Sports and music are intricately linked, particularly at the professional level. Highlight reels are often adorned with horns, drums, strings and anything else that will convince the masses to open up their wallets to watch their favorite athletes compete under the bright lights. Athletes routinely try their luck at crooning, hoping their ability on their respective playing surface translates to the music booth. More often than not, they fail miserably.
The two worlds are one, commingling with one another under the flash of camera bulbs. No phenomenon reflects this relationship more than when the national anthem is played at sporting events.
“The Star-Spangled Banner”, written by Francis Scott Key while witnessing the British Royal Navy shelling Baltimore’s Ft. McHenry during the War of 1812, elicits very different feelings depending on who is listening to the track.
MORE: How Ingrid Andress reminded many of Roseanne Barr during HR Derby’s Star Spangled Banner rendition
Nevertheless, it remains part and parcel of American sporting culture. Every major American sporting contest begins with the gesture —in a 2015 report, Republican Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake revealed the Department of Defense spent $6.8 million to coax NFL, MLB, and other professional sports leagues to promote what they called “paid patriotism.” The practice was subsequently banned by the Pentagon in the years following the report’s release.
Either way you slice it, “The Star-Spangled Banner” is a part of American sporting lore. The pre-game performances of the ditty have underwent a lot of changes since its initial use — some believe the song was first incorporated into sports during the Civil War. Now, it’s a display of singing excellence, a platform for some of the world’s greatest vocalist to showcase their chops.
That doesn’t always happen, however. In fact, there have been plenty of subpar national anthem performances over the years, from Roseanne Barr to Fergie.
Which is the worst? The Sporting News fills you in on the worst national anthems in sports history.
Worst national anthems in sports history
Roseanne Barr, 1990
Barr’s voice could make a grown man cry … for all the wrong reasons. Showcasing the sort of off-key delivery that could only be repaired by Zapp’s autotune, Barr’s national anthem rendition at a 1990 clash between the Padres and the Reds was more train wreck than music. I guess that’s what happens when you give a comedian singing responsibilities, particularly one with as distinct a voice as Barr.
MORE: Roseanne’s national anthem, revisited
Carl Lewis, 1993
What’s worse than handing a comedian a microphone and asking them to croon? Doing the same for an athlete, specifically one with little to no musical background.
Lewis’ gold medals couldn’t save him from embarrassment when he introduced the Bulls and Nets in their 1993 matchup. He tried his hand at Marvin Gaye, hoping to recreate the sensual nature of Gaye’s stunning national anthem rendition at the 1983 NBA All-Star Game.
In the end, Lewis’ performance was more similar to that of Marvin the Martian: Awkward, hard to listen to and mostly-derided. But hey, at least he had a sleek outfit!
Kat DeLuna, 2008
Bad national anthem performances come in different shapes and sizes. In DeLuna’s case, it wasn’t her lack of singing ability — she has that in droves.
Rather, she showcased too much of it, overcooking her display instead of letting her natural skill guide her course.
The result? A subpar national anthem showing that lives on in infamy.
Fergie, 2018
You know it, you hate it. Fergie’s blunder at the 2018 NBA All-Star game was the first uber-memorable national anthem misstep captured under the watchful glare of social media as we know it.
We were immediately privy to Draymond Green, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Chris Rock’s reactions as the longtime Black Eyed Peas songstress made doves cry while attempting to scat her way through the famous tune.
Ingrid Andress, 2024
Andress tried to add her own spin to her rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” offering vocal inflictions at various points while crooning the track at the 2024 MLB Home Run Derby.
Her efforts failed miserably. Andres’s left listeners aghast, not because or her singing skills but rather because of the erratic nature of her harmonies. Suffice to say, it was a performance those in the crowd won’t forget any time soon.
