As I listened in disgust to "The Star Spangled Banner" being mangled at the start of Super Bowl XLV, I wondered if the NFL deliberately chooses people who can't render a decent performance -- or who can't seem to remember the words.
Admittedly, the song is difficult to sing. It has a wide range and some archaic words, but as it is our National Anthem, it deserves a decent, respectful performance. It should not be performed in public by celebrities who can't do the anthem - or themselves - any favors by attempting it.
What made the performance worse was that our seven year old grandson was trying to sing along. He knew the words and could carry the tune well. And he recognized when the performer embellished the melody a bit too much - and messed up the words. What kind of message does that send -- awful is OK?
This event attracted national attention. We should have heard an outstanding performance. What we got was awful. It wasn't the first time, and I'm afraid it won't be the last. But we deserve better.
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