Tulsa semipro soccer team to replace pregame national anthem

A semipro soccer team based in Tulsa will replace the national anthem with Woody Guthrie's “This Land Is Your Land” at all home matches.

The Tulsa Athletic made the announcement in a news release Wednesday.

The Athletic are part of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), which has more than 90 teams. In a statement, the team said it went away from “The Star-Spangled Banner” after reviewing its lyrics. It pointed to the third verse of Francis Scott Key's poem, which includes the line: “No refuge could save the hireling and slave from the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave.”

“Tulsa Athletic came to the decision that the song does not align with the club’s core values,” the team said in its statement. “While this verse is rarely sung, Tulsa Athletic does not believe 'The Star-Spangled Banner' represents or unites their diverse players, fans and community.”

The Athletic said fans can sing along if they are comfortable, and all forms of patriotic expression are welcomed.

“We believe ‘This Land Is Your Land’ not only captures a powerful patriotic sentiment, but that it does so in a far more inclusive way," Sonny Dalesandro, the team's co-owner, said in a statement. "The song speaks to this country being built and shared by every person of every race, ethnicity, religion and sexual orientation. It represents a future Tulsa Athletic is committed to striving for.”

Guthrie was born in Okemah, Oklahoma, a small town about 65 miles from Tulsa.

Image credits: AP