I just sat down to watch the USMNT-Scotland match. It's amazing that LD had the intestinal fortitude to overcome the travesty that was the performance of our national anthem. Thx, Jay!
I cringe every time our national anthem is "sung." At the very least, the stadium announcer should introduce the anthem with "And now, with his/her version of our national anthem, please welcome _____." And, of course, after butchering the anthem the singer should be whipped. Perhaps that is why I much prefer "America the Beautiful" to our present national anthem.
Italy's Euro 2012 camp hit by dawn police raid http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/may/28/italy-euro-2012-camp-raid "Police officers swooped on the Italian national football team's training camp at dawn on Monday to search the room of defender Domenico Criscito, and inform him he is being investigated in a widening match-fixing scandal. At the same time as the visit, which came just days before the start of the European football championships, police arrested 19 people, including 11 players, among them Stefano Mauri, the captain of leading Serie A side Lazio, and placed Antonio Conte, the manager of champions Juventus, under investigation."
To be fair to the singer, she has come out an apologized for the performance, citing excuses about earbuds, the delay and echoes from the crowd singing with the delayed stadium sound. But she was way out of key, pumping her fist and made it a show. Her lack of preparadness is down to herself, her management team and the stadium management team for putting her in that position. Instrumental versions only, please. I'm sure there's plenty of military bands out there ready and willing to give our anthem the respect it deserves. Thx, Jay!
DC United has a couple of live singers who are OK. DC Washington is pretty good at the anthem. I personally think it should be another song, but that's a different topic.
Most of this investigation is about Serie B, but, yeah, it's getting closer and the integrity of the whole professional game in Italy is in trouble. The only good thing is that it is being investigated and arrests are being made. In Turkey there was a full sweep under the carpet. This just means Italy will win Euro '12; They won World Cup '06 during their last scandal.
I think he did the Revs game. There is another guy "Art" or "Stu" something I think DCU uses in a regular rotation who is pretty good as well. I despise agents running out their 4th tier latest "discovery" and letting him/her completely butcher something that is very difficult to sing even if you have talent and training.
I know the gentleman of whom you speak and he is one of the best of the regulars. But I really love DC Washington. He adds a bit of individuality, but he doesn't go off riffing into a totally different song. I'm not an opera fan, but the absolute best version of the National Anthem I've ever heard at a stadium was done by Placido Domingo. I believe it was at the last MLS Cup at RFK. And while we're being patriotic on this special day, may I say God bless our service men and women and let us honor their service by bringing them home. asitis
I'm pretty sure I've seen DC Washington at Nats and Wizards games too. The name throws me off every single time.
Truth. I met him at an opera season opening night and mentioned DC United to him (I think he was briefly part of an early ownership group.) He showed great interest in the team, although his schedule wouldn't let him follow the team. And then he brought the house down with his fabulous, and unadorned, national anthem. Young people around me were looking at the screen and asking, "who is this guy?"
Honestly, after a minute or so, I don't know how all of those people on the field in front of the cameras managed to keep a straight face. I feel bad for her, but that was one of the worst I've ever heard.
Although they put in nowhere near as poor a performance as the singer of the National Anthem, the bagpipers didn't do so well either. But I understand that with an instrument that sounds to most people like someone fscking a cat, it's not going to be so obvious when someone does it poorly.
^^^ yeah, I thought it was supposed to sound that way Nice to see the Nat's practice yesterday. Most notable moment to me at the end was the finishing drills with the forwards and how much better the older strikers hit the ball than the youngsters. Gomez and Wando were rippin' it. Bill Hamid was in the stands watching (with Joseph Ngwenya) and looking very hungry. Asked him to sign a Nat's jersey which he did but wasn't overjoyed about until I mentioned I was in the Barra and his attitude brightened instantly. Seems he's DCU at his core.
Ngwenya? What's he up to these days? Last I heard, he hadn't signed with a club after DC let him go last year.
Goff said yesterday he's just back from Zimbabwe and looking for a Division 2 team. Funny but Goff seems to have missed Hamid being there...
It sounded off to me, though I have no bagpipe albums in my collection I'm afraid to say. Sounded worse in the beginning, but they often do to me, for reasons you elluded to above. It was a bad day to be a musician.
Huge round of upsets in US Open competition, as reported by Goff: Carolina Rail Hawks beat LA Galaxy, 2-1 Harrisburg City Islanders beat NE Revolution on penalties Dayton Dutch Lions beat Columbus Crew, 2-1 Michigan Bucks (amateur) beat Chicago Fire, 3-2 San Antonio Scorpions beat Houston Dynamo, 1-0 Charlotte Eagles beat FC Dallas, 2-0 Minnesota Stars beat Real Salt Lake, 3-1. Two matches remaining, and MLS is 7-7 against the lower divisions.