There’s bold and then there’s Tulsa bold.

Tulsa Athletic announced today that the club would no longer play the National Anthem before matches, and instead play Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land” at all home matches. In a press release put out by the club this morning, co-owner Sonny Dalesandro explained their decision. “We developed a culture of inclusion and acceptance at Tulsa Athletic. We live in a country that allows us to freely speak our voice. We utilize this right as a club to continually try and improve our team and community. We believe ‘This Land Is Your Land’ not only captures a powerful patriotic sentiment, but this it does so in a far more inclusive way. The song speaks to this country being built and shared by every person of every race, ethnicity, religion and sexual orientation. It represents a future Tulsa Athletic is committed to striving for.”

Sonny, flanked by representatives from the club, made the announcement in front of a Woody Guthrie mural, painted on the side of the Woody Guthrie Center in Tulsa. He was wearing the rainbow-striped equality kit the club just released. The kit has a companion goal keeper’s kit, which features a black body and rainbow sleeves. Both are available at the club shop online.

Tulsa Athletic has been a key component to the NPSL’s Heartland conference success and Sonny has been an outspoken leader in the league. These moves are sure to attract attention, as principled approaches generally do. More to come as the story unfolds.

- Dan Vaughn