When NFL Commissioner Elmer Layden visited the White House in August 1945, no sitting president had ever attended a professional football game. World War II was coming to a close and the commissioner presented President Harry Truman with a golden pass to any game on any day.
Pro football was still in its infancy. The NFL was barely 25 years old, and both baseball and boxing were more popular. So Layden made a promise that would inspire headlines and maximize his publicity stunt. The wartime practice of playing “The Star-Spangled Banner” at every game would continue forever.
“The playing of the national anthem should be as much a part of every game as the kickoff,” he proclaimed.
“The Star-Spangled Banner” was written by Francis Scott Key in September 1814, after the Georgetown lawyer witnessed the surprising and successful defense of Baltimore from British attack during the War of 1812. He did not write a poem, as most have been taught, but crafted a lyric to fit an already well-known melody. His creation is and has always been a song, an alloy of words and music to inspire hearts and change minds.
