no national anthem at steeler-dolphin game

[GenuineRisk]

The anthem's music is originally the tune of an old English drinking song. So, when it's played without words, it is truly being patriotic, or is it a subversive ode to drinking, which frankly, is more in line with a sporting event, anyway?

"To Anacreon in Heaven, where he sat in full glee,
A few sons of harmony sent a petition,
That he their inspirer and patron should be.
When this answer arrived from that jolly old Grecian:
Voice, fiddle and flute no longer be mute,
I’ll lend you my name and inspire you to boot,
And besides I’ll instruct you like me to entwine
The myrtle of Venus with Bacchus’ vine."

http://www.colonialmusic.org/Resource/Anacreon.htm

I LOVE our history- anthem is set to a drinking song, and the Pledge was written by a Socialist- interesting tidbit-

"His (Francis Bellamy's) original Pledge read as follows: 'I pledge allegiance to my Flag and (to*) the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.' He considered placing the word, 'equality,' in his Pledge, but knew that the state superintendents of education on his committee were against equality for women and African Americans. [ * 'to' added in October, 1892. ]"

http://history.vineyard.net/pledge.htm