[O.W. Kenobi]

As the guy is singing the anthem, I'm thinking that he sounds like an amateur. But when he messed up and forgot the words, I was thoroughly embarassed. We haven't had MotoGP stop here in over a decade, and we allow some jackass to screw up such an important part of the event? Unbelievable. I can't believe the fans didn't boo him out of the venue, which would have happened if it were an NFL, MLB, NBA, or NHL event.

 

[RACER X]

look who's back........

yeah, what a tool......and colin kept his hat on till somebody told him...........sad.

 

[zedx7r]

It was weird that he goofed. I thought it weirder that they even sang the anthem in the beginning? it's not a hockey game...did it have something to do with the moment of silence for London? If so why sing the US anthem?
The only anthem's I hear at races are when they play the victors home anthem when they are on the podium.

 

[seaeye]

That was hilarious. He just kinda picked back up later in the song. Are the words that hard? I mean, come on. nfloor

 

[jim schmidt]

Is it possible he just got stage fright?

 

[Ambitious1]

Take it easy on him. Could you imagine how nervous he probably was? We all make mistakes, it's just that his was a little more embarrassing.

 

[seaeye]

Stage fright?!?

So we have millions of dollars spent on making this event happen, and they get some clown that gets stage fright to sing our national anthem for the whole world to see? :rolleyes

I feel no sympathy for people that get themselves in over their heads like this. I mean, what, did he not expect there to be 55,000+ people there watching him? Or maybe he had just seen <gasp> BRAD PITT! nfloor

 

[MAGNUM636]

I mean, what, did he not expect there to be 55,000+ people there watching him?

Try 140,000. I though it was just the shitty PA at Laguna, I didn't hear until later that the guy botched the anthem-- pretty pathetic.

 

[poulsen]

i had to "watch" the race through live timing on the motogp website so I missed the anthem but if anyone finds it online or anything like that I'd appreciate a link

 

[seaeye]

Try 140,000.

I think that's combined attendance for the 3 day event...But the number of people that heard the flub is probably much higher once you include the TV audience. I don't know if it was part of the streaming broadcast that M0T0GP.COM does, but if it was then we're probaly talking about a ton of people.

 

[chillwill]

Attendance for the race was a little under 58,000 and for the weekend it was somewhere in the 140,000 range. They announced the attendance during the race.

 

[jk750]

They do the National Anthem at all the U.S. races. Practically all sporting events as well.

Colin did look like a tool sucking on his straw with his hat on! Been away too long, I guess...

 

[OldSchlPunk]

On the numbers side: Dorna was afraid there wouldn't be enough attendance in the US for a GP race, and according to RoadRacing World's website last night, only 4 races in the last year had higher attendance. I'm quite sure they could've had a lot more people there.

 

[redcbrla]

Is it possible he just got stage fright?

No....that's the national anthem he was thinking. If you are prone to stage fright you shouldn't have a mic in your hand. No excuses!

 

[velo12]

+1

 

[TTsixxer]

It was weird that he goofed. I thought it weirder that they even sang the anthem in the beginning? it's not a hockey game...did it have something to do with the moment of silence for London? If so why sing the US anthem?
The only anthem's I hear at races are when they play the victors home anthem when they are on the podium.

Yeah I don't get it. Still embarassing that he forgot the words... The National Anthem has very few words, how could ou forget?

 

[Drifter]

I was there and heard every word. It wasn't a slip-up, and he didn't forget the words. I heard somebody say something while he was singing, and immediately after he paused for a split second, chuckled a little bit, then picked back up and finished. It was embarassing, to say the least, and the Europeans next to my friend and I were probably as disgusted as we were.

If that wasn't bad enough, they then started a recording of the anthem before the podium ceremony, then cut it off after about four seconds.

If that wasn't bad enough, they then started a recording of the anthem after the podium ceremony, then cut it off about 15 seconds from the end.

Just three examples of the spectacular failure on the part of the event coordinators over the course of the weekend -

 

[jk750]

What do you mean it wasn't a slip-up and he didn't forget the words? I just watched it again and he most certainly did.

 

[Drifter]

From what I heard over the loudspeaker, someone said something which made its' way to the singer and to the microphone. Whatever was said distracted him.

Getting down to brass tacks, if one is commissioned to sing any song for a huge crowd, that person knows what he or she is doing and knows the lyrics to the song.

 

[redcbrla]

From what I heard over the loudspeaker, someone said something which made its' way to the singer and to the microphone. Whatever was said distracted him.

Getting down to brass tacks, if one is commissioned to sing any song for a huge crowd, that person knows what he or she is doing and knows the lyrics to the song.

you seem to contradict yourself...

the singer definitely DID butcher the national anthem...he got the words wrong and was a shitty singer to boot. And according to the UK announcers on the motogp feed it was sang right in the middle of the minute of silence that was supposed to take place for the victims in the London bombings.