For
They build unity and national pride.
Against
Sports should be about the game, not politics.
Anonymous excerpts, translated where noted.
“I think the it's supposed to act as a method of creating unity. It shows that even though the teams are there to battle it”
“I think the anthem is played as a little reminder that we are all actually on one unified team and that this is all just”
“When two teams from the same country meet each other, playing the national anthem before the game is meaningless.”
“I'm watching the game to watch hockey, I'm not interested in a spectacle beforehand. It just creates needless animosity.”