Chicken-Fried News: Flag etiquette

Ever catch a Toronto Raptors NBA game?

Before tipoff, as the only Canadian team in the NBA, the Canadian anthem is played, even when the Raptors are on the road.

Non-Canadian players simply stand with their hands by their sides.

While there might not be official etiquette or protocol for when you hear another nation’s anthem played, we at Chicken Fried-News take cues from the NBA players.

Stand and remain quiet.

In the recent case of the Chilean citizen thrown out of a Sept. 18 Rayo OKC home game for sitting during the national anthem, we can only assume the visitor hadn’t caught any Raptors games on TV.

According to NewsOK.com, Francisco Espinoza, the Hispanic leader of the Rayo’s Red Army fan group, didn’t stand for the national anthem before the match.

A Yukon police officer providing security during the match approached Espinoza and asked why.

The newspaper reported Espinoza told the officer he wanted to rest after setting up sponsorship sign boards before the game.

Espinoza told the newspaper reporter that the officer told him, “You are a piece of crap.” NewsOK.com said Franklin declined the newspaper’s request for an interview.

The incident resulted in a heated discussion, and Espinoza was ejected from Yukon’s Miller sports stadium.

The Rayo OKC organization and police officials confirmed that Yukon police will no longer provide security during home matches.

Print headline: Flag etiquette

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