No singing to star spangled banner in NBA game

[Singlestack]

Tonight I was making dinner for my family while my boys turned on the NBA playoff game. I'm not really an NBA fan, but will go along with what others in the family want to watch. Before the game was the Star Spangled Banner, performed instrumentally by Carlos Santana. No doubt he is an incredible musician and played it "well". But there was no singing. It just rubbed me the wrong way, and seemed to be just entertainment and nothing more. The crowd seemed to take it that way too, but I think they were dazzled by the star power of Santana, and that was good enough for them.

Maybe I'm the only one watching that was bothered, but I feel sad. Maybe I should wait to be bothered when they no longer even attempt the Star Spangled Banner before games? Doesn't feel like that can be too far away...

[Aloha_Shooter]

The NBA lost me years ago when they let that schmuck get away with not paying respect to the national anthem. Then again, I remember a Super Bowl a couple decades ago and seeing not a single Cowboy singing or lip-synching to the national anthem. I asked my boss at the time, "do they just not know the words or are they pissed off that 'Yellow Rose of Texas' isn't getting equal treatment?"

[BPTactical]

Like anybody is watching basketball anyway..........



Were people respecting the SSB? To me that is more important than who sings/doesnt sing it.



On the same note- did anybody catch the gal who sang it for the Mighty Ducks playoff run?
Man she could belt it out!
She sang it just the way it was meant to be, clean and simple.
I despise it when somebody tries to make it "their own".
Bite me, it's not YOUR song, it is OURS!

[BlasterBob]

On the same note- did anybody catch the gal who sang it for the Mighty Ducks playoff run?
Man she could belt it out!
She sang it just the way it was meant to be, clean and simple.
I despise it when somebody tries to make it "their own".
Bite me, it's not YOUR song, it is OURS!

1000 % in agreement that our National Anthem should NEVER be disrespected by some loony dingbat adding their own personal version. Irritates the shit out of me to see/hear that great song butchered up.

[wyome]

Carlos is awesome, but Jimmy owns the electric guitar version of the Star Spangled Banner! Cindy Blackman, Carlos's wife, is an amazing drummer....but i think the less is more approach would have been better

[Hound]

I think a by product of a lot of the globalization is less understanding of national heritage, and yes it is sad.

[james_bond_007]

I was concurrently honored, impressed, and embarrassed as the Toronto Maple Leaf fans finished signing the SSB, when the PA went out.
The embarrassing part is that I'm pretty sure if it occurred i the US during Oh Canada, the US fans would not have been able to do this.

[Aloha_Shooter]

I was concurrently honored, impressed, and embarrassed as the Toronto Maple Leaf fans finished signing the SSB, when the PA went out.
The embarrassing part is that I'm pretty sure if it occurred i the US during Oh Canada, the US fans would not have been able to do this.

Canadians have done that a few times -- one of the many reasons I like Canadians (other than their semi-socialist government -- which still manages to produce a balanced budget -- and overprioritization of bilingualism). Not only would US fans not have been able to sing O Canada in a mirrored situation, I'm starting to doubt their ability to remember the actual lyrics to the Star Spangled Banner for a purely home game.

[TRnCO]

I'm starting to doubt their ability to remember the actual lyrics to the Star Spangled Banner

I think it's worse than that even. Send Waters out to any location and ask 100 shmucks what our country's national anthem is, they wouldn't even know, let alone know the words.

[Jer]

This is what we're outraged about these days? Really? C'mon folks... there's enough ACTUAL travesties going on daily that you can assign your boredom to. Our National Anthem was played. Quite well I might add and I'm not a fan of instrumental versions of it either. Let's not act like they had a Canadian sing the Canadian National Anthem... oh, wait. That's Hockey.