1. The first paragraph of a news article should answer the questions who, what, where and when. List the who, what, where and when of this news item. (NOTE: The remainder of a news article provides details on the why and/or how.)

2. What had Mavericks team owner Mark Cuban announced the day before reversing his policy?

3. The NBA’s Mavericks had already stopped playing the Star Spangled Banner at the beginning of the season. Why did Cuban make his new policy public this week?

4. Previously, NBA commissioner Adam Silver wanted to be sensitive to the players who felt they should kneel. He said during a press conference in December, “I recognize that this is a very emotional issue on both sides of the equation in America right now and I think it calls for real engagement rather than rule enforcement.”
Why do you think he changed his mind about permitting the Mavericks to stop playing the National Anthem?

5. a) What does the NBA decision on the Mavericks tell you about NBA fans?
b) What does it tell you about Adam Silver and the NBA?

6. Consider the videos of the National Anthem being sung (see the videos under "Resources" below.)

(Also, did you know that in 2013, Beyonce sang the National Anthem at the Presidential Inauguration Ceremony for our first Black president, Barack Obama - and in 1991 Whitney Houston sang the National Anthem at the Super Bowl?)

What do these singers' choice to sing our National Anthem say to you?