Country music legend Reba McEntire was the pick to sing the national anthem at Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday and she nailed it, with at least one player visibly crying on the sidelines.
McEntire followed Post Malone’s “American the Beautiful” and Andra Day’s “Lift Every Voice and Sing” with a well-received rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Allegiant Stadium.
Midway through the song, the CBS camera caught Chiefs All-Pro defensive lineman Chris Jones with tears running down his cheeks. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes also looked a bit misty-eyed toward the end.
The anthem also ended with a significant gambling controversy due to the always popular over/under bet on the length of the national anthem, which was set by BetMGM at 90.5 seconds.
McEntire appeared to zoom through the song, but drew out the final lines to the point that she stopped singing after approximately 95 seconds. However, that time included McEntire throwing in a second “the brave,” bringing the time down to around 88 seconds.
BetMGM’s John Ewing quickly announced the under hit, as the second “the brave” did not count toward the official length. As far as Vegas is concerned, the song is over as soon as every lyric has been sung.
Daniel Miller is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. His coverage spans from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis for sports enthusiasts.
