Posted on 06/23/2013 3:12:59 PM PDT by 1rudeboy
CHICAGO — Backed by some 20,000 harmonists in Blackhawks sweaters, most of them presumably red-blooded Americans, Jim Cornelison tore through “The Star-Spangled Banner” one more time Saturday night at the United Center before the Bruins and Blackhawks met in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Cornelison is more than a voice. He is a presence. He is the Statue of Liberty come to life, a gift not from France, but from Vienna, Va., his birthplace, a town fittingly within a rocket’s red glare of our nation’s capital. Lady Liberty’s torch ain’t got nothin’ on Big Jim’s pipes.
If you’ve never witnessed the Cornelison version of the national anthem, or if you’re simply in need of a patriotic pick-me-up, take a minute or two and watch it on YouTube. It will give you the sense of it, although, much like hockey itself, there is nothing like seeing it in person, in the moment, with the thunderous stampede of words storming out of Cornelison, and his group harmonists in the stands cheering and saluting and otherwise carrying on as if the song itself just liberated this great city from German occupation.
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What an ode to Old Glory. The fans, already crazy from the first note, go totally bonkers. If that’s what opera is about, get me a front-row seat (aisle, of course) at “La Boheme.”
All in all, it’s a spine-tingling, goosebump-making, chocolate-thunder-flying, Seabrook-crying performance that can’t be beat. True hockey fans know it’s a disgrace not be seated for the opening faceoff. Here at the United Center, when the Blackhawks are ready to play, it borders on crimes against the state not to be standing at your assigned seat in time for the anthem.
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Chicago? Puh-leaze.
They don’t allows guns there, much less rockets and their red glare and bombs bursting and all that
Better edit that part out.
Well, that takes care of the knee-jerk reactions. No more necessary.
Hockey fans are very patriotic.
As a die hard Blackhawks fan, it is great to see Jim Cornelison belt out the national anthem. Go Blackhawks. I hope they do not blow the 3-2 lead, the way the Spurs did.
Full disclosure: I am from Chicago, and not a Blackhawks fan. But people can’t recognize one of the best performances (currently) of the National Anthem out there? Because of politics? God, their lives must suck.
“I hope they do not blow the 3-2 lead, the way the Spurs did.”
Ouch! On a good note, then spurs championship t shirts arrive in Kenya tomorrow.
The refs gave it to the Heat. David Stern demanded it.
The NBA is as credible as WCW Wrestling.
ping
Wow!
Like I always say, you can usually find all the conservatives in Detroit at The Joe for a Red Wings’ game.
How did you know I’m a Wings fan? lol
Cornelison is an institution at Blackhawks games. When they won Lord Stanley’s Cup in 2010 the team gave Cornelison a champioship ring.
I am a Bruins fan, and I thought the rendition of the national anthem was AWESOME.
I detest the way pop singers render it. I like it straight up on the rocks, and that guy delivered.
Wowza!! This version sure beats the Hip Hop and Soul versions of the anthem.
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