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Is it too much to ask that the person singing the National Anthem know the words and sing it in the way it was written without adding all the trills and their own spin to it? Does anyone besides me think that shows a lack of respect for our country and our flag?

 

And yes, I'm referencing the absolutely horrible and disrespectful job that was performed at the Super Bowl.

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Actually I don't mind the putting their own spin on it, the making it their own. Thats called "artistic interpretation"

 

It is curious when they start to use "poetic license" and change the words, I dont like that

 

I liked the guy from the NFC title game myself

 

 

 

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I am sure that the American Idol crowd and many members of the current generations would be proud. On Idol, don't they tell the participants to put their own spin on a song and make it their own? She certainly spun it her way and I am glad I don't own it! On the flip side, she is taking a horrible beating and you have to feel a little bad because if it was a mistake, and she lost where she was, as she is claiming, it will haunt her for a long time and who among us has made no mistakes. I regret each and every one that I have made. It is true though, I don't get paid millions to not make those mistakes and so the expectations should be higher.

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Actually,

I'm less concerned by Ms. Aguilera flubbing a line and putting her spin on the song than I am by the lack of respect shown by the multi-millionaire ball players who couldn't bother to show respect to the nation that allows them the freedom to participate in this enterprise. It would be nice to see an entire team standing, with hands in appropriate places, paying attention to the flag and what it represents for the very limited amount of time it takes to sing the song.

But then, I'd like to see that happening in Sports and Society across the spectrum too.

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Amen, Gunny.

 

Artists being artists, they're goin' to sing to their own muse. Some art I like, some I don't, and I confess to be an old fart traditionalist in both art and music ;). I think when yeh take a classic like the Anthem and butcher it like that, it fails as art because it focuses on the artist and not on the art, eh? Not on that special interaction between artist and audience and meaning. But I don't expect artists not to mess up occasionally.

 

What is a real shame is when saluting the nation is something that is only art - somethin' yeh get a paid performer to do rather than somethin' yeh stand and do yourself, side by side with your friends and neighbors.

 

Now, I confess I'll cheat a bit on da rockets red glare, since my voice doesn't go that high without a kick to the nether regions, so for that I'll rely on the professional artist ;).

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It would be nice to see an entire team standing, with hands in appropriate places, paying attention to the flag and what it represents for the very limited amount of time it takes to sing the song.

 

Agreed. Pulling on your shoulder pads, chewing gum, and looking around is not respectful. What ever happened to standing in a straight line with your hand over your heart?

 

About the flub...yeah, I was pretty shocked at first, but human beings make mistakes and she took ownership of it. Fiddling around during the anthem is not a mistake, it is a choice.

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I don't mind a bit of artistic license, but they can learn the friggin' words! Write them on your hand if you need to.

 

Asides from the bozos milling around during the anthem, I get irritated with the people who think the song ends at "or' the land of the free" and start screaming wildly over top of the last line.

 

On the other hand, I was at a Ravens' game and thought is was a neat local tradition that following the line, "that our flag was still there" all the Baltimore fans screamed "HERE!"

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I liked the guy from the NFC title game myself

It was Jim Cornelison, who regularly sings it at Chicago Blackhawk games. The Hawks have a great tradition where the crowd cheers throughout the song, concluding in a deafening roar by the end. This has been both criticized as disrespectful and praised. I remember when they had the NHL all-star game in Chicago during the Persian Gulf War. They interviewed Gen Schwarkpf (I believe), who praised it, thinking the crowd did it because it was being televised to the troops. Wayne Messmer, who sang the anthem at the time, said something to the effect that he didn't have the heart to tell him that's how we do it every game.

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The really sad part is that probably 90% of the viewers and fans in the arena (didn't?) even realize she had made a mistake. I agree that the decorum of many of the players really sucked but that is life and none of us here or anyone else can change it. Did you all see George W and Condie Rice in the VIP box? Kind of a nice touch. (This message has been edited by a staff member.)

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I don't think it's neccessary to have a big name do the anthem in the first place - in my opinion, they should have had a local high school show choir sing the anthem.

 

That being said, CA has performed the song before, and has gotten it right. She knows the words, probably better than 90% of the fans at the game. She flubbed it - that happens - it's part of the joys of a live ceremony. And now you can answer the Memorex question - it was live, not tape. So give her a break - she's probably a heck of a lot more mortified by it than you are.

 

Yeah - been to those Blackhawks games. Frankly, I find all that cheering to be absolutely disgusting. If you're cheering and clapping, you don't have your hand on your heart, and you aren't singing along. You can always tell when Blackhawks' fans come to a Chicago Wolves game - they're the ones cheering through Wayne Messmer's fantastic rendition of the Star Spangled Banner while the real Wolves fans, and the Cub Scouts/Girl Scouts/Boy Scouts/Youth groups are wondering who the clowns are.

 

BTW - you'll also notice a difference in reactions to the Canadian National Anthem at a Hawks game and a Wolves game. Wolves fans cheer just as loudly for our neighbor's to the north. Hawks fans? People actually boo.

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Much as I hate to sound unpatriotic.

I thought the Black Eyed Peas were very good.

A vast improvement on the Who last year.

 

HWMBO worked last night. (A busy night in the ER.) It seems that a lot of people are talking about the National Anthem and are not very happy about it.

But then again maybe it beats talking about the Steelers?

Ea.

( We never seem to run into the same problems when it comes to people singing God Save The Queen!)

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