Got a lot of reaction to an earlier post on this, decrying the, uh, editorializing a clueless actor named Tyrese Gibson did while singing the national anthem.
And most of the reaction is from cretins who think it was just fine to substitute “Lakers were” for “flag was” in the line, “gave proof through the night that our Lakers were still there …”
First, the trivial. A great singer? No, he is not. He is OK. Good enough for a major-league franchise. But that’s about it. Good enough. If you have tape of the event, go back and listen to the first few bars. It’s “pitchy,” dawg, and you can see Gibson fiddling with his ear piece because he apparently wasn’t getting a clean version of his voice back through his ears.
Gibson’s version of the anthem would have been forgotten immediately, if not for his pandering to the dopes among Lakers fans. Not one person would have gone home talking about, “And what a great version of the anthem!” None. Which is why he did what he did, I’m sure.
The danger here is that Tyrese Gibson has opened the door for other fools to inject their own hometown fanboy pandering. “O’er the land of the free, and the home of the Nuggets!”
An aside: The best versions of the anthem are the simplest. Sing it as it was written. No octave-jumping, no shouting and screaming. No vocal gymnastics. That makes it about you, and it’s not about you. It’s about the anthem, and it’s in a public setting. You want to mess with it, do it at home for your friends. Do it on your album.
Another aside: I’ve written about this before, and I’m fairly convinced the anthem being played before U.S. sports events is an anachronism that should be shelved. Our games often are played by guys from all over the world. The fans come from all over the world. Because the site of the arena happens to be on U.S. soil, big deal. Second, chucking the anthem prevents self-promoting clowns from screwing with it, or truly talentless hacks from destroying it. Just play the game.
But if … but if we’re going to persist with playing the thing, singing it, it is incumbent upon the host team — in this case the Lakers –Â to make certain of a few things.
–The singer can perform the song, vocally.
–The singer knows the words. I’m going to throw out a number and say half of all U.S. national anthems sung at sports events have at least one screwed up lyric. No “perilous light” or “for the ramparts,” etc. Make them rehearse and make sure they know the words.
–No editorializing allowed. This isn’t karaoke. The lyrics are not up for debate. You sing it as it is written or you don’t sing it at all.
–You, as a franchise, apologize formally and immediately if someone violates one of those guidelines.
Jeanie Buss, a Lakers VP and daughter of Lakers owner Jerry Buss, apparently messaged friends that she thought the change by Gibson was “awesome” … and then backed off when it occurred to her that some people might be offended and eventually, apparently, suggested the Lakers had no idea what Gibson intended and didn’t endorse his change.
Thus, all big-time sports franchises should have anthem singers sign some basic agreement not to screw with the words, and should make it quite clear the singer will be black-balled forever if they start vamping.
This is not cool. The lyrics of the national anthem are not negotiable. Sing it as it was written, however tortuous those lyrics are — or stay home.
Oh, and I’m not the only one who objects to this. Both Bill Plaschke and T.J. Simers of the Los Angeles Times made mention of it in their columns today, and not in a kind way.
8 responses so far ↓
1 jen // May 28, 2009 at 5:24 PM
Here, here! I agree completely. And you make an interesting point of ending the National Anthem singing before many sporting events.
2 Timeismoney // May 28, 2009 at 10:12 PM
Tyrese is one of the GREATEST R&B singers around look him up on wikipedia you guys are OLD and taking this whole thing too far? I’ve looked at past stories and ou didn’t get barely any responses to your LAME stories and now you do a part 2 on Tyrese?? Wow! Are you bored? Is there nothing else going on in the press that you would run with a Tyrese national Anthem story 2 days in a row?
Listen I would be lieing if I told you I own a Tyrese album however. It wasn’t nearly as big a deal as your making this out to be. Stop and Move On!
Ps.. I was in the crowd and they WE ALL LOVED IT!!
Jeff
3 Game 6 baby! // May 28, 2009 at 10:21 PM
You ask who is Tyrese Gibson??
see for yourself.
Tyrese was born in Watts California he’s one of our real hometown heros and I wouldn’t agree with changing the anthem but damn if you do damn if you don’t I follow Tyrese on Twitter and he seems to be a really laid back down to earth dude and I’m almost sure he regrets going there but anyway I’m a fan and him changing the words to the anthem hasn’t changed anything for me Transformers 2 is gonna be HUGE! And this little BS will all go away.
I agree with Time is money is saying dude who wrote must be bored if your posting the same story 2 days in a row get over it already.
Tyrese I believe I’m your #1 fan and I got your back.
Lakers baby!
http://www.zshare.net/video/60290155d9639bb4/
http://www.zshare.net/video/60290155d9639bb4/
4 David Lassen // May 28, 2009 at 10:37 PM
I’m not surprised that a lot of people are fine with this. If the strength of a crowd reaction makes it OK, I guess they don’t have a problem with Canadian hockey fans who boo the U.S. anthem. And I wonder how they would have felt if the guy had turned out to be a closet Denver fan and changed the lyrics to “our Nuggets were still there.”
And Jeff needs to learn the difference between a blog and a newspaper … not to mention a little bit about spelling and capitalization.
5 Pogue Mahone // May 29, 2009 at 7:16 AM
Agree with this blog on all counts. The worst thing I ever saw was a Lancaster JetHawk cheerleader trying to sing the NA at a Cal League game. She started giggling at several junctures … it was so embarrassing and awkward that I had to leave the pressbox.
6 Nell // May 29, 2009 at 9:39 AM
It’s got nothing to do with age. It’s got everything to do with respect.
You just don’t mess with the National Anthem.
7 Joseph D'Hippolito // May 29, 2009 at 12:51 PM
Right on, Nell!
Paul, this tendency won’t stop until pro teams and colleges stop using the anthem as a marketing technique (I say “colleges” because I heard one of the worst renditions before an NCAA softball regional game at UCLA two years ago, and I’ve heard ban renditions at the Big West basketball tournament). Teams give the anthem to up-and-coming (or, in this case, veteran) singers to make themselves look “hip” or “cool” to their relatively young audiences (in the arena and watching on TV).
BTW, in the play “Bleacher Bums,” the Wrigley fans sing “…and the home of the CUBS” as the anthem ends. I would expect that from fans, not from so-called professionals who should know better.
8 Char Ham // May 30, 2009 at 8:04 AM
What you guys should have praised what during one of the Laker’s playoff games last year was Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers who is a devoted Lakers fan, dressed from head to toe in Lakers attire, played the National Anthem on his trumpet. Yes, this is the same Flea known for being the bassist for the Peppers, and played it tastefully, not showing off he’s the leader of the Peppers, but a devoted Lakers fan.
Paul, will you please send my comments to Bill Plaschke and T.J. Simers of the Times. There are times we need to praise PEOPLE who do our National Anthem right!
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