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A Plea to NASCAR's National Anthem Decision Makers

An Opinion



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May 28, 2010

By Rebecca Gladden

Rebecca Gladden


Every year, I write an article near Memorial Day regarding the performance of the National Anthem before NASCAR races.

And every year it is, by far, the absolutely most read, most popular, most circulated, and most commented on article I write.

More so than when I take Brian France to task or criticize the COT. Even more than when I rile the mighty Junior Nation.

I still get passionate emails about the National Anthem articles I wrote last year and the year before -- at least a few every week (my earlier articles are no longer available online). Many of these emails come from active duty or former service members, but also from fans who simply love our sport and our country, and object to the way the anthem is being treated.

Yet, regrettably, nothing has changed when it comes to the anthem singer choices in NASCAR.

The heartfelt emails I continue to receive on this topic are a clear indication of two things: 1) The way the National Anthem is performed during prerace ceremonies matters deeply to the vast majority of NASCAR fans; and, 2) The decision makers who choose the anthem singers are making a grave mistake by ignoring the outcries of fans and continuing to foist on them what many consider disrespectful and unacceptable performances.

I mean really, folks, didn't we, as Americans, learn anything from this?       Roseanne sings the National anthem.

Thankfully, Roseanne Barr hasn't sung at a NASCAR race. But some of the National Anthem singer choices have been just as … baffling. And even more perplexing than the selection of these 'artists' is the rationale behind it.

Why, why, why, do track officials continue to flaunt the will of the fans, not to mention general good taste and decorum? What is the motive behind having celebrity singers perform the National Anthem if the result is a cacophonous rendition that upsets, even angers a majority of those listening to it?

If the motive is the publicity associated with having a 'signed recording artist' involved in the prerace ceremonies, then track promoters need to be reminded that, contrary to conventional wisdom, not all publicity is good publicity. Is the outpouring of grief and anger after one of these objectionable renditions really worth the trade off?

You already know my answer.

Just because someone sounds good in a recording studio, backed by professional musicians and a team of sound engineers, does not mean they can pull off a good a cappella version of the Star Spangled Banner -- a melody that is notoriously difficult to sing for even the most talented vocalists.

And, perplexingly, many of the prerace performers are only modestly well-known -- not really famous enough to draw new TV viewers or fans to NASCAR simply to hear their performance. Case in point: the National Anthem singer at last weekend's All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway was Kandi Burruss, best known as a cast member of "The Real Housewives of Atlanta," who gave the song, let's say … her own twist.

But, beyond that, the National Anthem was never meant to be performed as a solo where the focus of attention is on the singer. The whole point of the song is to honor our nation's colors, the American flag, and the many brave people who have fought and died to protect it.

As I've been asserting for years now, NASCAR-sanctioned racetracks could win the hearts of the public and set a meaningful precedent for all professional sports with one courageous, trend-setting move: stop using so-called celebrities to sing the National Anthem. Alternatives include school or military marching bands or choruses, or children's groups like this one at Bristol Motors Speedway in 2008 -- Children Sing The Anthem - anthem starts at 0:58 -- certainly one of the most popular and heartwarming renditions in NASCAR every year.

But the simplest solution of all is simply to play an instrumental version of the National Anthem over the track's PA system and invite the crowd to sing along en masse.

I guarantee you a PR boost far greater than any 'recording artist' could deliver.

Please, for the sake of the sport and its fans, in the interest of patriotism, and out of respect for every person who's served our country, past, present and future -- try it my way for a while.

It's the right thing to do.

Follow Rebecca on Twitter: @nscrwriter




You can contact Rebecca at.. Insider Racing News



You Can Read Other Articles By Rebecca

The thoughts and ideas expressed by this writer or any other writer on Insider Racing News, are not necessarily the views of the staff and/or management of IRN.

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