Posted by
Charles Mudgeon on Friday, July 20, 2007 6:26:05 AM
Since September 21, 1970, and in no particular order, here is a sampling of the tragedies, atrocities and/or scandals that have occurred:
Watergate, Nixon resignation, the Carter administration, American hostages taken by Iran, Challenger, Pearl Harbor, AIDS, killer rabbits, the October 19, 1987 stock market crash, the Hindenburg explosion, the pullout from Vietnam, Rosie O'Donnell, September 11, 2001, Iran Contra, Columbia, Hillarycare, the rise of Islamic fascism, Hurricane Katrina, the Clinton administration, Bush 41 throwing up on Japanese Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa, the Clinton impeachment, the 2006 elections and the Red Sox winning the World Series.
This is just a partial list and, you may have noticed, a couple of them took place retroactively.
Now, you ask, what happened on September 21, 1970? "Monday Night Football" debuted, that's what happened. So are all these tragedies, atrocities and/or scandals since that date just a coincidence? I think not.
Here's what happened: The program came on at 9:00 on a Monday night. (That's probably how they came up with the name.) In the booth were Howard Cosell, "Dandy" Don Meredith and Keith Jackson. It was different to have three in the booth, but it was fine. They did some shtick for a while; then the game between Cleveland and the Jets started.
Whoa! Did you notice something missing in there?
No "Star Spangled Banner." No national anthem. "Monday Night Football," as far as I know, was the first televised sports program not to carry the playing of our national anthem. And I've already demonstrated the havoc wrought. I hope they are proud of themselves.
Since then, with few exceptions, all sports programs have done away with televising the playing/singing of our national anthem. Is it really that much trouble? Does it cut into the broadcast so deeply; is a little flag waving so abhorrent that it needs to be thrown out? And what's with the "Please rise and remove your hats" bit when the playing is televised at events like the Super Bowl? Are you telling me that Americans don't know enough to rise and remove their hats? Really? We've fallen that far? Sad, isn't it?
To the best of my knowledge NASCAR is the only sport that televises the singing of the national anthem every time they have a race. Not just for championship races, not just special events, but every single race. And you know what? I wish they wouldn't.
It seems that everyone singing the national anthem since September 21 1970 has felt the need to "perform" it. They put in their own phrasing; they make up their own beat; they even change the tune when it suits them. Enough already. Sing the song as it is written or go home.
I don't recall "La Marceillaise" ever being sung to a rhumba beat. I don't remember "God Save the Queen" being "performed" as hip-hop. How about "O Canada" as a waltz? Okay, that one is close, bad example. And don't even bring up Jimi Hendrix. Laura Ingraham should ditch her "Shut Up and Sing" book in favor of one for these "performers" called "You're Singing, Shut Up."
My daughter Calamity has some influence over several functions where our national anthem is sung. If they can't sing it right, they don't get the job.
We need more with Calamity's attitude and fewer with the "Monday Night Football" attitude.