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The Conversation
The Conversation
Politics
Mark Clague, Associate Professor of Musicology, Arts Leadership & Entrepreneurship, University of Michigan

A brief history of the NFL, 'The Star-Spangled Banner,' the Super Bowl and their tangled saga of patriotism and dissent

NFL Super Bowl Francis Scott Key World War II Harry Truman White House Whitney Houston World War I
Whitney Houston sings the national anthem on January 27, 1991, at Super Bowl XXV during the Persian Gulf War. Michael Zagaris/Getty Images

When NFL Commissioner Elmer Layden visited the White House in August 1945, no sitting president had ever attended a professional football game. World War II was coming to a close and the commissioner presented President Harry Truman with a golden pass to any game on any day.

Pro football was still in its infancy. The NFL was barely 25 years old, and both baseball and boxing were more popular. So Layden made a promise that would inspire headlines and maximize his publicity stunt. The wartime practice of playing “The Star-Spangled Banner” at every game would continue forever.

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