Context: I was at a minor league baseball game the other night and, as is now tradition, they sang "God Bless America" during the 7th inning stretch. For non-baseball fans, this has become a standard at ball parks across America, right on down to little league in many places. No problem with that, I agree with the sentiment and like the song. What struck me, though, was how everyone treated it like a second national anthem. Hats were off, hands were over hearts, everyone facing the flag, even the umpires on the field. Boys who left their hats on were chastised by angry parents. Basically, the full national anthem treatment.

I didn't like it. To me, our national anthem gets that treatment and no other song. If you want to remove your hat or cross your heart out of reverence, have at it, but forcing people to comply is silly and demeaning to our actual national anthem. Perhaps I'm just getting grumpy in my old age.

Question:
What is the appropriate posture during "God Bless America" at sporting events?

Choices:
Hat off, hand over heart
Hat off, no hand over heart
Whatever posture I feel like

 

Hat off, right hand over the heart - for the National Anthem.

Pretty soon the woke jokes will be expecting that "Black Mational Anthem" (whatever the hell that is) to be treated the same way as God Bless America if we treat the latter the same as the REAL National Anthem.

God Bless America is beautiful, but it ain’t the National Anthem. Agree with OP.

Hat off when I remember. I do always stand tho.

I agree it's not the anthem. Do whatever, although it's polite to STFU.

Hat off, hand over heart…

While I appreciate the song God Bless America, it isn't the National Anthem. It's a patriotic song sure, but there are hundreds of other patriotic ones. America the Beautiful, My Country 'Tis of Thee, Stars & Stripes Forever, You're A Grand Old Flag, Yankee Doodle, God Bless the USA, Courtesy of the Red White & Blue, etc.

So while I appreciate it, standing, hats off, hand over heart, etc. isn't expected Do what you want.

The more sobering thought is the answer you might get if you asked random members of any of those crowds "What is the National Anthem?"

1 of 1 example.

When recruits complete their final assessment they put on Navy ball caps instead of their recruit ball caps and God bless the USA is played.

No one salutes or uncovers obviously. That is reserved for the national anthem.

Anthem gets a salute or cap off. Everything else CAN get a stand up out of your seat.

I am not a fan of trying to put any other song on the same level as the National Anthem.

What I don't like is the substitution of GBA or others for the National Anthem at the opening of many sports and entertainment events. This seems to be a growing trend associated with the America haters/traitors. It is usually justified by claims that the Anthem glorifies war and conflict. Well, yeah, idiot. Isn't that exactly how we won our freedom?

I have no problem with playing GBA, but do it in addition to, rather than instead of, the Star Spangled Banner.

As an aside, I'm sure that at least some substitutions have occurred because the chosen singer doesn't have the chops to hit all the right notes in whatever key is used. It is notoriously difficult to sing, something that has been well exhibited by the overly-emotive styles employed by various "artists." I like it best when a member of a military choir sings it "straight." The word "free" has one and only one syllable, as with many other words in the song. Adding additional squeals and pitch changes adds nothing to the meaning of this noble refrain.

Hat on. Taking it off is reserved for our National Anthem. If I recall, playing God Bless America at the seventh inning stretch began after 9/11. I was okay with that for a couple years particularly after what happened, but it’s my opinion that we return to the standard Take Me Out to the Ballgame in the seventh inning stretch. I recently attended an Angels game and they are doing this.

Okay as far as hand over heart probly not however out of respect in general hats off, at least for me.

One thing that does bother me, maybe I was raised old fashion but whenever I enter a building the hat comes off. Also the hat comes off when eating in a restaurant.

I won't say anything to some one who does not take off their hat but it was the way I was raised.

Little known fact: "God Bless America" was written by a young Jewish immigrant who was serving in the U.S. Army. Written in 1918, but the song was not really known until Kate Smith's recording twenty years later.

Standing be respectful but there's no obligation to remove your cover, there's only one song that requires such action.

Former commissioner Bud Selig instituted it right after 9/11. While a patriotic song, I think baseball should do away with playing it, the emotions and sense of patriotism was at an all time high then; who knew our time in the middle east would last 20+ years. After the 'official' pullout from Iraq in 2021, that should've sun-seted the playing of the song. I greatly appreciate such historical songs of patriotism however, when it becomes either a cynical and over-used tune then it looses its meaning and thus we now have 'songs of unknown meaning & background' replacing it as a passive send-up to patriotic Americans.

I don't recall going to a game were God Bless America was sang at 7th inning stretch.

Take me out to the ballpark is traditional. Houston Astros add a 2nd song, "Deep in the Heart of Texas"