The American Spectator

Reader Mail

(Page 4 of 13)

Fight Songs : /p> p>Loved the article! It lists most of the reasons that I no longer attend sports events. I remember attending high school football games back in the '40s and '50s. At halftime the cheerleaders would switch sides of the field and lead the opposing crowd in a cheer. I remember when the National Anthem was played by the band and was sung reverently and lustily by the entire crowd. There was big time competition, but no trash talk; no arguing with the officials; no hate. And there were hand shakes after the game. Sigh! br> -- Jim Law br> Albuquerque, New Mexico /p>

In his piece today about the abysmal lack of courtesy now prevalent at "sporting" events, specifically about the singing Mr. Reid Collins wrote the following: "Ofttimes, an a cappella performer renders a melismatic rendition that would make Francis Scott Key enlist with Cornwallis." This sentence is absolutely magnificent, especially the use of the word, "melismatic," which places Mr. Collins (almost) on a par with William F. Buckley, Jr.

That said, I must register a pedantic nitpick! Lord Cornwallis was the British commander during the Revolutionary War, whilst the action at Fort McHenry, about which Key wrote, was during the War of 1812. The British commander at that battle, who was killed during it, was Major General Robert Ross. Key could not very well have "enlisted with Cornwallis," as Cornwallis had been dead for some time.

p>That bit of historical inaccuracy, however, in no way detracts from one of the best sentences it has been my pleasure to read in quite some time. br> -- W. B. Heffernan, Jr. /p>

Great article. It's funny how sometimes articles with the simplest themes can really reverberate with the reader. I remember when I never missed a Saturday night hockey game with my beloved Toronto Maple Leafs in the mid to late '60s. It was exciting, fast and physical but clean hockey. Then the Philadelphia Flyers came onto the scene in the early '70s with their Bobby Clarkes, Bill Barbers, Dave Shultz's and their win at any cost mentality. The intimidation, the fights, the intentional dives, the slashing, hacking, hooking and talentless goons changed the complexion of the game and sapped my enthusiasm for it. It has never recovered.

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