By Shane Mead | Reporter
On Nov. 10, Fox Sports held a special broadcast on a naval base in San Diego to commemorate Veterans Day.
During the national anthem for U.S. Navy members, the entirety of the Fox Sports crew attentively stood with their right hands over their hearts. However Michael Strahan, Pro Football Hall of Famer and now television host for Fox Sports, stood with his hands crossed in front of his body.
Strahan’s etiquette during the national anthem immediately stirred up controversy and garnered angry reactions from many on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Michael Strahan disrespected the military during a Veterans Day pre-game show on @NFLonFOX,” wrote Newsmax host Todd Starnes in an X post. “The great irony is Strahan on a ship surrounded by men and women who would willingly sacrifice their lives to protect his freedom. So, his behavior is not just repugnant, it’s downright cowardly.”
The post received 17 million views and sparked major debates on the app over Strahan’s actions.
However, I cannot seem to understand why there’s so much outrage.
“This stuff with Michael Strahan is one of the dumbest things I’ve ever seen. Just dumb, dumb, stupid stuff,” wrote USA Today Sports columnist Mike Freeman in an X post days later.
I couldn’t agree more. Since when was it disrespectful to stand attentively during the national anthem?
I was always taught that your right hand goes over your heart when saying the Pledge of Allegiance. Makes sense to me — you’re literally pledging your allegiance to your country. What exactly are you pledging in the national anthem?
You remove your hat, stand respectfully and give your undivided attention to the flag. That’s always been how it works. I mean, look at the professional athletes who stand for the national anthem before games. The majority of them have their hands to their sides or hands behind their backs, and that’s been happening for years. Where is their criticism?
The outrage behind the Strahan incident is a complete reach, and part of me believes that this stems directly from prior instances of protest when athletes like Colin Kaepernick or LeBron James protested racial injustices in our country.
But Strahan isn’t protesting. He was doing what he’s always done when listening to the national anthem. He said it himself in an Instagram video posted on Nov. 12.
“I have nothing to protest; I have no statement to be made,” Strahan said. “The only statement that should be made that I want to make is I love the military. I’ve always loved the military, and I will always love the military. I do so many programs to help veterans and soldiers.”
He added that his love for the military came from his early upbringing.
“I grew up on a military base with a father who was a major in the Army,” Strahan said. “My brother, my sister, my cousins — they all served in the military. I’m a military brat.”
If anybody knows what it means to give respect to those who sacrifice their lives for our safety, it’s Michael Strahan.
So let’s get off his back. We’re grasping at straws and finding reasons to be mad at this guy. Strahan clearly meant no harm, and there’s no rule anywhere stating that your right hand must be over your heart during the national anthem. This isn’t the Pledge of Allegiance. Those who can’t differentiate the two shouldn’t be getting angry at this anyway.
