Carrie Underwood singing the National Anthem at Super Bowl 44
by Tommy Long
We all know you can bet every part of the Super bowl 44 but the Super Bowl prop that is my absolute favorite is the over/under on the National Anthem.
National Anthem Length
Over 1 minute and 41 seconds -105
Under 1 minute and 41 seconds -135
Years ago, before I was involved in the online betting industry, my friends and I would create fun Super bowl props that people could bet on at our Super Bowl parties.
The prop bet that was always the most fun and was the bet on the length of the National Anthem. It was a guarantee that someone would bring up Marvin Gaye. Gaye sang a 2 minute and 43 second rendition of the Star Spangled Banner to open the 1983 NBA All-Star game.
We would joke “this could be the year!” meaning, this could be the year that the artist chosen to sing the anthem at the Super Bowl would go over the longest, albeit best rendition of the anthem ever sang at a sporting event. It’s been 27 years and it hasn’t happened yet although in 2006, Beyonce was the closest, with a 2 minute and 11 second performance.
This year it’s a very safe bet that Super Bowl XLIV National anthem singer Carrie Underwood won’t come close to matching Marvin or even Beyonce. Thanks to sites like YouTube, we can do a little research to make sure we are on the right side of the line.
Last week at the Pro-Bowl Underwood sang the National Anthem in 1 minute and 38 seconds, so the line of 1m 41s is solid. The Super Bowl is much bigger than the Pro-Bowl, so Underwood may savior the moment and carry her notes a touch longer. It will be close but I’m going to predict she sings it in 1m44s, going over the posted time.
Over 1 minute and 41seconds -105
Under 1 minute and 41 seconds -135
If you plan to time it yourself, remember that the clock starts when she sings her first note and not when the music starts.
