--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Look, we play the Star Spangled Banner…" description: "\"Look, we play the Star Spangled Banner before every game. You want us to pay income taxes, too?\" — Bill Veeck" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/feb/bill-veeck-14961_banner_look-we-play-the-star-spangled-banner-be_2599544.png" --- # Look, we play the Star Spangled Banner before every game… ![“Look, we play the Star Spangled Banner before every game. You want us to pay income taxes, too?” quote by Bill Veeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/feb/bill-veeck-14961_banner_look-we-play-the-star-spangled-banner-be_2599544.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/feb/bill-veeck-14961_banner_look-we-play-the-star-spangled-banner-be_2599544.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/feb/bill-veeck-14961_banner_look-we-play-the-star-spangled-banner-be_2599544.png) > “Look, we play the Star Spangled Banner before every game. You want us to pay income taxes, too?” [Bill Veeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-veeck/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Patriotic symbols can be used to question tax fairness, linking national pride to civic duties. **In simple terms:** Patriotic symbols can highlight tax issues. Key Takeaway Consider the broader implications of symbolic gestures. Themes sports politics taxation patriotism Mood ironic provocative Type cultural political When to use this quote - sports events - public debates - tax policy discussions Key Concepts civic engagement public persuasion symbolic protest Questions to Reflect On - Is it effective to use national symbols in tax arguments? - How do fans respond to political messages at games? A Different Perspective Symbolic acts may oversimplify complex fiscal matters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Banner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/banner/) [Games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/games/) [Income](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/income/) [Income tax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/income-tax/) [Income Taxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/income-taxes-1100081/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Pay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Spangled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spangled-459424/) [Spangled Banner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spangled-banner-344520/) [Star Spangled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/star-spangled-418041/) [Stars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stars/) [Taxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxes/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Want Pay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-pay/) [Want u](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-u/) ## Related quotes > [And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave, O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-scott-key/and-the-star-spangled-banner-in-triumph-doth-wave-o-er-the-land-of/) [Francis Scott Key](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-scott-key/) > [I'm a star, no spangled banner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/i-m-a-star-no-spangled-banner/) [Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/) > [I sing the 'Star Spangled Banner,' so I can get into football, basketball and baseball games for free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cullum/i-sing-the-star-spangled-banner-so-i-can-get-into-football-basketball/) [John Cullum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cullum/) > [“The singing triggers a soft detonation at his core, molten parts of him are flying everywhere and his ears ring to the tune of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-fountain/the-singing-triggers-a-soft-detonation-at-his-core-molten-parts-of/) [Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fountain/) > [“But as they stared into "The Star Spangled Banner," the music was blessedly drowned out by the squeal and moan of the barking train,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-wilcox/but-as-they-stared-into-the-star-spangled-banner-the-music-was/) [Victoria Wilcox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-wilcox/) > [“Pervy and redundant, don't you think?" I asked the big gay cop, who wouldn't know a va-jay-jay if it bounced up to him and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-moore/pervy-and-redundant-don-t-you-think-i-asked-the-big-gay-cop-who/) [Christopher Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-moore/) > ['The Star-Spangled Banner' should've never been made into our national anthem. That President Woodrow Wilson, widely thought to be one of the most bigoted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-king/the-star-spangled-banner-should-ve-never-been-made-into-our-national/) [Shaun King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-king/) > [“Nearly everyone here is Irish, or Italian or Russian. But everyone displays their Star Spangled Banner in some prominent spot on their house and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-h-thomson/nearly-everyone-here-is-irish-or-italian-or-russian-but-everyone/) [L.H. Thomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-h-thomson/) > [“The night of September the 14th, 1814, saw heavy bombardment of Baltimore by the British. Despite this, the next morning, the large American flag…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-goldstein/the-night-of-september-the-14th-1814-saw-heavy-bombardment-of/) [Jack Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-goldstein/) > [Remembering growing up on U.S. Army bases stateside and abroad, the Star-Spangled Banner was played at important occasions... and often. It was the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harris-faulkner/remembering-growing-up-on-u-s-army-bases-stateside-and-abroad-the/) [Harris Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harris-faulkner/) > [When Ronald Reagan was elected I was on a bus traveling with a band in France. I wrote a little arrangement of The Star…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-bley/when-ronald-reagan-was-elected-i-was-on-a-bus-traveling-with-a-band/) [Carla Bley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-bley/) > [One of my earliest memories... I knew three full verses of the Star Spangled Banner when I was seven or eight years old. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-van-ronk/one-of-my-earliest-memories-i-knew-three-full-verses-of-the-star/) [Dave Van Ronk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-van-ronk/) > [I can remember standing in the middle of the field after the race and seeing the American flag raised and hearing 'The Star Spangled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-robinson-schwartz/i-can-remember-standing-in-the-middle-of-the-field-after-the-race-and/) [Elizabeth Robinson Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-robinson-schwartz/) > [Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light What so proudly we hailed as the twilight's last gleaming? Whose broad stripes and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-scott-key/oh-say-can-you-see-by-the-dawn-s-early-light-what-so-proudly-we/) [Francis Scott Key](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-scott-key/) > [And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave/O're the land of the free and the home of the brave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-scott-key/and-the-star-spangled-banner-in-triumph-shall-wave-o-re-the-land-of/) [Francis Scott Key](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-scott-key/) ## More by Bill Veeck > [Suffering is overated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-veeck/suffering-is-overated/) [Bill Veeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-veeck/) > [I believe in God, but I'm not too clear on the other details.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-veeck/i-believe-in-god-but-i-m-not-too-clear-on-the-other-details/) [Bill Veeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-veeck/) > [Im for the dreamers. The only really important things in history have been started by the dreamers. They never know what cant be done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-veeck/im-for-the-dreamers-the-only-really-important-things-in-history-have/) [Bill Veeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-veeck/) > [After a month or so in St. Louis, we were looking around desperately for a way to draw a few people into the ball…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-veeck/after-a-month-or-so-in-st-louis-we-were-looking-around-desperately/) [Bill Veeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-veeck/) > [The most beautiful thing in the world is a ballpark filled with people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-veeck/the-most-beautiful-thing-in-the-world-is-a-ballpark-filled-with-people/) [Bill Veeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-veeck/) > [I was in the game for love. After all, where else can an old-timer with one leg, who can't hear or see, live like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-veeck/i-was-in-the-game-for-love-after-all-where-else-can-an-old-timer-with/) [Bill Veeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-veeck/) > [If you can't outsmart people, outwork them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-veeck/if-you-can-t-outsmart-people-outwork-them/) [Bill Veeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-veeck/) > [To give one can of beer to a thousand people is not nearly as much fun as to give 1,000 cans of beer to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-veeck/to-give-one-can-of-beer-to-a-thousand-people-is-not-nearly-as-much/) [Bill Veeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-veeck/) > [I try not to break the rules, but merely to test their elasticity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-veeck/i-try-not-to-break-the-rules-but-merely-to-test-their-elasticity/) [Bill Veeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-veeck/) > [Though it is a team game by definition, it is actually a series of loosely connected individual efforts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-veeck/though-it-is-a-team-game-by-definition-it-is-actually-a-series-of/) [Bill Veeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-veeck/) > [Suffering is overrated. It doesn't teach you anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-veeck/suffering-is-overrated-it-doesn-t-teach-you-anything/) [Bill Veeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-veeck/) > [Baseball is the only game left for people. To play basketball, you have to be 7 feet 6 inches. To play football, you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-veeck/baseball-is-the-only-game-left-for-people-to-play-basketball-you-have/) [Bill Veeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-veeck/) > [“It isn’t the high price of stars that is expensive; it’s the high price of mediocrity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-veeck/it-isn-t-the-high-price-of-stars-that-is-expensive-it-s-the-high/) [Bill Veeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-veeck/) > [When there is no room for individualism in ballparks, then there will be no room for individualism in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-veeck/when-there-is-no-room-for-individualism-in-ballparks-then-there-will/) [Bill Veeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-veeck/) > [Next to the confrontation between two highly honed batteries of lawyers, jungle warfare is a stately minuet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-veeck/next-to-the-confrontation-between-two-highly-honed-batteries-of/) [Bill Veeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-veeck/) [Explore all 44 Bill Veeck quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-veeck/) ## More Banner quotes > [Here's the reality. The image of a white Jesus has been used to justify enslavement, conquest, colonialism, the genocide of indigenous peoples. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/here-s-the-reality-the-image-of-a-white-jesus-has-been-used-to/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [One of our great allies at present is the Church itself. Do not misunderstand me. I do not mean the Church as we see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/one-of-our-great-allies-at-present-is-the-church-itself-do-not/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [The Son of God goes forth to war,A kingly crown to gain;His blood red banner streams afar:Who follows in His train?Who best can drink…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reginald-heber/the-son-of-god-goes-forth-to-war-a-kingly-crown-to-gain-his-blood-red/) [Reginald Heber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reginald-heber/) > [ \[W\]ar is a question, under our constitution, not of Executive, but of Legislative cognizance. It belongs to Congress to say whether the Nation shall… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hamilton/w-ar-is-a-question-under-our-constitution-not-of-executive-but-of/) [Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-hamilton/) > [Leo had recently discovered how to change the display, like the Times Square JumboTron,so now the banner read: Merry Christmas! All your presents belong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/leo-had-recently-discovered-how-to-change-the-display-like-the-times/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [No one imposes things on anyone in Europe. That's not my notion, nor is it my temperament. The EU has always functioned under the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-hollande/no-one-imposes-things-on-anyone-in-europe-that-s-not-my-notion-nor-is/) [Francois Hollande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-hollande/) > [I play to lift a city, and raise a banner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince-fielder/i-play-to-lift-a-city-and-raise-a-banner/) [Prince Fielder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince-fielder/) > [They fell, but o'er their glorious grave Floats free the banner of the cause they died to save.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-marion-crawford/they-fell-but-o-er-their-glorious-grave-floats-free-the-banner-of-the/) [Francis Marion Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-marion-crawford/) > [If you look at the heritage of the best advertising, you can make stuff that is great for both readers and advertisers. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-peretti/if-you-look-at-the-heritage-of-the-best-advertising-you-can-make/) [Jonah Peretti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-peretti/) > [A sudden gust of rain blew over them and then another - as if small liquid clouds were bouncing along the land. Lightning entered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/a-sudden-gust-of-rain-blew-over-them-and-then-another-as-if-small/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [Gays, lesbians, straights, feminists, fascist pigs, communists, Hare Krishnas - none of them bother me. I don't care what banner they raise. But what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/gays-lesbians-straights-feminists-fascist-pigs-communists-hare/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [It is only in retrospect that the high points of our lives rise up, flaunting banners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-pratt/it-is-only-in-retrospect-that-the-high-points-of-our-lives-rise-up/) [Caroline Pratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-pratt/) > [Return to Shaoshan I regret the passing, the dying, of the vague dream: my native orchards thirty-two years ago. Yet red banners roused the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mao-zedong/return-to-shaoshan-i-regret-the-passing-the-dying-of-the-vague-dream/) [Mao Zedong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mao-zedong/) > [On the field of battle, the spoken word does not carry far enough; hence the institution of gongs and drums... banners and flags. Gongs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/on-the-field-of-battle-the-spoken-word-does-not-carry-far-enough/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [The Doxology ... that testimonial to the Platonic Trinity, which divided the Roman Empire into at least eighteen quarreling sects, none of whom knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-hurmence-green/the-doxology-that-testimonial-to-the-platonic-trinity-which-divided/) [Ruth Hurmence Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-hurmence-green/) [Browse all 279 Banner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/banner/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Look, we play the Star Spangled Banner before every game. 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