Whitney’s is the most popular, Billy Joel’s is the shortest and Fergie’s is the weirdest. Here are five things to share with your fellow patriots today over burgers and beer.
We can toast to that,
The Last Night’s Game Team
5 Things You Need To Know About Sports, America And The Anthem
1. Singing the anthem before a sporting event wasn’t always a thing. The tradition started in baseball where the song would be sung on opening day of a season or for special occasions/holidays. It wasn’t sung every game because the powers that be didn’t want to “cheapen it.” That eventually changed to the tradition we know now. HISTORY
2. College bands were originally called upon to play the Star-Spangled Banner before the Super Bowl. Diana Ross was the first pop star to sing the anthem before the big game in 1982. The longest rendition of the anthem at the Super Bowl? Alicia Keys at 156.4 seconds. Shortest? Billy Joel at 90 seconds. THAT WAS QUICK
3. Whitney Houston’s rendition of the anthem is undoubtedly the fan favorite. The not so fan favorites? Before Fergie’s “outside the box" rendition at last year’s NBA (National Basketball Association) All-Star Game, there was Roseanne Barr’s performance at a San Diego Padres (MLB – Major League Baseball) game. Her shrieking of the anthem (and classy crotch grab afterward) reminded us how not to represent our country. LISTEN AT YOUR OWN RISK
4. Singing the Star-Spangled Banner is a lot of pressure especially when it’s before a game you could play in. Pittsburgh Pirates (MLB) pitcher Steven Brault sang the national anthem before a game this season, fulfilling a promise to his grandma that he would sing before an MLB game as an MLB player. NOW THAT'S TALENT
5. As if the singing part wasn’t hard enough, try doing it on ice skates. Mark Donnelly found this out the hard way while singing the Canadian anthem, O Canada, before a hockey game. Nothing like hitting the high note with a belly flop. VIDEO
BUT WAIT There's more
You didn’t think we’d leave you without a little something extra to bring up poolside? Today the sports world is talking about the famed hot dog eating contest, the stars and stripes take the field and Japanese fashion takes over Wimbledon. READ
