Should we stop playing the national anthem at sporting events?

The ritual of playing the national anthem at American sporting events has been a source of intense controversy ever since then-San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began kneeling to protest against police violence in 2016.

As major sports leagues look to return from a months-long hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic, a new debate around the anthem is emerging: Should it be performed before games at all?

Major League Soccer announced it will not be playing the anthem before games when it returns next week because fans won't be in the stands. One of the league’s most prominent coaches argued for permanently eliminating the pregame ritual, which he called “inappropriate.” A semipro soccer team in Tulsa, Okla., recently announced it will instead play Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land” before its home matches.

The tradition of playing “The Star-Spangled Banner” at sporting events dates back to the 1918 World Series, when it was used to enliven a somber crowd in Chicago during World War I. It was played at other ballparks on special occasions for the next few decades. The NFL became the first league to require it be performed before every game around the end of World War II. The other leagues soon followed, cementing a tradition that endures today.