The National Anthem

Memorial Day, the Indy 500, Flag Day and the National Basketball Association championship have come and gone.

The singing of our national anthem has been getting some extra limelight and with the July 4th holiday just around the corner we can expect even more extra special performances. I've just about had it with so-called professionals messing up America's anthem. I don't think I'm alone, but why isn't there more public outcry.

Granted, it's one of the hardest songs to sing even for showbiz people who are supposed to be so great. I've been embarrassed. They should be. In fact, the performance of Anita Baker at the Boston Celtics Game Four of the NBA playoffs June 10 was so bad that thousands of “twitterers” reportedly sounded off about her off-key performance. I was appalled as I watched the game at a local lounge. I was not alone in my shock. Baker turned the heads of about a dozen other viewers who immediately halted their pre-game chatter for about a half-minute, shaking their heads and muttering non-basketball terms.

Anyone can have an off-night and miss the right key but Baker's stylized off-key version of our precious song was far over the line. She's a rhythm and blues legend and can sing like the dickens. But what the dickens was wrong that night? It was certainly not her first rodeo, so to speak, singing the anthem at major sporting events. But any rodeo connection to Baker's performance at the Celtics-Lakers game would best be left to the rodeo arena clean up crew.

On an internet site the next day, Brad Wete noted that fans, “must have been delighted to know that repeat Grammy award winner Anita Baker would be singing the “Star Spangled Banner,” before the game. And why shouldn't they have? She's an R&B legend whose vocal skills have wowed many for decades. Then she sang. And, boy was it bad.”

After noting that Baker might not be getting many invites after that performance, Wete wrote, “Funny thing is, Baker appeared not to even notice how bad she was.”

And I ask you pholks, what is a fan supposed to do? You can't boo the national anthem and not feel ashamed. Maybe Baker getting knocked over by a “mistakenly” tossed basketball would have been fitting, but the consequences would have been just too much, even for such an “accident.”

And, in my opinion, the next two NBA playoff games were no better than Baker's pathetic performance as Christina Aguilera twice butchered the anthem with what best can be described as embarrassments. Not only was her supposed sexy zombie appearance out of line but her highly stylized rendition made me cringe. Again, embarrassing and disrespect and downright improper are just a couple of the words which flashed through my mind.

I've certainly heard quite a few national anthems which sent chills racing up and down my spine and produced goose bumps.

Probably the most impressive rendition I recall was Whitney Houston's at the Super Bowl right after the first Gulf War. I remember where I was and can still feel the goose bumps which were three layers deep.

I've seen Houston's awe-inspiring performance on it several times on a documentary list of the best anthem performances on television. It still thrills me.

And that, pholks, is what should happen whenever our nation's song is performed, live or recorded.

Call me old fashioned and too traditional if you can and I vow to thank you.

SPEAKING OF VOWS, I thought it clever the way the Visalia Rawhide baseball team took advantage of the shifting of conference affiliations among college football teams to gain a little local ink.

A news release states “Amid a shifting sports landscape, the Visalia Rawhide preemptively quashed rumors of a possible move to the Pac-10 Conference.”

The Rawhide, members of the Class-A California League since 1946, was emphatic in its vows to remain in its current league.

Team President Tom Seidler said, “while we are flattened by the Pac-10's presumed and unstated interest, we feel that a move would not be in the best interest of our program or our fans. This 64-year-od institution has a long history of playing in this association, and we cannot throw away our traditions.”