12.18.2007

Star-Spangled Surprise


This January, my company's annual employee appreciation week is going to include an "NI Night at the Ice Bats," Austin's minor league hockey team. As part of this celebration of our awesomeness, an NI employee is going to sing the National Anthem at the opening of the game, or match, or try, or whatever you call a hockey competition.

Since we'd probably never have another chance to sing at the beginning of a sporting event in our lives, Katie and I tried out last week. Neither of us felt very good about how we did, so we were very surprised to find out that we had been selected. Crazy, right? We are a mix of excited and scared to death. Because it is a really cool opportunity, but it's also an opportunity to screw up royally. Let me show you what I mean.

Here are two great examples of the "Star-Spangled Banner" done right. First, Whitney Houston at the 1990-91 Super Bowl:




Chills, right? Here's Marvin Gaye at the 1983 NBA All-Star Game. It's a lesser appreciated rendition, but one that I like quite a bit.




Man, that guy could sing!

Of course, Katie and I are not going to get anywhere near those two famous performances. We just hope to avoid looking like the next three fools that blew their big moment and went down in viral video infamy. We live in Texas, for Pete's sake! People get killed down here for lesser crimes than forgetting the words to the song that Thomas Jefferson and Freedom listened to on the night they slept together to sire the Constitution and the Magna Carta!












I'm going to tattoo the lyrics to the inside of my eyelids!

3 comments:

Kristi said...

I am not one bit surprised that you guys got selected! I can't wait to hear it (or for Blaine to hear it-- are spouses invited?). Congratulations. I can make a posterboard with the words if you want.

Unknown said...

Todd and Katie are the best combo since Tim and Faith. Whitney's performance was great. Mariah's at the Knicks game was better (this is the young, non-cougar Mariah), but Todd and Katie's will be best.

D Wheezy said...

I can understand selecting your wife - she's pretty and talented. But you? Couldn't they have brought in a pinch hitter or something?

Just kidding bud. You know I love you. As long as you do better than this I think you'll be alright.