The Michael Strahan song controversy shouldn’t make you angry, unless you want to be angry

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! It turns out it’s Michael Strahan who’s topping the newsmakers’ charts after the former New York Giants defenseman was busted, if that’s the right word for it, for failing to keep his right hand over his heart during the playing of the national anthem. To complete 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 national anthem, all panelists, except Strahan, are shown with their right hand over the heart. Strahan has his arms in a resting position in front of his body, right hand over left.

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

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

According to the U.S. Flag Code, citizens must “…face the flag and stand at attention with their right hand over the heart, or, if appropriate, remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it near the left shoulder, with the hand above the heart.” It’s the “must” part of this that would seemingly give Strahan a chance for a pass, but that’s word gymnastics, don’t you think? This isn’t a legal matter, because Strahan didn’t do anything illegal. Plus, during the national anthem with great dignity and focus, as if he were in church.

So what did Strahan do wrong? Apparently he was not acting in strict compliance with the U.S. Flag Code, but in all other respects Strahan presented himself as a respectful, loyal American citizen.

Criticizing Strahan becomes an even more difficult exercise when you take his family into account. His father, Major Gene W. Strahan Sr., served in the Army for 23 years. 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 in Germany, where his father was stationed .

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

There was more.

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

“Fox NFL Sunday” cast member Jay Glazer went to X to highlight Strahan’s family history.

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

“But also, without fanfare, I personally saw him donate thousands of dollars worth of clothing to veterans, including many homeless veterans, as well as clothing for veterans to go on job interviews.”

That could easily be used here to dismiss Captain Midnights on social media, who became enraged by Strahan’s lack of hand over heart during the playing of the national anthem. But to pull Major Gene W. Strahan’s military file from a filing 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, mine right, Michael Strahan’s right – to observe. playing the national anthem in any way we deem appropriate.

No doubt many people would prefer the national anthem to be played by a Norman Rockwell painting coming to life, with everyone standing on Main Street as the high school band hits the notes that put us in a patriotic mood. A mayoral proclamation is read. Cannons are fired. War veterans salute. And yes, citizens place their hands on their hearts.

The national anthem is so much more complicated in the 21st century – especially at sporting events, with performers feeling the need to adorn their performances with signature flourishes that sometimes reduce the exercise to so many cats on so many keyboards. Moreover, there is no point in monitoring how people behave during the national anthem and making judgments about patriotism based on that. If you don’t believe me, take a long, long look around your department during the playing of the national anthem the 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 an actual military band performing the national anthem. No disrespect to every singer, band and choral group that has ever performed “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Nothing captures the moment better than a military band. And yet, while saluting Veterans Day, “Fox NFL Sunday” did so in a way that amplified the power of its cast members. Count me among the millions who enjoyed watching Gronkowski jump out of a helicopter, but in the end it was all just a vehicle for the kind of jokes we’ve come to expect from him. No problem here. He’s nice.

And Michael Strahan? He hasn’t done anything that should make you angry, unless you’re the type to look for things to get angry about. If so, look closer.

(Photo: Sarah Stier/Getty Images)