Michael Strahan anthem controversy shouldn’t make you mad, unless you’re looking to be mad

And here I thought the biggest takeaway from the most recent edition of “Fox NFL Sunday” was former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski jumping out of an MH-60S Seahawk helicopter.

Wrong! Turns out it’s Michael Strahan who’s topping the newsmaker charts, this after the former New York Giants defensive end was caught, if that’s the right word for it, failing to hold his right hand over his heart during the playing of the national anthem. To fill out the picture here, the “Fox NFL Sunday” show was done live from Naval Base San Diego on Sunday as part of a Veterans Day salute, and during the anthem, all of the panelists, except Strahan, are shown with their right hand across the heart. Strahan has his arms in a resting position in front of his body, right hand over left.

We conclude our show at the Naval Base San Diego with the national anthem 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/lDb2g6oF0f

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) November 10, 2024

According to the U.S. Flag Code, civilians “ … should face the flag and stand at attention with their right hand over the heart, or if applicable, remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart.” It’s the “should” part of this that would seemingly give Strahan an avenue for a pass, but that’s playing word gymnastics, don’t you think? This isn’t a legal case, because Strahan didn’t do anything illegal. What’s more, he looked quite dignified and focused during the anthem, as though in church.

What, then, did Strahan do wrong? He apparently was not acting in strict adherence to the U.S. Flag Code, but in every other respect, Strahan presented himself as a respectful, loyal American citizen.

Criticizing Strahan becomes an even more difficult exercise when one takes into account his family. His father, Major Gene W. Strahan Sr., served 23 years in the Army. According to the younger Strahan’s Fox Sports biography, the future Pro Football Hall of Famer and member of the Giants’ 17-14 victory over the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII spent part of his childhood living in Germany, where his father was stationed.

Strahan posted a photo of his father on Instagram on Monday, along with these words: “Thank you to all veterans and active service members who courageously risk their lives to protect us every day. Your selfless sacrifice is beyond measure.”

There was more.

“This is my hero, it is also my father, Gene W. Strahan, Sr.,” Strahan wrote. “He served for 23 years in the army and was a proud member of the 82nd Airborne Division. Just as I honor my father, I keep all of you in my thoughts each and every day as we would not have the safety and freedoms we cherish without you. Thank you.”

Jay Glazer, a member of the “Fox NFL Sunday” cast, took to X to highlight Strahan’s family history.

“Let me tell you this, I don’t know if I have a friend who is more proud of his military roots than Michael, growing up on an army base constantly talking about what he learned from his dad Major Gene Strahan and how his time there shaped him,” Glazer wrote.  “I heard it CONSTANTLY, still do!

“But also, with no fanfare i personally saw him donate thousands of dollars of clothes to veterans, including many homeless veterans as well clothes for veterans to go on job interviews.”

That, right there, can easily be put to use in dismissing all the social media Captain Midnights who became outraged by Strahan’s lack of hand over heart during the playing of the anthem. But to pull Major Gene W. Strahan’s military record out of a file cabinet misses the point because it speaks to a much larger point: Major Strahan’s service to his country helped preserve our right — your right, my right, Michael Strahan’s right — to observe the playing of the national anthem in whatever manner we see fit.

No doubt lots of people would prefer that the playing of the anthem be a Norman Rockwell painting come to life, with everybody standing on Main Street as the high school band strikes the notes that put us in a patriotic mood. A mayoral proclamation is read. Cannons are fired. War veterans salute. And, yes, citizens place hand over heart.

The national anthem is so much more complicated in the 21st century — especially at sporting events, what with artists who feel the need to decorate their performances with signature flourishes that sometimes reduce the exercise to so many cats on so many keyboards. Furthermore, it’s pointless to monitor how people comport themselves during the anthem and then make judgments about patriotism based on the findings. If you don’t believe me, take a good, long look around your section during the playing of the national anthem next time you’re at a sporting event.

Granted, the setting for the latest edition of “Fox NFL Sunday” was Naval Base San Diego, and, yes, that was a genuine military band performing the national anthem. No disrespect to every singer, band and choral group that’s ever performed “The Star-Spangled Banner,” nothing catches the moment better than a military band. And yet “Fox NFL Sunday,” while saluting Veterans Day, did so in a way that played up the strength of its cast members. Count me among the millions who loved watching Gronkowski jump out of a helicopter, but in the end, it was all just a vehicle for the kind of hijinks we’ve come to expect from him. No problem here. He’s fun.

And Michael Strahan? He didn’t do anything that should make you mad, unless you’re the type who looks for things to get mad about. If that’s the case, look harder.

(Photo: Sarah Stier / Getty Images)