This was actually posted on YouTube back in November, but it’s being revived on social media this week. Virginia Tech’s basketball coach, Buzz Williams was disappointed with the way that basketball players in general behave while the National Anthem is being played at sporting events. So he lines up some veterans in front of his own players and explains the meaning of the Anthem to veterans hoping that it rubs off on the younger generation. From Inspire More;
He said, “I wanted the players to understand how fortunate they were to be able to play this great game, to earn a scholarship, and to have people pay money to watch them play. Everything comes at a cost and each and every one of us is fortunate that someone else, in someway, is sacrificing something so we can go about our every day lives.”
Most of us have to throw caution to the wind in order to sing the octave-challenging Star Spangled Banner. But I’m not sure which is worse, not singing it at all or sounding like a tortured cat.
2/17,
You don’t necessarily have to sing, if it’s too much of a challenge, or you don’t want to torture your neighbor. But if you show respect (stand up, erect, pay attention, don’t rock and sway) when the Star Spangled Banner is played, I think that would work to satisfy most people.
i agree with that. In fact, when, years ago, I helped to coach a baseball team, I printed copies of the National Anthem for the team and coaches and, at each practice, we all sang it. Well, before you know it, other teams saw what we were doing and followed suit. The parents joined in and voila! no more self consciousness about bad voices. We were all bad! And proud.
Thank you for that!
Well done, sir!
Two words – lip sync (or is it one word?)
I do it all the time in church and then ask for forgiveness under my breath.
Believe me, it is the lesser of two evils.
One of my proudest moments was when I got to witness my 13 year old daughter sing the Star Spangled Banner at the opening of our City Council session. She sang it Acapella and nailed it.
BZ to Coach Williams for teaching an important lesson to his team.
The country could use a few thousand coaches & teachers who get it like Coach Williams does.
Yes, it would do some good.
Here Here BZ
One of my biggest pet peeves is how so many people in the US make the National Anthem a performance, rather than a collective honoring of our country and those who sacrificed to make us free. If you watch sporting events in other countries or the Olympics, it seems everyone sings their national anthem together, no pop star leading the way. The only thing I want to hear from the person leading is “Join me in singing our National Anthem”.
Along those same lines, don’t have someone sing it so slow or embellish so much that everyone can’t sing along.
I don’t care how bad or wobbly I sing now, I sing it every time.
As for the players, sometimes I think we’d all be better off if the last year of high school was a Miss Manners finishing school. The lack of what should be common good manners and respect these days is appalling.
Amen…. ever since Whitney Houston massacred the anthem, every two-bit wannabe singer wants to put their special snowflake ‘stamp’ on it. Sing it the way it’s written, be able to hit the high notes, and if you can’t, don’t call yourself a real singer. It’s not THAT wide a range
Putting flava in the national anthem is something that has always grinds my gears.
Wow…I disagree. Her performance at the Super Bowl was nothing short of outstanding. She got the words right and from the smile on her face you could tell she enjoyed doing it and gave it her all. I’ll take enthusiasm and love of country every time.
Is there a rule, law, or written guideline stating exactly how it should be sung?
Citations required, please.
Until then, one of the greatest things about the USA is that we DON’T do everything exactly the same way as everyone else.
Some versions of the anthem are great. Some are horrible. Not everyone agrees on which applies to any particular one.
That’s a diversity I’m just fine with.
The melody of the National Anthem is from a social club (think a bunch of people drinking together) while the lyrics are from a lawyer wannabe poet.
How much more can that be about America and Americans?
I’m with you. The National Anthem is not an exhibition of someone’s singing skills.
As far as singing it in a crowd, I have never heard it sung badly by the crowd. Even with screeching cats and people who can’t carry a tune in a bucket, thousands of voices together never sound bad. Never ever.
There is a part of me that blames the self indulgent singers and those who rate their “performance” after it is sung. There is a part of me that blames the networks and radio stations who think that it is more important to listen to talking heads in a studio or get another beer commercial in before the start of the game. After all, it is more important to celebrate the “knowledge” of people sitting at a desk than the celebrate the country that gives them the ability to speak like idiots.
I hate the way the National Anthem is treated and in many ways, disrespected by people.
They have the absolute right to be morons, and I have the right to say they are morons.
Agreed. One of my biggest complaints is when the singer tries to funkify or embellish. It’s the National Anthem, not a pop song. Just sing it straight.
At the time it was written and for most of the nation’s history it actually was a pop song- it was published in the local paper as a poem (titled ‘The Defense of Ft McHenry’) and was published later with sheet music to the tune of ‘To Anacreon in Heavem’.
It didn’t become the national anthem until the 1930s, and in that time it was played all sorts of ways by all sorts of people, which I think is reflective of the nation itself.
I get it, you prefer a certain version, probably the ‘classic’ version as played by an orchestra or marching band. I like that version as well.
Keep in mind, however, that every band that plays it does something unique to the arrangement, and some of those arrangements are very good and some are horrible. That’s OK. In fact, if an updated arrangement makes it more relatable to different generations or cultures within the American people, so much the better.
Look at ‘Amazing Grace’. It is an incredible, moving song when sung by some, and a trite cliche when done by others. I really love it when done by bagpipes.
Well, it is a song based on a poem isn’t it? It is, by its very nature, an artists’ attempt to capture the emotion evoked by seeing our flag, symbolizing the nation itself, emerge from battle unwavering.
In other words, it is art, and like all performance art, artists will interpret it differently. The traditional orchestra version is just some composers’ interpretation.
Some interpretations will resonate with you, and some won’t. That is the nature of art, and that is the way it’s supposed to be.
Whitney Houston did an amazing job, and her performance is part of our cultural history. I really love Jimi Hendrix’s version.
The only version I don’t like is Rosanne Barr’s, and not because it was horrible, but because her intent was to mock, not to
^^^^THIS.
You can’t expect spoiled, undisciplined youths to suddenly be respectful about our nation, anymore than I could take a wild mustang into a show ring and demonstrate dressage. Honor and discipline are things that are taught, not something we practice instinctively upon our earthly arrival.
Its nice to see the sense of entitlement evaporate a little at a time.
Nailed it!
For once someone in the world of money making sports attempts to teach respect for those who made it possible to be part of a sport which can eventually lead to BIG MONEY. The coach’s efforts should set an example for ALL sports teams, including professionals. Now if the ACLU can just keep themselves out of sight on this issue.
I’ve wanted to throttle some of the people around me at sporting events. I remember one guy laughing and talking loudly on his cell phone during the anthem. He was with his son. I mean what kind of ignorant, self-involved douche do you have to be?
*Throttle some of the people*
How about when you want to throttle the “singer”?
Good example: Rosanne Barr at the Padres/Cards game in July 1990. Most disgraceful, despicable performance of the National Anthem I ever saw.
I still have a royal case of the ass about that to this day.
OK, how many of us will admit to not walking outside a building too close to evening colors?
You know, so you don’t have to stand there frozen. If the weather is cold, literally.
We have been institutionalized in ceremony. The passion was probably there to begin with for most of us before we joined but the respect was certainly deepened through repetition and belief in the mission.
I was always impressed at how the late Robin Williams reacted to his entire audience of soldiers immediately turn away from him when the music started playing.
Do I wish more people gave the National Anthem the respect it deserves? Yes. What the coach is doing a great step. I just think it may be a little more sacred and a little more mechanical for those of us that have served.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-XYphrgRzU
On Okinawa, I was always careful not to get caught outside during colors – you have to wait while the Japanese national anthem is played, too.
And you have to salute it too. I remember how we’d always get devil dogged for dropping out salute when the Jap anthem came on. Worth it.
Not me, never. I actually walk out with the intent of participating in retreat. The anthem still has a lot of emotional hold over me- the emotion ranges from pride to sadness to anger depending on the interpretation, which is why I celebrate the fact that so many artists have tried.
Reference comments posted here about the Star Spangled Banner, Sports Games, Singers and disrespect to OUR National Anthem:
IMO, this gentlemen truly sums it up:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hZe8CPGA1E
HOKIES!!
I always liked the way David “The Admiral” Robinson stood at attention during the anthem.
Class act. I always face the flag and salute. I’m usually the only one at the stadium doing it but I do let my eyes wander around. At the minor league park we go to very, very few do not take off their hats and most either sing along or keep quiet. It’s pretty good.
Well played, Coach. Very well played.
Say what you want about NASCAR, but an any man that keeps his hat on during the National Anthem will hear about it from several hundred of his neighboring fans. You don’t see disrespect for the flag or anthem at the track.
I’m another one who gets royally pissed when people are fidgeting, playing with hats, etc…As a matter of fact, I am that bitch who will flick a young man’s baseball cap off if they are too stupid to remove it at a high school football game. Kudos to the coach. The rest of the sports folks should be ashamed of their players, HS, college and pro who do not respect our National Anthem and what it means.