Current Events > Fan ejected from US Open match after using language from Hitler's regime

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://www.wbaltv.com/article/fan-ejected-from-us-open-match-after-german-player-said-the-man-used-language-from-hitlers-regime/45000258

A fan was ejected from a U.S. Open tennis match early Tuesday morning after German player Alexander Zverev complained the man used language from Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime. Zverev, the No. 12 seed, was serving at 2-2 in the fourth set of his match against No. 6 Jannik Sinner when he suddenly went to chair umpire James Keothavong and pointed toward the fan, who was sitting in a section behind the umpire. He just said the most famous Hitler phrase there is in this world, Zverev told Keothavong. Its not acceptable. Keothavong turned backward and asked the fan to identify himself, then asked fans to be respectful to both players. Then, during the changeover shortly after Zverev held serve, the fan was identified by spectators seated near him, and he was removed by security. A disparaging remark was directed toward Alexander Zverev, U.S. Tennis Association spokesman Chris Widmaier said, The fan was identified and escorted from the stadium.

Zverev said after the match that he's had fans make derogatory comments before, but not involving Hitler. He started singing the anthem of Hitler that was back in the day. It was Deutschland ber alles and it was a bit too much, Zverev said. I think he was getting involved in the match for a long time, though. I dont mind it, I love when fans are loud, I love when fans are emotional. But I think me being German and not really proud of that history, its not really a great thing to do and I think him sitting in one of the front rows, I think a lot of people heard it. So if I just dont react, I think its bad from my side.

It's depressing how far America has backslid in even the last 5 years.

Apparently I know very little about the German national anthem.

Did it change with Hitler? Did the words change during his time?

WrkHrdPlayHrdr posted...

Apparently I know very little about the German national anthem.

Did it change with Hitler? Did the words change during his time?

It didn't change. But people don't sing the first or second stanza because it's closely tied with that time, and they'd rather not highlight it.

I thought that was the German National Anthem...

*Google ensues*

Huh, so Deutschland, Deutschland ber alles is the first verse that is problematic, and the third verse of the song is considered Germany's actual National anthem.

Weird...

Bandit_Keith posted...

It didn't change. But people don't sing the first or second stanza because it's closely tied with that time, and they'd rather not highlight it.

Thanks.

That fan? Donald Trump.

Them openers don't play

WrkHrdPlayHrdr posted...

Apparently I know very little about the German national anthem.

Did it change with Hitler? Did the words change during his time?

The anthem is pre-Hitler.

The first two verses are no longer sung because of their association with the Nazis. Instead of starting with 'Deutschland, Deutschland ber alles,/
ber alles in der Welt', it's now about striving for unity, justice, and freedom.

If he's a nazi, he's trash, if he's just saying this shit to mess the player up, he's still trash. It's not something to keep holding over the heads of Germans, especially when they do more to keep fascism in check than we've been doing.

Good on the tennis player

WrkHrdPlayHrdr posted...

Apparently I know very little about the German national anthem.

Did it change with Hitler? Did the words change during his time?

I can't read the article, because it seems to block access from Europe (and I won't use a VPN just for that), but "most famous Hitler phrase" and "Hitler Hymn" or "Anthem of Hitler" is not exactly correct, so here some historical background:

The text was already writen in the 19th century, and became the german anthem in 1922 (before the Nazis came into power in 1932/33).

The Nazis kept the first stanza, and added the Horst-Wessel-Lied after that.

These days, only the third stanza of the song is part of the german anthem, beginning with "Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit" (Unity and Right* and Freedom). These words were also used in coins minted before the Nazis got into power.

*Right as in "the right to remain silent".

Now the legal stuff: Germany has many laws about Nazi stuff. That means that old Nazi propaganda is forbidden, Nazi relicts are illegal to own, and denying the crimes of the Nazis is a big crime too.

Singing the Horst-Wessel-Lied, the former hymn of the NSDAP is illegal too.

Singing the first stanza of the old anthem, like what happend in this tennis match is not.