at the olympics. I can assure you they did not. It is crass, it is unnecessary, it's the American way.

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So by your example, does this mean that we should stop singing the National Anthem at Baseball games, because some French, or Indonesian, or Japanese people attending the game might be offended?

If I am in another country and I am at an event and they play their National Anthem, not only will I NOT be offended, I will respect them, their country and their Anthem.

I have had the good fortune in the past to travel to other countries, including Japan, and China and I have tried very hard when in their countries to change some of my ways to conform to their country out of a sense of respect.

I don't see any problem whatsoever with our country playing our National Anthem in our country.

I will add that I am a Naturalized Citizen on the US and was not born here but am very proud to call myself an American.

[Quicksilvre]

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It is crass, it is unnecessary, it's the American way.

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I must disagree. It's simply a tradition in the US, one ingrained enough that, if the Greeks had played their national anthem before every event, no American would be offended. It's not nationalistic propaganda (which some people seem to think it is), it's just standard operating procedure.

[ddss6_99]

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It seems incredibly inappropriate for a supposedly international event (World != America) whatever country it's held in.

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So I suppose the national anthem should not be sung before the World Series either. Cause you know, it has the word "world" in it.

[Adjective]

Who cares what national anthem they sing? I'm amazed people care so much about the dumbest things, who cares?

[Masquerade]

I didnt realise this post would generate so much hot air.

First of all let me repeat that I am not in any way "offended" by Americans playing the National Anthem in America. For anyone to be offended by this would be truly insane.

Secondly all the people citing baseball/basketball matches are completely missing the point. Those matches have TWO participants (teams) both American. Regardless of where the players are from, or the audience are from, playing the National Anthem is entirely logical.

The World Series of Poker has 5000 *participants* from 50 (I'm guessing) different countries. You can't play 50 different National Anthems. When the US is playing host to a world championship event with *participants* from 50 different countries it seems strange to have the National Anthem at that venue.

Many people have somehow decided that this is about causing offence/not causing offence to people. It isnt. Noone is offended by Americans playing their National Anthem. We know you love doing it all the time, probably more than any other country.

I'm just questioning whether an international poker tourney with participants from dozens of foreign countries is the venue to do it.

And to all the people who are posting "If I went to country X and they played their national anthem I wouldnt be offended", neither would I. Neither would anyone else. So you can stop.

[Quicksilvre]

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I'm just questioning whether an international poker tourney with participants from dozens of foreign countries is the venue to do it.

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Eh. I think it's okay, but I get the mixed reactions. I don't have a problem with it, but I do think it takes up unnecessary time, for a ritual not many folks pay attention to.

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And to all the people who are posting "If I went to country X and they played their national anthem I wouldnt be offended", neither would I. Neither would anyone else. So you can stop.

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I think it's a legitimate point, but I'll stop.

[dogsballs]

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Quick clarification:

The National Anthem was also sung before Flight 2 of Day 1 by Carolyn Gardner, the 1983 Women's Poker Champion. It was ear-splitting. Awful, awful, awful.

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Yea, that was truly painful to hear.

[Shaun]

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The best baseball teams in the world are in the Major Leagues. Thus the winner of the World Series is the best team in the world.

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By that logic we could (at least in periods) call the Norwegian cross-country skiing championship the "World Series of Skiing."
We don't, because that would be stupid.

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And because no one gives a rats a** what you call the cross-country skiing champions.

[britspin]

In the Uk most "national" sporting events involve the playing of both teams anthems. World championships generally don't, but I don't see any harm in playing the anthem of the host country.

After all it's polite of guests to fit in with traditions of hosts - and playing patriotic music before sporting occassions is a pretty big part of that- and it's correct to show respect to the Anthem too- even if you're foreign.

What offends me is the fact that they hold the World Series in a backward country where you get taxed on poker winnings and the biggest growth form of the game is illegal. Move the World Series to a country with less punitive gambling tax and laws, play whatever songs you want and keep your winnings.

[betgo]

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Well, if you think about it, wholesomeness really began in the United States. Before the Declaration of Independence, the world was still somewhat semi-barbaric with the British, the Dutch, the French,and the Spaniards using violence to spread their empires. The US was truly the first country that expanded peacefully from the first 13 colonies to Alaska and Hawaii.


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I assume this includes the peaceful declarations of war against Britain in 1812, Mexico in 1846, and Spain in 1898. Also numerous peaceful Indian wars, violations of treaties, and massacres of villages.