MNF Adds To Their National Anthem Shenanigans For The Year

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

First it was Emmitt and Young making their picks over the anthem, now it's the MNF producers completely nixing the song all together....

Vince Neil of Motley Crue warmed up several hours before Steelers game time, belting out the National Anthem before the stadium gates opened. Turns out,
that's the only time he got to sing it Monday night.

Rooney said Steelers officials were going to lead Neil onto the field to sing the anthem as the players came out of the locker room to warm up. However, Rooney asked them to wait because the fans, too, took cover when lightning struck and few were in their seats.

By the time the crowd returned to the stands, ESPN and the league did not want the anthem interfering with the broadcast.

"They waited, and then the league and the network said now we don't have a window," Rooney said. "It's unfortunate and certainly something we hope never happens again."

This is getting a bit out of hand if you ask me. I'm not the most patriotic person in the world be the Anthem is just something you never should disrespect like this. It used to be aired before every game and now it's used to fill in commercials before the contest starts. I for one actually enjoy the time spent on the anthem before the game....it never fails to give me chills when someone does an amazing rendition. And if there's a flyby....forget about it. I'm ready to leap out of my skin.

Let's make it a point to bring the anthem back to televised sports okay?

Update: There are conflicting reports on who called the code red, but the League is now taking blame.....

"While ESPN was worried about losing numerous TV viewers who might tune in for the game, only to flip channels during the delay and not return, ESPN spokesman Bill Hofheimer said it was the league's call to bypass the anthem." (Via Anon)

Rain also sidelined anthem before Steelers game (Post Gazette)

(Thanks to both Todd and Al for forwarding this along)

Posted by Awful Announcing- at 4:40 PM

14 Comments:

a little behind aren't we AA, its wednesday, the game was monday.

Anonymous said...
Nov 28, 2007, 4:57:00 PM  

Never fuck with Vince Neil...he will have his revenge on ESPN.

GMoney said...
Nov 28, 2007, 4:58:00 PM  

while always de rigeur to bash ESPN, leave us not forget the other key word in the sentence(s):

"...ESPN and the *league* did not want the anthem interfering with the broadcast."

"They waited, and then the *league* and the network said now we don't have a window," Rooney said.

Anonymous said...
Nov 28, 2007, 4:58:00 PM  

followup via: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-dolphins-steelersanthem

"Due to the severe inclement weather conditions that caused a delay in last night's game in Pittsburgh, a decision was made by NFL representatives at the game to shorten pregame warm-ups and other activities and kick off as quickly as possible for the benefit of the in-stadium fans and the teams," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Tuesday. "This resulted in the teams not being introduced and the national anthem not being performed on the field. This action was taken solely due to the severe weather and the condition of the field."

"While ESPN was worried about losing numerous TV viewers who might tune in for the game, only to flip channels during the delay and not return, ESPN spokesman Bill Hofheimer said it was the league's call to bypass the anthem."

Anonymous said...
Nov 28, 2007, 5:02:00 PM  

Just remember that ESPN paid a BILLION dollars to broadcast the MNF games.

They will always err on the side of making roi.

E Buzz said...
Nov 28, 2007, 5:03:00 PM  

Sorry ESPN Employees for being a day late. Someone died yesterday.

Thx Bai!

Nov 28, 2007, 5:27:00 PM  

side note, anyone else find this incredibly tasteless?

"Jimmy V didn't do anything halfheartedly. In honor of Valvano's legacy, Bill Simmons made SportsNation history Wednesday, breaking ESPN.com's individual chat record of 6 hours, 37 minutes."

BackBergtt said...
Nov 28, 2007, 6:45:00 PM  

I would endorse that only if Bill Simmons made some sort of donation to the Jimmy V Foundation for doing that.

Anonymous said...
Nov 28, 2007, 6:49:00 PM  

Let's make it a point to bring the anthem back to televised sports okay?

Said it before, I'll say it again: it never left NASCAR. The anthem is shown on television, even on ESPN, before every race.

Anonymous said...
Nov 28, 2007, 7:56:00 PM  

Isn't having Vince Neil sing the National Anthem more disrespectful than not having it at all?

WFY said...
Nov 28, 2007, 8:51:00 PM  

Is this really just an ESPN thing ? Fox and CBS never show the anthem as well

Nov 28, 2007, 10:33:00 PM  

Good for ESPN and the NFL. The Star Spangled Banner SUCKS, it's a crime against music. It sucks harder than the gay hooker sucked Trent Lott. It sucks harder than Tanya Harding. It sucks...etc.

Shitty words married to a shitty tune, why is that musical rubbish this great country's national anthem? It makes me cringe every time I watch the Los Angeles Kings play a Canadian team and they do Oh, Canada before that piece of musical slop.

Years ago, pre-Internet, me and some musician friends started a petition to get the national anthem changed to either America the Beautiful or This Land Is Our Land. Our tactic was this:

The tune to the Star Spangled Banner is an old English pub song called In Praise of Anacreon. Anacreon was an ancient Greek poet who wrote long poems in praise of fucking teenaged boys. So we'd say "The music originally was used to praise a pedophile" and it worked like a charm, we got hundreds of signatures that way.

Obviously, our plan didn't work.

Anonymous said...
Nov 28, 2007, 11:22:00 PM  

Fox shows the National Anthem sometimes. It's part of their Rupert Murdoch, right-wing, God Bless America, support our troops agenda.

Actually, some of those things aren't right-wing, but the Republican party has co-opted some of them and acted like they are.

Partisan ramble aside (for which I will be roasted, I'm sure), I guaran-damn-tee you that if it was a Fox game, the National Anthem wouldn't have been nixed.

Anonymous said...
Nov 29, 2007, 9:44:00 AM  

ESPN had nothing to do with the decision to nix the National Anthem.

Just like it was complete luck and happenstance that the Patriots/Colts game was conveniently scheduled during November Sweeps.

For what, the fourth year in a row?

Anonymous said...
Nov 29, 2007, 9:46:00 AM  

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