THE DAILY BS: HOW MUCH CAN YOU HANDLE?

SPARE ME THE BS (I’ve got things to do).

• Both the Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream left the court before the national anthem during Monday’s WNBA Finals Game 5, returning moments after it ended.
• The WNBA rulebook calls for players, coaches and trainers to stand respectfully during the anthem, but the league suspended enforcement of its protocol in 2017.
• Some fans defended the players’ choice, while others said honoring the anthem is about respecting the Americans who sacrificed their lives for the country.

LAY IT ON ME (I’ve got time).

Two teams. An arena full of fans. One national anthem.

And apparently not a single WNBA Finals player from either team could spare a moment to stand on the court for it.

For the fifth consecutive game of the championship series, the Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream left the playing floor before “The Star-Spangled Banner” and returned after the music ended.

Not one team protesting while the other remained. Not a few players taking a knee.

Both entire teams disappeared from the court.

Monday’s scene unfolded at Chase Center in San Francisco, where thousands of fans had gathered to watch Game 5 of the WNBA Finals.

And here’s the part that makes this so irritating: The fans were perfectly capable of standing for the anthem. Some of the athletes who benefit from their loyalty apparently couldn’t be bothered to remain on the floor for those same couple of minutes.

Now, before somebody delivers the usual lecture about freedom of expression, let’s establish something.

Of course Americans have the freedom not to participate in patriotic ceremonies. That’s one of the freedoms this country protects.

But having the freedom to do something doesn’t make the decision respectful.

And when professional athletes representing two American cities collectively leave the floor immediately before the national anthem, fans are entitled to regard that as a statement, whether the players intend one or not.

What makes the controversy particularly interesting is that the WNBA actually has a written rule addressing the matter.

Its rulebook says players, coaches and trainers are supposed to stand in a dignified posture along the sidelines or foul line during the anthem.

That’s not some outrageous demand invented by cranky traditionalists. It’s the league’s own published language.

But the WNBA suspended enforcement of its anthem protocol in 2017 following the violence at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Since then, leaving the floor has become an established pregame routine for several teams.

Golden State says it has followed the practice since joining the league last year. Atlanta has done so for several seasons.

The teams have offered explanations involving routine, preparation and, historically, social justice concerns. The league has not established that the Game 5 departures were a newly coordinated protest.

Fine. But let’s consider what that looks like to the people who bought tickets.

OutKick’s Patricia Babcock McGraw spoke with fans at Monday’s game, and the reactions revealed a familiar divide.

Some supporters weren’t bothered at all.

One male fan dismissed the controversy, saying he didn’t believe leaving the court reflected the players’ patriotism or loyalty to America.

Another fan questioned why the anthem should be played at sporting events in the first place.

And then there were the fans who understood exactly why the ceremony matters.

One woman attending with her husband said both were retired military personnel. They stood with their hands over their hearts to honor the flag, even though the teams were absent.

The couple said they respected the players’ freedom to make their own decisions.

That’s gracious. But there’s something striking about retired service members standing in the arena to honor the country while professional athletes are somewhere in a tunnel waiting for the ceremony to finish.

The people who served the country are standing. The players representing teams in its championship series are absent.

Another woman said she wished the athletes would remain on the court.

She explained that the anthem reminded her of Americans who sacrificed their lives so others could enjoy the freedom to make their own choices.

And that’s really the point.

The anthem isn’t a tribute to whichever politician occupies the White House. It isn’t an endorsement of every government policy, every military decision or every chapter of American history.

It is a shared national ceremony honoring a country whose freedoms allow professional athletes to make enormous salaries, express controversial opinions and criticize the government without fear of being thrown into prison for doing so.

You don’t have to believe America is perfect to acknowledge that those freedoms are worth respecting.

And you certainly don’t have to agree with every political decision to stand quietly for a couple of minutes.

Yet here we are, watching a championship series in which both participating teams have made their absence during the national anthem part of the normal pregame routine.

The irony is difficult to miss.

Professional sports leagues spend enormous amounts of money promoting community, belonging, teamwork and shared values.

They ask fans from every background to come together, wear the colors, cheer for the players and support the franchise.

But when the country itself gets a brief moment of recognition, the players aren’t even on the court.

DBS WIRE SOURCES (I’ve got all day).

• OutKick — Both teams leave court during Game 5 anthem; fan reactions
• Associated Press — WNBA anthem rules, team routines and league policy history
• WNBA — Official October 26 announcement of Game 6 location and time
• Fox Sports — Explainer on anthem procedures and why teams leave the floor