Justin Morneau is a bit miffed at last night's pregame protocol which had Sheryl Crow singing the United States' national anthem, but merely a pre-recorded instrumental version of "O Canada":
"I wasn't very impressed with that to tell you the truth. You figure they could find somebody to come and sing the song. They have a hockey team here, the Canadian teams play here. It's something that didn't really go over too well. I think if it happened the other way around, if they were playing in Toronto and they did that, it would have been a lot bigger deal. But nothing you can do about it."
He's absolutely right to note that people here would be freaking the hell out if they dissed "The Star Spangled Banner" like that. And even if there weren't many Canadians present -- other than Morneau, dual citizen Jason Bay was the only other Canuck on either of the rosters -- "O Canada" is a beautiful song in its own right, and deserved the same treatment as the U.S. anthem.
I somehow suspect that U.S.-Canadian relations will survive this incident without shots being fired, but still: bad form, baseball.
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As an arrogant American I have to say that Canada is lucky to even have the chance to play with us in OUR sport. Baseball is America's past-time... not America's Hat's past-time... eh! (lol just kidding Canada)
I've seen Toronto play Seattle many times and I've never seen them cut-short either anthem... That's just disrespectful.
But the M's HAVE had singers who mangled the Canadian anthem: during one stand against the Jays they not only had an anthem singer forget the MELODY of O Canada, they videotaped her sorry rendition and replayed it the next day.
The US also gets TWO songs in, with the Selig-mandated singing (and televising) of "God Bless America."
We frickin' get it: MLB is the most patriotic of all sports. This isn't 2002. You're a sport, not the Army. Play the game.
Baseball, America’s past-time was invented in England. It was originally called rounders, evolved from cricket, and is just another sport of the many England created that they are no longer competitive in.
You know, I didn't watch the All-Star game but I have noticed in other Canadian/US sports events that there seems not to be equal treatment for the national anthems. I just thought it was the network covering it that made a difference. How rude of all of us!
Very disrespectful of MLB and Busch Stadium to not play or sing the Canadian anthem live. Had it been the other way around, we'd have troops massing at the border.
Oh, fiddlesticks. While it would have been nice if they had had someone sing a proper version of "Oh, Canada," it's not the end of the world. And our well-behaved neighbors to the north have booed the "Star Spangled Banner" at hockey games. I've never heard "Oh, Canada" booed at a US ball park.
Couldn't agree more-- just went to a game in Toronto and both anthems were sung live.......couldn't they get Nelly Furtardo or Shania Twain to sing it ? Both good Canadians....or Nickleback !!!
I agree. Just attended a Sox game in Toronto and both anthems were sung live. Couldn't they have gotten Shania Twain or Nelly Furtardo to sing-- or Nickleback !!!
I guess I am an arrogant American, but I did not even notice that they even played the Canadian anthem at all. Leave it to the reporters to turn this into a international incident. I dont think really anyone noticed till we read this....
It wasn't noticed because FOX cut away to a commercial when the anthem was played, which I'd argue was even more disrespectful.
I was at the All Star game last night, and the Canadian anthem was played. The crowd stool in respect. St. Louis fans did their part, but maybe MLB should have done theirs by having someone sing Canada's anthem!!!!!!!!!!
Why not the Japanese National Anthem, Venezuelan National Anthem, Dominican National Anthem and every other National Anthem of the endless list of South American players who are in baseball today? What an arrogant punk that Morneau is to assume that Canada's National Anthem deserves the same treatment in St Louis Missouri as the U.S. National Anthem. He should ask Felix Hernandez if he is pissed that the Venezuelan National Anthem was not played or sang before the game!! Grow up and get a pair Justin. Just because you play a boys game as an adult does not mean you can act like a spoiled brat.
Considering MLB has teams that play in Canada, which is what Morneau said
It is disrespectful. But don't let reading someone's comments get in the way of your vitriol.
Again, where was the game played? That is what I said in my above post. We were not playing the All Star game in Canada but St. Louis Missouri USA.
MLB has developmental teams across the world with affiliations in most South American countries, Australia, Japan, etc. We have players come up through the ranks in those countries and some make it to the big leagues.. This being said what if there were no Canadians on either roster? Would it be ok to skip the Canadian National Anthem?
Basically what you are saying is you want to argue for the sake of arguing.
You're making a very poor argument. Major League Baseball is played in two countries, baseball isn’t America’s property...America isn't even the best at it anymore. If the All Star Game was to be played in Toronto, it would be ignorant to disrespect the U.S. national anthem, just like it was ignorant to disrespect the Canadian national anthem last night. And by disrespect, I mean treating one as if it was less important as the other. It’s true that many nationalities play the game these days, but it’s not the NFL, two countries have teams, and both should be recognized equally. If you’re going to play a national anthem at all, it should always have equal billing to every other anthem played. Not doing so denigrates the other anthem.
Here's a question - why play the anthems at all? I can see it at the Olympics but seriously, what's the point?
Yep, it's disrespectful, but let's be honest, Fox isn't known for it's international diplomacy, or neutrality, or basic respect of human beings, or broadcasting integrity, or... what are they known for again? Oh, right, propping up failed presidencies, I knew it was something.
But seriously folks, that is a slight and I hope they at least apologize. And cutting to a commercial during it is indeed even worse.
In any sporting event played these days, the national anthem is performed by someone. Has it ever been shown on TV? Does ESPN televise the national anthem during Sunday Night Baseball? No, they don't. The U.S. anthem was lucky enough to not be cut out for commercial. There should be no apology about cutting to commercial during the Canadian anthem. Who knows, maybe for the broadcast in Canada, they cut the U.S. anthem out and showed the Canadian one. And maybe for the broadcasts in Venezuela, they cut them both out and played their national anthem. The point is the U.S. anthem gets cut out at every other baseball game, and most likely they don't even sing the Canadian one. Maybe they should apologize to the Americans for cutting it out every night.
yawn, that game sucked anyways.....
Hey Moronneau, you hoser..... its baseball not hockey eh..........
shut up, and fire down another Labatts ....
Is everyone forgetting the night a few years back when the Boston Bruins played the Montreal Canadiens in Montreal, the fans up there openly and loudly booed the American National Anthem. Two wrongs do not make a right, but at least in St. Louis, they didn't boo the Canadian National Anthem
The funny part is that as a Canadian, I was not offended at all. It is Bud Selig, MLB and FOX Sports' big midsummer extravaganza and Canada doesn't enter into it just because one of the 30 teams is located here — "for now at least," eh, Bob Costas?
MLB's not obligated, and any Canadian who takes offence at this is not being a patriot. You realize your identity as a nation from within, not by being validated by what happens in St. Louis, Missouri on a Tuesday in July. It was pretty par for the course from FOX and MLB. They did it last year — FOX going to commercial while a taped version of O Canada played — and almost no one in Canada noticed. The only difference this time was that Morneau spoke his mind.
The reason you play it is that there is a team from Canada in the league - yes have someone sing it - he's right - and its a beautiful song.
You would play it out of respect for the Jays...but who on that team actually is Canadian?
As far as God Bless America goes, would somebody s---can it already? It was only a feel-good post 9/11 thing. Now that the terrorists have won, gotten away with the attacks, and believe God is blessing them, why do we still suffer through it?
Oooooooooops, someone made a mistake. Get over it, no one is perfect and I am sure it was not done deliberately. In the infamous words of a Combat Infantry Soldier who was the Veteran of two wars, "Suck it up and get on with the grunt." Just to be sure that this is taken in context, I am a Proud Canadian, but more importantly a smart one who realizes this is not that important in the big picture.
Give me a break. If there was 1 1/2 Americans at an all Canadian Paper Rock Scissors tournament (which is the only professional "sporting" event I can think of that is held exclusively in Canada) would we expect them to play the Star Spangled Banner? No!! Canada is lucky we even acknowledge that Canadians play in the league. How many Latin American players were in the All Star game? I didn't hear the Venezuelan national anthem played for Felix Hernandez. It's an American sports league. Deal with it.
AH subtle payback for the crude ass Montreal fans who boo the American anthem?
What goes around comes around.
Send those Frenchies out to the consession stands to get some meat pie and fries with brown gravy next time they host a hockey game on US TV!
Why bother playing the Canadian Nat'l anthem? There are far more Latinos than Canadians in MLB. Why not play the Puerto Rican, Venezuelan, or Mexican anthems, instead??
if Canada wouldnt have a team in the MLB, they wouldnt play the Oh`Canada,,Its not about the players.Its about respect!!So far theres only 2 countries that plays in MLB,,,is there a mexican team in MLB?NO!So we dont have to sing the mexican national anthem.Thats all!
Read Aaron Gleeman.......... Calcaterra SUX