Hang Up and Listen

Should Sports Teams Stop Playing the National Anthem?

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin assess the debate over whether to play the national anthem at sporting events. They also discuss what the pandemic taught us about the mysteries of home-field advantage. Finally, ESPN’s Ryan Smith joins to talk about a lawsuit alleging that the NFL’s concussion settlement discriminates against Black players.
 
Anthem (3:11): Why the Dallas Mavericks stopped playing it, why they resumed, and what happens next.
 
Home-field advantage (21:49): How home teams fare in a world without crowd noise.
 
Concussion settlement (38:22): Inside a lawsuit brought by pro football retirees.
 
Afterball (60:07): Stefan on “Star-Spangled Banner” debates of the past.
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A weekly sports discussion from Slate. Hang Up and Listen features Slate sports editor Josh Levin, writer Stefan Fatsis (author of A Few Seconds of Panic), Slate writer and Slow Burn host Joel Anderson, and a selection of interesting guests from around the sports world.