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Comment on: Mudgeon Is Not Amused

Annoying Annoyances

61 Comments

The Singing of the Anthem

Has become a perfect symbol of what's wring with popular culture. It has gone from being a reaffirmation of our love for the country, to being a vehicle for any particular performer's ego expression of how cool they are. And it makes me sick, every single time they ad lib with the melody.

What????


"a sampling of the tragedies, atrocities and/or scandals that have occurred:

the Red Sox winning the World Series."

While the premise is fine, my focus is not focused, as you have cast a critical eye upon what was one of the defining moments for Red Sox Nation EVER.

Not to mention the fact that not only do we (WE, not just an individual) sing the National Anthem--properly--before each game, we also take the time during the seventh inning stretch to blast out God Bless America.

Sheesh.

Yankees fans....

The Hindenburg?

Wow, you are old!

The mis-singing of the anthem

Then there are the numbers of people IN CHARGE IN GOVERNMENT who don't know the WORDS to the song. That is particularly pathetic and infuriating.

PS: Killer rabbits? Could you expound?

davecat

"And it makes me sick, every single time they ad lib with the melody."

You are not alone there, my friend.

paulie

I haven't heard from you for a while, so I thought I'd get your attention. Mission accomplished.

As far as I know, the national anthem is still sung before all sporting events - even at minor league towns like I live in. It's the television part that has been dropped.

"What was one of the defining moments for Red Sox Nation EVER." Pretty sad when you think about it, isn't it?

Shining

During the Carter administration, Jimbo was in a row boat and was attacked by a widdle bunny wabbit. It was dubbed "the killer rabbit."

Are you really trying to make us believe you're too young to remember?

Shining

I listened to Denny for about five seconds. That's all I could take.

OK, it's on...


Cur,

In fact, being the optimist that I am, seeing the glass as half-full and all that, the fact that Red Sox Nation had the opportunity to embrace history, celebrate not just regionally, not just nationally, but internationally is hardly sad at all.

Now, I can't put my little bit of history up there with some of your highlights--the invention of sliced bread, or the can opener, or pants pockets--but it will always be a good and happy time that no Yankees fan can diminish.

Sad?

Har-rumph.

Shining City


I subjected myself to entire ditty.

I'm not sure why, but I did.

Funny at first, but then not so funny.

But thanks for sharing.

I think.

paulie

I remember all those good things. I was there when they happened. But, you will notice, they all happened before September 20, 1970 - that's when everything went kerflooie.

Swamp Rabbits

OH MY GOSH!! I had completely forgotten about that story, and even your prose didn't refresh my memory until I saw the pictures. That is going to make me giggle all day long.

Here's a funny page detailing the incident, with pictures of Jimbo and the killer, hissing "swamp rabbit."

(Having been around swamps for a long time, I must confess to never having seen a killer swamp rabbit....a few alligators, yes, but no swamp rabbit.)

http://www.narsil.org/politics/carter/killer_rabbit.html

Charles

They don't televise the anthem for two reasons.One is it isn't PC anymore to display any patriotism and two,since the anthem is no longer PC,they cram 3-4 minutes of commercials at you instead.Might as well make a buck eh?

Besides,you're right.The way the anthem is butchered up nowadays,maybe we're better off not seeing it.

on the other hand

can we blame "The Star Spangled Banner" for NASCAR?

btw- Whitney Houston's version was fantastic.


I agree with your other assessments. I hate it when a singer adds extra syllables to words that dooooooooOOOOOOooooon't have them.

USA

You nailed the reason for it. And your last paragraph is on the money, too.

ScarletP

Whitney Houston has one of the better butchered versions. But the standard is the U.S. Marine Corps band.

marie

Now that's funny. Thanks for the link.

paulie

Wow. A "sheesh" but only one "har-rumph" - I must be losing my touch.

Bubbles says I have to tell you that I added the Red Sox thingy after she did the proofing bit. She further insists I say that she will never, ever,under any circumstances at all, ever forgive that vile turncoat and disgusting human being for going to the Yankees.

paulie

That traitor be Johnny Damon.

Don't knock NASCAR.

They have the best run up to the event than any other, including airing the Invocation. Where else do You see that?

Don't knock Whitney Houston. After she sings a song, consider that song sung!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5GSxSmYvME

We should All start Our mornings with that.

Yo CM

Would dis be a good time for Mis Clamity to "butt in"?

Willi Beax

Yeah, willi Beax, it would be a fine time for her to butt in. Especially because she would be butting in on someone else.

A little of this, a little of that

Poor Sox (Red), now we only gotta get da Cubs to try and win something, anything. I hate it when cubbie b-ball comes on during the summer. It interrupts my Bill O'Reilly, and unless they are playing the Cards, I can only turn them off in disgust.

Not old enough for the Hindenburg, but I do remember the "killer wabbit." Bugs never had it so good.


OMG Marie, that was toooooooo funny, thanks for the link.

Jimmy, thanks for the link to Whitney's rendition of our National Anthem. While not 100% pure, it's really close, and fantastically done. When I saw it I teared up, no different this time. Thank you.

Tap

Oh, by the way

By the way, I am not by any stretch of the imagination a Cubbie fan. I love hearing the long suffering fans talk about "next year." How sad. As bad as they are playing so far this year, watch the Cards pass the Cubs when August and the famous late summer doldrums hit the Cubbies yet again.

Tap

Taproot

I was always more of a baseball broadcaster fan than a team fan. Rosie Rosewell, Bob Prince, Mel Allen, Russ Hodges, Red Barber - you're probably too young for any of those - Vin Scully, Jack Buck, Harry Caray and a few others. But since they (except Scully) have died, the only thing baseball is good for, in my opinion, is as asleeping aid.

For paulie: I don't think the Red Sox ever have ever had a broadcaster anyone ever heard of. (Yes, yes, yes, paulie, I know they had Curt Gowdy, but Mel Allen trained him - you know Mel Allen, from the Yankees.

Taproot, thanks for stopping by. I hope you come back.

Buttin' In

Go for it Mis Clamity

Taproot..

....well, Bugs was after my "Trix."

And another thing...

Fourth of July, at the Red's game against San Fran, some KID comes out with an electric guitar and does a veeeery lame attempt at a Hendrix style version. I turned pale.

davecat

I don't even want to think about it.

Yo CM

Is Mis Clamity goin' to butt in tonight? Ah'm patiently awaitin'

Willi Beax

It was past her bedtime when you asked Willi Beax. She gets pooped from all the butting in during the day.

I see that I missed


a couple of follow up comments on my Sox.

Please let Bubbles know that I knew exactly who was being referred to as the traitor, we take some satisfaction in the fact that his defection has done nothing to improve the Yankees performance.

It was felt up in these here parts that he was on the Mudgeon side of his athletic career, and it was time to let him go.

Marie, thanks for that link. That particular snippet went around like wildfire and is wicked pissa funny, as we say.

The current broadcast team we have is getting pretty well known, at least in Red Sox Nation. Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy, a former Sox 2nd baseman have a fun time doing the games, being serious when appropriate and comical/goofy at other times.

paulie

I think I've mentioned before I'd much rather listen to a game than watch it. If the bradcast team is good, the whole time spent is worthwhile.

Nice to see you up and taking nourishment on a Saturday morning.

paulie

Waaaaaait a minute. The "Mudgeon side of his athletic career"? If he was (were?) on the "Mudgeon side of his athletic career" he'd be heading for the Hall of Fame and the Sox would be fading in his rear view morror.

"Mudgeon side of his athletic career"? Please.

However, I am also on the Mudgeon side of my career and I forgot to include this in the previous post.

Charles

Great post and great point.

Two months before September 11, 2001... I attended a WNBA game and a player sang the National Anthem.

She was all into the "let's get down mode", and didn't care about the words at all. The other players? Even worse. They were too busy giving their girl her props to know what was going on.

It was a shameful display. I felt dirty.

Yo C M

Iss Mis Clamity goin' to butt in today?
Cume on Mis Clamity. Git wit' it!!

paulie

As one who perspires to be the gotch-er as much as possible, one must, on occassion, be prepared to be the gotch-ee.

Touchee, Monsieur PussyCat!

AmeriDan

I feel your pain.

Glad I wasn't there.

Doc

For some reason Cosell never bothered me like he did some people. I thought he had a great little act going for himself. And it worked well with Meredith. But apparently they didn't care for each other.

Willi Beax

Clamity is off bugging someone else today. Let's hear it for "someone else!" EEEEeeeHHHHHaaaaaaaaa.

NASCAR and the anthem

Most of the folks that perform the anthem at NASCAR events do it fairly well. Of course, if they didn't, NASCAR fans would get pi5sed. Most NASCAR anthems are also followed with a flyover by some military aircraft. I just wonder why they don't do the flyovers like they did during Vietnam....with the Missing Man formation.

BTW, my squadron used to run a beer booth at Jax Jaguar fotbal games. One night, the flyover after the anthem was helicopters of our own squadron, and they flew right over us. We were whoopin' and hollerin' for 'em. The folks in line realized what had just happened, and we got a bunch of tips over the next 15 minutes!

oh, and....

CALAMITY, BUTT OUT!!!!!!!!

Crawfish

Most of the NASCAR nathem singers don't make it farther than the first five notes in this house. As I said the U.S. Marine Corps band is my standard. Any varience and I'm outta there.

Congrats ont the tips. I enjoyed the story.

Charles and Crawfish...

NASCAR, Marine Corps Band, and a fly over (from any arm of our Military Service) sounds like a good time to me.

I want to party with "you people"!!!

AmeriDan..

...are You bringing the cow?

Jimmy

No she went back with her old boyfriend.

That's funny,

but AmeriDan knows what I'm talkin' 'bout.

Yo CM

Do Mis Clamity hav' a full "buttin' in" schedule today, or will it be a day of rest?

To All of You...

Boy you guys are like a dog with a bone. Let it go....I'll always be "butt in". Been doing it since I was knee high to a grasshopper. It's in my make-up (no...not Maybelline). It's in my DNA, when you get genes from CUR and Bubbles, this is what you get....a Calamity!! So, I'll pop in every so often just to let you know that I'm here. But remember, when it comes to my Dear, Sweet, Wise Mudgeon Father...I WILL ALWAY BE BUTT' IN!! And may I be blessed too butt in for a long while more!!

Yo CM

Mis Clamity is full of fire and vinegar today. She don't take no prisoners. Keep it up Mis Clamity. Ah iss enjoyin' it.

Charles LOL

I totally agree with you and Calamity! We don't need the "jazz" version, or any other "version" of the National Anthem other than the original...remember the screeching version by...what was her name...? She was so bad I obliterated her name from my memory...:)

And Btw, Charles

My husband is a major Monday Night Football fan, his team...the Dallas Cowboys. He has a picture with John Madden on his desk...met him up in Carmel...nice guy.

Sheila, etc

you've obviously got fine taste in men, since he's a Cowboys fan.

The anthem....yes, the USMC or USN bands do it right, but I appreciate any artist that puts their heart and soul into it. As long as the words are correct and the tune is mostly correct, I don't consider it offensive for them to make it their own version. I don't really like Whitney Houston, but when she belted it out at the Super Bowl when Desert Storm was underway I know of a room that was full of sailors and all of us had goosebumps.

Sheila, Charles

ANYTHING the USMC band does is great! I'm also partial to the LeAnn Rimes version of the anthem, she does it quite well. And when it comes to that infamous Super Bowl, Beyonce was the best singer and the best dressed of all of the preformers. (Janet Jackson, need I say more?) Go Cowboys!

Charles (the Cur)Mudgeon

Congrats on making the what's hot list.