The national anthem fascinates me. It's this thing that folks take very seriously, but in American life is most commonly (maybe not almost exclusively, but close) experienced through sports.
It's also something people seem quick to take ownership over ("this song means this TO ME"), which in turn, in a fractured and rancorous world, makes it harder to be "ours." Which is really what you want and hope it to be. And that's a hard line to get to for a variety of reasons.
I also always liked the Mo Cheeks on, not because it was well sung, but because it was a nice moment and somewhat spontaneous.
