NHRA What Is Wrong With You

[Casey Miles]

Originally Posted by Lenny5160

Didn't take long for many to go from just being grateful to go racing again to complaining about not hearing a song.

The reasoning behind not playing it is dumb, but I've never understood what the national anthem has to do with sports anyway.

If you served, you'd understand. You are racing because people laid down their lives so you can now race in a country built on freedoms.

[Lenny5160]

Originally Posted by Casey Miles

If you served, you'd understand. You are racing because people laid down their lives so you can now race in a country built on freedoms.

I understand that, but that same logic can be applied to just about anything we do. Why don't we do the anthem at the beginning of every work day?

I love a good rendition of the anthem; if there's a game on TV I've seen my kids stop what they are doing, stand up and put their hands on their hearts. I know my statement will be taken as lack of respect for the anthem and what it stands for, but that isn't it. I just don't see the connection to sporting events.

[Bob Mulry]

Originally Posted by Lenny5160

I understand that, but that same logic can be applied to just about anything we do. Why don't we do the anthem at the beginning of every work day?

I love a good rendition of the anthem; if there's a game on TV I've seen my kids stop what they are doing, stand up and put their hands on their hearts. I know my statement will be taken as lack of respect for the anthem and what it stands for, but that isn't it. I just don't see the connection to sporting events.

My guess would be that you never volunteered to serve or heard Taps played when burying a friend...

[Lenny5160]

I took this from a post that Bob Unkefer has going on Facebook. He made this post personally:

"Short version, technical difficulties in the tower (my bad) and drivers already strapped into Alky dragsters on a 100 degree day. The pledge has been said before to Honor our Country and reciting the Pledge TOGETHER pays the honor to our country that it is due. Like I said, not a HMP or NHRA decision, trying to pay Honor and keep the race moving along."

[novassdude]

Originally Posted by Lenny5160

I took this from a post that Bob Unkefer has going on Facebook. He made this post personally:

"Short version, technical difficulties in the tower (my bad) and drivers already strapped into Alky dragsters on a 100 degree day. The pledge has been said before to Honor our Country and reciting the Pledge TOGETHER pays the honor to our country that it is due. Like I said, not a HMP or NHRA decision, trying to pay Honor and keep the race moving along."

So is that the real story or is the quote from Mr Evens on this site correct? Acording to him it was ready to go no mention of technical difficulties.

"First, let me say it is great to see the passion coming through in this debate and peoples feelings on something that has become so routine in public sporting events.
The decision over the pledge and/or anthem was among people in the tower. I was prepared either way to play or not play the anthem. The cue for saying the pledge comes from the example set at the Chili Bowl which also says the pledge in lieu of playing of the anthem. To hear thousands of people engaged and actively participating in the opening act of the event can be very powerful - especially if they believe in the words they are reciting.
Not playing the anthem was not in any way intended to be disrespectful to anyone in attendance or watching on the feed, and not an effort to be "politically correct". It was also not a directive from Glendora. It was simply to get people to engage and participate.
In person, the majority of people that expressed an opinion to the staff in the tower were good with it, although some wanted to understand the logic behind it.
I am sure this will be discussed moving forward and may or may not happen again. But again, there was no disrespect intended at all by anyone involved."

[Warren Evans]

Originally Posted by novassdude

So is that the real story or is the quote from Mr Evens on this site correct? Acording to him it was ready to go no mention of technical difficulties.

"First, let me say it is great to see the passion coming through in this debate and peoples feelings on something that has become so routine in public sporting events.
The decision over the pledge and/or anthem was among people in the tower. I was prepared either way to play or not play the anthem. The cue for saying the pledge comes from the example set at the Chili Bowl which also says the pledge in lieu of playing of the anthem. To hear thousands of people engaged and actively participating in the opening act of the event can be very powerful - especially if they believe in the words they are reciting.
Not playing the anthem was not in any way intended to be disrespectful to anyone in attendance or watching on the feed, and not an effort to be "politically correct". It was also not a directive from Glendora. It was simply to get people to engage and participate.
In person, the majority of people that expressed an opinion to the staff in the tower were good with it, although some wanted to understand the logic behind it.
I am sure this will be discussed moving forward and may or may not happen again. But again, there was no disrespect intended at all by anyone involved."

From each of our perspectives, we are both correct. My copy of the anthem was on my iPad that I did not realize the battery was dead on. I got it plugged in shortly before the opening ceremonies and it came to life as we were doing the invocation. Bob made a decision on the fly and did what he felt was the right step to open the show. I was confident we could play the song, but he probably wasn't. And as master of ceremonies, you have to make decisions to move the show along. We could have done it (my opinion) but we could have messed it up just as easily (his opinion).
Now, he and I and others have discussed the pledge as part of opening ceremonies on more than one occasion. Doing it was not a surprise to me. I don't have any issue with what he did and take responsibility for the technical problem which caused the scramble.

[SS/1230]

Absolutely ridiculous. I am a racer, and also served 6 years in the United States Air Force. Not playing the national anthem is a disgrace, and it's an insult to all of us that sacrificed for this country. It goes against everything I believe in..

[jmcarter]

You guys need to read the whole thread before throwing rocks, Warren and Unk have offered a plausible/reasonable explanation/apologies. The matter is closed unless you want to beat a dead horse.

[david cron]

[jmcarter]

Originally Posted by david cron

Awesome!

I would just add that obviously we are all hyper-sensitive to this issue. Our country is more divided today than during the Vietnam war and I look for anything that would serve to unite us. I would never fault Warren or Unk for a decision made on the fly. The efforts of Warren and his entire staff and sponsors are appreciated more than I can even express. I only vaguely know what the ‘chili bowl’ even is but assuming it’s a like minded bunch of racing enthusiasts I’d suspect that the first time the Pledge of Allegiance was played in lieu of the National Anthem there was some “splaining” that took place afterwards. Thanks to Warren and others for the explanation of what transpired. I’m sticking a fork in it.