Today, it often feels like outward expressions of patriotism are unacceptable, and can even be viewed as a flaw. When New York Islanders fans rallied together to sing the National Anthem before game six of their team’s second round series, however, they showed what many already know: many Americans are still unafraid to celebrate their shared love for their country.
The Coliseum comes together for the anthem. 🇺🇸#Isles pic.twitter.com/7HCVMjM2To
— NHL on NBC Sports (@NHLonNBCSports) June 9, 2021
The star of the moment — singer Nicole Raviv — was responsible for incorporating the crowd in the anthem, and couldn’t be happier that a “mortifying” mishap from game four occurred so that the special moment before game six could go down in the long and storied history of the Nassau Coliseum.
“Game four started with my microphone off,” Raviv told The Daily Wire. “They couldn’t hear me at first when I was singing but I continued to sing of course, because it’s the National Anthem. You don’t really stop that. So I kept singing and I knew someone would fix it eventually, but within 10, 15 seconds of the song, the entire Coliseum just started singing.”
“Kind of to make up for the fact that my sound wasn’t there and to help me out and to bring it all together. And then I got a new microphone and basically continued from where I left off. Everyone started cheering once the sound came back on and we just finished the song together, as a strong collective crowd. It was a blessing in disguise.”
The assistance from the game four crowd gave Raviv and her team an idea — hand the mic to the fans.
“Once we saw the results of that (game four) — and we won that night — it was just such great energy in the building,” Raviv continued. “The atmosphere was really electric and everyone felt a part of it. Then the next game — which was game six — my team and I thought about ways to incorporate them (the fans) again. And that’s just what happened. So I sang in the beginning and then just gave them the microphone so they could really be heard this time and for it to be intentional.”
“Of course, we didn’t know if they would sing again, but we were hoping they would. I just had to figure out a way to execute it.”
The viral moment touched so many because of what it represents — a chance for Americans to put down their political swords and simply celebrate the creation of our country. It’s a time for all to unify and — as a performer — a responsibility that Raviv is acutely aware of.
“I think that in general — being put in leadership positions — I’ve kind of just developed the responsibility and that I’m in this position that I have to be able to bring people together. I’ve sung anthems for lots of countries in lots of different events. I’m multicultural as well. So, I’ve sung for Canada and for Israel, and in French and in English. So I feel like I kind of tie in a lot of people together and America being the melting pot that it is — the reactions I’m getting — is that politics was not involved in that moment. It was just like the Anthem belongs to everyone. Whatever you feel, however you decide to vote, whatever you choose to do, it doesn’t really matter in that moment. And people have really been craving this feeling of unity and feeling of togetherness after everything that’s happened in the past year or two.”
Cooped up for months, Islanders fans had an opportunity to express their love for the country — and didn’t hold back, singing in unison.
“When I’m singing, it’s a different group every time. Whether it’s a police department or a fire department or veterans that are there holding the flag, the moment is very important for everyone. Lots of people are attached to it in different ways, whether they have family that served or they served. So, it’s really just respecting that song, the story and the nation.”
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to [email protected].
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.