DeWyze Tapped to Sing Anthem at NFC Title Game. World Does Not Implode [UPDATE]

By Chuck Sudo in News on Jan 18, 2011 8:46PM

AP Photo/Chris Pizzello

Guess the hype machine for the NFC Championship game has kicked into overdrive if this is a news story, huh? When the National Anthem is sung Sunday before the biggest sporting event at Soldier Field since Dempsey-Tunney (/sarcasm), it won't be by hometown favorite Jim Cornelison. Instead, the NFL (with a likely Joe Berrios-style suggestion from Fox) has bestowed the honor American Idol winner Lee DeWyze.

That Fox and the NFL would collude in a blatant display of network cross-pollination is nothing new nor unexpected. What is unexpected is the outcry. We've just had a nice discussion with someone on the Chicagoist Twitter feed — we're everywhere — who wondered why the Bears didn't make the case for Cornelison. Look, the NFL is a cartel, Roger Goddell is its Vito Corleone and Rupert Murdoch is Tom Hagen. If they want DeWyze (who's obviously Johnny Fontane in this lame "Godfather" analogy) to sing the anthem, then DeWyze sings.

Besides, if we had our druthers, we'd give mic to Wayne Messmer.

Get it? Got it? Good. Now let's get back to overanalyzing the game.

[UPDATE 5:51 p.m.] Yes, you've spoken, Cornelison fans. Apparently he is now singing the National Anthem, with DeWyze performing at halftime.