I remember watching a documentary about the Minnesota Vikings and how Coach Bud Grant made the team practice the pre-game "ceremonies" in order to "get it right". One of those was how to stand during the National Anthem. He made each player tuck their helmet under the left arm/hand, and put their right hand on their heart.
No scratching your crotch, no spitting, no mopping around. You had to stand to attention and line up properly.
His logic was that if you couldn't be taught to do the basic things right then you'll never be able to learn how to the do the difficult things right, such as learn complex formations, be able to I.D. a formation pre-snap, how to audible to another play, etc...
He was patriotic. Here’s an article from 1985 where he was pissed that TV missed showing the Anthem!
BUD FLAGS ABC FOR UNPATRIOTIC CONDUCT
Ed Sherman, Chicago Tribune
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
Why bother staying for the game?
''I think the national anthem is the highlight of the game,'' said Minnesota Vikings` coach Bud Grant.
Grant was upset because ABC was not going to televise the singing of the anthem Thursday night. It was sung at 6:59 p.m., and the Viking-Bear game went on the air at 7 p.m.
The television audience missed the patriotic moment. The Viking cheerleaders carried American flags, and Grant and his team stood at attention to the delight of a cheering crowd.
It was such a shame they could never win a Super Bowl while he was coach but geez, what could they do ? They kept running into some of the most dominant teams in NFL history. (Although I think Super Bowl IV was one where they really should have won and on paper at least, I still think they were the "better" team over the Chiefs.)
BTW, if you want to watch that documentary, it was called "The missing rings: 1969 Minnesota Vikings". I know it is on YT. It is quite good, especially with Joe Kapp and his "I don't give a damn" attitude.
I remember watching a documentary about the Minnesota Vikings and how Coach Bud Grant made the team practice the pre-game "ceremonies" in order to "get it right". One of those was how to stand during the National Anthem. He made each player tuck their helmet under the left arm/hand, and put their right hand on their heart.
No scratching your crotch, no spitting, no mopping around. You had to stand to attention and line up properly.
His logic was that if you couldn't be taught to do the basic things right then you'll never be able to learn how to the do the difficult things right, such as learn complex formations, be able to I.D. a formation pre-snap, how to audible to another play, etc...
He was patriotic. Here’s an article from 1985 where he was pissed that TV missed showing the Anthem!
BUD FLAGS ABC FOR UNPATRIOTIC CONDUCT Ed Sherman, Chicago Tribune CHICAGO TRIBUNE
Why bother staying for the game?
''I think the national anthem is the highlight of the game,'' said Minnesota Vikings` coach Bud Grant.
Grant was upset because ABC was not going to televise the singing of the anthem Thursday night. It was sung at 6:59 p.m., and the Viking-Bear game went on the air at 7 p.m.
The television audience missed the patriotic moment. The Viking cheerleaders carried American flags, and Grant and his team stood at attention to the delight of a cheering crowd.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1985-09-20-8503040060-story.html
It was such a shame they could never win a Super Bowl while he was coach but geez, what could they do ? They kept running into some of the most dominant teams in NFL history. (Although I think Super Bowl IV was one where they really should have won and on paper at least, I still think they were the "better" team over the Chiefs.)
BTW, if you want to watch that documentary, it was called "The missing rings: 1969 Minnesota Vikings". I know it is on YT. It is quite good, especially with Joe Kapp and his "I don't give a damn" attitude.