Jason Brock, who sang the national anthem before Thursday’s Golden State Warriors game, has responded to criticism after waving a Pride flag during the performance. His explanation hasn’t done much to quiet the reaction.
The Warriors held a Pride Night event during their home game against Miami. As he sang the line “What so proudly we hailed,” Brock brought out a small Pride flag and waved it while nodding along.
The crowd’s reaction was muted. Cameras later showed several Warriors players laughing, though it’s unclear what they were reacting to. Brock said on X that he hadn’t noticed the players at the time and didn’t think their laughter was necessarily about the anthem.
Maybe so. But that feels beside the point. A national anthem performance doesn’t need to become a moment for making a statement, whatever the cause may be.
After weeks of debate about anthem-related incidents during the WNBA Finals, seeing a Pride flag waved during another anthem performance is likely to frustrate people who simply want the song treated with respect. That doesn’t seem like an especially high bar.
Still, public performances increasingly become a chance to promote a cause. The “Star-Spangled Banner” has been sung for generations; it seems reasonable to stand, pay attention and leave the activism for another moment.
