Comments on: Did Super Bowl Snub The Troops?

By: Just Me

Just Me — Wed, 08 Feb 2006 00:58:11 +0000

We dont do anywhere near what football does in baseball, or basketball, or any other of the professional sports.

Not so with NASCAR.

Even the regular races have lots of God and Country involved, and every race begins with a prayer, and includes a flyover of some sort in addition to the anthems.

By: Poldark Maximus

Poldark Maximus — Tue, 07 Feb 2006 18:58:45 +0000

The problem with rock, pop, funk, country, hip-hop and maybe even lip-sycnch singers performing the national anthem at sporting events is simple. They think its all about them. The thought that it is about the national song -both music and lyrics - doesn't seem to occur to them. It is more about them - their style, their career, their "heartfelt emotions". Sheer agony, and Aaron Neville was indeed the worst in a very long time. PM

By: Jason

Jason — Tue, 07 Feb 2006 18:23:46 +0000

It turns out that during all the media pregame stuff that was going on all week, a Marine officer with Armed Forces Television (or whatever they call it these days) was out there on the field getting soundbites from the players. Since AFN doesn't broadcast real commercials (only the bizarre public service shorts) they needed some filler...and that's how they got it this year.

By: B. Minich, PI

B. Minich, PI — Tue, 07 Feb 2006 14:47:37 +0000

You know, I don't think the troops need to be honored at every single sporting event . . . sometimes yes, they should be honored, like right after 9/11. I don't have issues with doing neat stuff to honor the troops, like the MNF game in San Diego, where they had a lot of troop honoring going on - that was neat, actually. But I don't think that we need to have a squadron of troops at every event to prove that we are honoring them - the National Anthem is enough in many cases. We don't do anywhere near what football does in baseball, or basketball, or any other of the professional sports. Finally, I didn't hear the National Anthem, but it doesn't surprise me that it was bad. The anthem is hard to sing unless you are either a choir, or you have a good voice, so what we need to do is make sure that whoever we pick can sing the song - it shouldn't matter how popular they are.

By: LJD

LJD — Tue, 07 Feb 2006 13:36:01 +0000

What better way to support the troops than showing more Coors Light Girls, revealing Go Daddy commercials, and multiple wardrobe malfunctions.

I love this country (tear in the eye....)

By: Rick DeMent

Rick DeMent — Tue, 07 Feb 2006 13:02:13 +0000

Actually, Im surprised that there wasn't any reaction to the NFL quietly dropping the Benediction from the pre-game hype given all the faux outrage over Happy Holidays. At one time, it was a fixture and it went away without a whimper some time in the late 80s. Personally, I'm kind of sick of hearing from non-football fans about what should or should not be included in the Super bowl.

By: Chris Short

Chris Short — Tue, 07 Feb 2006 12:40:11 +0000

I noticed the same things you did James and that was enough for me.

By: shergald

shergald — Tue, 07 Feb 2006 12:38:58 +0000

Jerome Bettis of the Steelers, if I recall correctly, expressed gratitude to the troops in Iraq and Afganistan during the pregame hoopla.

By: Just Me

Just Me — Tue, 07 Feb 2006 12:24:00 +0000

I admit I didn't watch the Superbowl, so can't comment on whether troops were honored enough or not, but wanted to say that I agree with you on the Anthem-in general pop artists tend to ruin the anthem-I have heard quite a few good anthems at NASCAR events from some country artists, but I more often than not prefer the singers who aren't recording artists.

By: tj

tj — Tue, 07 Feb 2006 12:03:40 +0000

watching the broadcast, i felt like the mention of the troops was enough. my father and both grandfathers were combat veterans. my dad was a POW in vietnam. none of the three of them ever looked for recognition, they were just happy to have served their country.

i agree that that was one of the worst renditions of the anthem ever. i understand the want to use a motown singer and uniting the music of new orleans with that. but that version? yuck.

i don't mind the playing at sporting events so much though. i was an air force brat and grew up listening to the anthem everywhere. played on base. played before movies. played before sporting events. it really should remind you that the event is an american tradition ... but overplaying it at every event can have the opposite effect. i don't know what the solution is, but i don't mind it (if it's done well - hehe).

By: anjin-san

anjin-san — Tue, 07 Feb 2006 07:33:58 +0000

Maybe would could honor the troops by getting them better armor...

By: Legal lady

Legal lady — Tue, 07 Feb 2006 03:21:51 +0000

I am glad to hear that you don't expect being honored at every event. Although I think that the veterans CERTAINLY deserve respect and honor, I'm not sure what that has to do with sporting events. How do we choose who to honor and when and where?