CHICAGO — During the pregame ceremonies at Tuesday’s White Sox home game, announcer Gene Honda made an unusual but respectful request: fans were politely asked to remove Polish sausages from their mouths during the singing of The Star-Spangled Banner.
According to witnesses, Honda addressed the crowd with, “Please rise, and kindly remove any sausages or other tubed meats from your mouth,” encouraging fans to place their buns over their hearts as a show of patriotic respect.
Reports from the stands mentioned a further announcement urging fans to set down their nachos before standing for the national anthem, though the message was mostly drowned out by the sounds of chewing, crunching, sipping, and burping that echoed across the stadium.
Security officials confirmed that a few attendees were escorted out after suffering minor “meat-related medical emergencies” during the anthem — incidents deemed both disruptive and disrespectful.