The country was in mourning, hurting in ways it could hardly have imagined a week earlier. 17, 2001, the day Major League Baseball resumed following 9/11. THOSE CHORDS WERE ringing loudly on Sept. Our national anthem strikes all three chords at the same time. Hatched during one war, institutionalized during another, this song has become so entrenched in our sports identity that it's almost impossible to think of one without the other. That's why, in a country that loudly lauds actions on the battlefield and the playing field, 'The Star-Spangled Banner' and American athletics have a nearly indissoluble marriage. 'See that flag still flying, the one you tried to capture?' it famously asks the British. The second thing to remember? It's a taunt, a lyrical grenade chucked at a defeated opponent. The most memorable lines involve rockets and bombs, and the lesser-known verses conjure 'the havoc of war' and 'the gloom of the grave.' THE FIRST THING to remember is that it's a battle song. Check out the ESPN Daily podcast for a deeper look at the history of the playing of the anthem before games, including its role as a platform for protest.

Editor's note: As the NFL season kicks off amid unprecedented social activism from athletes, we revisit this story on the history of the national anthem, which originally posted on Sept.

Origin of the star spangled banner song