The first time the American national anthem was played during a sporting event came in the seventh-inning stretch of Game One in the 1918 World Series between the Chicago Cubs and Babe Ruth's Boston Red Sox. More than 100,000 U.S. soldiers were already dead in World War I. A bomb exploded in the game's host city of Chicago, Illinois, the day prior. A sparse crowd was on hand, and it didn't seem like playing baseball was the right thing to do. But as the U.S. Navy band began to play, players on both the Red Sox and Cubs stood and faced the flag. Fans in the stands erupted with excitement after the show of patriotism. The national anthem became a standing appointment (pun intended) before Major League Baseball games. Beginning with the MLB, leagues from the NBA, NHL, NFL, and all the way down to collegiate and high school athletics adopted "The Star-Spangled Banner" as a reminder that, no matter what jersey you're wearing, we're here as Americans and "our flag was still there." Yet, ignorance prevails. Many spend their time talking, texting, using the bathroom, grabbing a hot dog, flirting with the girl behind them, or grabbing a selfie for social media. Playing the national anthem has become less about American ideals and more of a symbolic starting gun to the day's events. I empathize with the "let's get to business" crowd who think removing the anthem isn't a big deal. After all, why waste the time if no one's paying attention? Why should we even afford NFL players like former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick the opportunity to "disgrace" America by kneeling during the song? Why? Because these are the United States of America, that's why. Sports are a beautiful microcosm of our society where anyone — no matter your race, religion, gender or sexual orientation — can take the field and compete as equals. It's the anthem that brings us together for a brief moment honoring those freedoms. Need proof of the anthem's power? Listen