Over the years, I have written at length about our national budget deficit. Sadly, it seems we also have a national patriotism deficit, and it is on display in arenas and stadiums across the country.

This past weekend, players from the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries disappeared into their locker rooms during the national anthem ahead of game one of the WNBA Finals. Seconds after the song ended, they returned to the court.

The players and coaches have been conspicuously mum about what prompted the walkout, but it's not hard to interpret. It's the latest anti-American demonstration by privileged, highly paid athletes who apparently despise our country despite the immense opportunity it affords them.

The national anthem is an honorable tradition in sports, from Little League and Pop Warner games to the Super Bowl and World Series. Standing, doffing one's hat and facing the flag is a small but powerful gesture of gratitude and respect — to our country, its many freedoms, and the brave men and women, past and present, who protect those.

Appallingly, it is now in vogue for professional athletes to desecrate this time-honored ritual. It's not uncommon these days to see players kneel, refuse to take the field, retreat to their locker rooms, or turn their backs on the flag as an act of defiance in some cause de jour.

How far we have regressed from the days when sports were imbued with patriotism, not politics, and athletes were proud to represent their country.

During World War II, players like Hank Greenberg, Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio and numerous others left professional baseball at the height of their careers to serve in the U.S. military. In 2002, Pat Tillman gave up his NFL career to join the Army. He laid down his life in service to his country.

These are the kind of heroes we should celebrate — not pretentious, overpaid prima donnas (and primo uomos, lest I be canceled by the woke left) who use their platform to propagate the insufferable rhetoric that America is a despicable, hateful and oppressive nation.

Of course, the left cheers athletes who disparage our country. But when a star like Sophie Cunningham has the audacity to suggest that men should be prevented from participating in women's sports, they vilify her as a raving yahoo, a "MAGA Barbie." Talk about a double standard.

Make no mistake, I support athletes' right to express their views, even on the field and even when it disrespects our flag and our country. Their right to express their opinion is protected by the First Amendment just as much as yours or mine.

But I also believe we as the audience have the right, if not an imperative, to vote down their actions when players communicate that they disdain America and all she stands for — by turning off games when athletes kneel or walk out, by not buying tickets and jerseys and trading cards.

Just like voters decide who will represent them when they go to the polls, as sports fans we should decide which teams represent our values. We vote with our dollars and our viewership.

In an interview after the U.S. Men's Hockey team won gold at 2026 Winter Olympics, Jack Hughes, who scored the winning overtime goal, said, "This is all about our country right now. I love the USA. I love my teammates. ... I'm so proud to be American today."

No mention of political affiliation or ideology. No hyperbole about what our country's done right or wrong. Just pride in our country. That's the kind of patriotism sports could use these days. And maybe, just maybe, it will rekindle a sense of pride and unity that transcends the playing field and permeates our day-to-day lives, even politics.

Ken Buck served in the United States House of Representatives from 2015-2024 representing Colorado's 4th congressional district. He now serves as a Fellow with the Independent Center. To find out more about Ken Buck and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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