Over the course of the last several years, American culture has been wholly invaded by political narratives.  There is nowhere to hide from your allegiance to Team R or Team D.  Where you shop, what brands you buy, what car you drive, what music you listen to; all of these things can be divvied up along the lines of the false political dichotomy that we’ve been given by our elected overlords, of course, much for the sake of enriching themselves. But I digress. Every facet of our lives can have a political slant to it these days, and nowhere is that more apparent than in the world of sports. Watching our nation’s most talented athletes perfect their abilities on the pitch, the court, the field, or the track had long been an escape from the incessant nature of society itself – politics included.  Now, however, thanks to any number of factors, (and largely Colin Kaepernick), modern athletes are almost expected to have some sort of stance of politics. Some athlete’s opinions are far louder than others, as well. BMX Freestyle rider Chelsea Wolfe, who qualified as an alternate to represent the U.S. at this year’s summer Olympics in Tokyo, said last year that her goal was to win an Olympic medal “so I can burn a US flag on the podium.” “My goal is to win the Olympics so I can burn a US flag on the podium. This is what they focus on during a pandemic. Hurting trans children,” Wolfe wrote on Facebook on March 25, 2020, along with a link to a PinkNews story about the Trump administration’s stance on transgender girls in female athletics. Wolfe identifies as a transgender woman. The post has since been deleted, and the BMX rider attempted to walk back the sensational comment in an…

For as much controversy as has been manufactured around the National Anthem, there is still nothing quite like witnessing a powerful rendition of a song that brings so many of us pride here in the United States. In the annals of sports history, there are but a few moments of anthemic joy that stand atop the list, with this author’s personal favorite being the incredibly salient and pointed version performed by Whitney Houston at the Super Bowl in 1991: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_lCmBvYMRs Now, 30 years and some months later, another unforgettable anthem moment has arrived. Nassau Coliseum was roaring with energy Wednesday night as fans in attendance belted out the National Anthem before the New York Islanders Game 6 victory over the Boston Bruins in a viral moment that is sure to give anyone chills. Nicole Raviv regularly sings “The Star-Spangled Banner” before Isles games at the Coliseum but on Wednesday night she was overpowered by the crowd, even turning over the microphone to the fans. “My heart is full. The coliseum will forever have the best backup singers in the #NHL,” Raviv wrote on Twitter. A moment like this was made for social media, and it soon spread like wildfire. https://twitter.com/NHLonNBCSports/status/1402773091672068098?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1402773091672068098%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fsports%2Fislanders-fans-national-anthem-viral-game-6-bruins The fans were ready, however, after a microphone glitch forced them to join in on the anthem just two games earlier.