Today I went to see the Twins play the A's at the Metrodome (and beat them 6-4 on homers by Hunter and Mientkewitzcz (or however you spell it)). I love the Dome and all, but it was a bit of a letdown after Pac Bell park. However, the biggest shock came during the seventh inning stretch, when instead of hearing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," we were told to remove our hats, stand, and listen to "God Bless America." I had watched the same thing happen at the All-Star game and written it off as a silly TV ploy, but I have real problems with it happening at an ordinary regular-season game. First, why should "God Bless America" be accorded the same level of respect as the national anthem? Second, and more importantly, what place does "God Bless America" have in the seventh inning stretch? It's a baseball game, not a political rally. What would have happened if they had been playing the Blue Jays?

Following the song, the players took the field and there was in fact an actual seventh inning stretch which included "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," which the scoreboard operator followed up by showing random fans over an American flag backdrop while blasting Lee Greenwood's "Proud to be an American." I was not.