Can you believe it's come to this, where the simple and patriotic act of standing for the national anthem is now controversial?
Me neither.
What started as a one-man protest by a backup quarterback who refused to stand has spread to include multiple players on NFL rosters. Big money, big egos, big stadiums. There's also talk of a work stoppage if players don't get what they want when the current collective bargaining agreement ends.
Go ahead, guys, walk. You're not that important. We'll manage without you just fine.
The increasing problems in professional sports is one reason I am thankful my weekend starts by covering high school football, where everybody stands for the playing of "The Star-Spangled Banner."
Here are some other advantages for supporting high school athletics:
Parking/concessions
Free parking, a $5 ticket, and a hot dog and drink at the concessions stand.
Remember these advantages when you pay $20 to park or hand over some large bills to feed the family at an NFL or college game.
Game day experience
It's hard to beat the game day experience at NFL or top college facilities, including D.W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. But there's a certain charm in attending a game in a small town, where the tallest structure is usually the lights at the football stadium.
Fans at NFL and college games are forced to listen to loud, piped-in music, much of it unrecognizable to anyone over 25. Halftime activities include a string of advertisements and public service announcements on the large video boards.
In high school, cheerleaders, drill teams and marching bands provide the entertainment, and halftime may include a raffle or drawing for the fans. Oh, and you're sure to get home at a decent hour without the replays and TV timeouts that slows the pace of an NFL or college game.
Community involvement
You know you're at a high school game when the public address announcer encourages fans to come down from the stands and line up to greet the players as they take the field.
Try running onto the field at an NFL or college game and you'll likely spend the night in jail.
It's also pleasing to see the student who stocks groceries at the local store or takes your order at a restaurant representing their school as players or cheerleaders. Plus, you'll usually see someone you know working the concessions stand throughout the game.
I especially like those volunteers who stay involved long after their children have left high school.
Stars of tomorrow
Let's say you're an Arkansas football fan with an eye toward the future.
Then you'll want to attend a game at Charleston, where Razorback commit Sean Michael Flanagan stars. Flanagan is a dynamic player who caught 17 touchdown passes and scored on kickoff and punt returns. You'll also want to check out Isaiah Nichols, another Arkansas commit, who is a dominant lineman at Springdale High.
There are a handful of players each year from Arkansas who'll become familiar names on the collegiate and even the professional levels. Here's you're chance to see them first.
Availability to media
Fans don't care about this topic, but cooperation with the teams we cover is critical to what we do.
It usually takes a two-minute phone call to a high school coach to set up an interview and a photo shoot with a player. We also appreciate when coaches agree to a quick interview after a game with deadline approaching.
The process is much more deliberate on the college level, where requests for player interviews must be made days in advance and coaches mostly do interviews while positioned in front of a sponsor's name.
With high school coverage, it's all about the kids.
Honoring America
Two years ago, I glanced down from the press area and saw two teenagers sitting and goofing off during the playing of the national anthem.
My co-worker, Tony Reyes, who was in the stands shooting pictures at the time, walked over to the boys and told them they needed to stand up and face the flag.
They stood.
A typical high school football game, I think, is right up there with rodeos and NASCAR events in terms of tradition and patriotism. I remember a handful of instances at football games where fire trucks with their ladders held up large American flags.
I can't recall the teams that played or which team won. But I remember those large flags waving in the wind on a crisp, fall night as fans throughout the stadium stood and honored our country.
It warmed my heart, and there was not a protester in sight.
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Editor's note: Rick Fires, sports reporter for Northwest Arkansas Newspapers, can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @NWARick.
Sports on 08/30/2017