from Phil Mushnick of the New York Post,

Class, as in classy, largely has been lost to everything less and then to much less.

Sure, it’s no big deal that with the Rangers’ exciting climb to the Stanley Cup finals that the Garden has allowed anthem-singer John Amirante to present our national anthem as if it were a mix of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” and the Rangers’ Fan Club song.

And I suppose it’s no big deal that Amirante has chosen to exploit our anthem to showboat by waving a towel overhead while singing it.

Still, why must classlessness be systematized? If spectators choose to wave towels over their heads during our anthem — as if these people wouldn’t otherwise have been as pumped — that should be their unilateral business, not something encouraged by Amirante and the Garden.

But I’m way behind on such matters. That ship sailed long ago. Public classlessness is now requisite, and it seems those kids raised on such sports-delivered messages are stuck with it, as will be their kids. You can’t return to a place you never have been.

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