# Is the Star Spangled Banner Adapted for Olympics and World Cup? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 17, 2006, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-star-spangled-banner-adapted-for-olympics-and-world-cup/361090 "2006-06-17T19:11:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2006, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-star-spangled-banner-adapted-for-olympics-and-world-cup/361090/1 "2006-06-17T19:11:41Z")
Im watching USA V ITA world cup game right now. The open was standard, with both nations National Anthem being played. As I recall, it was the EXACT same recording that USA uses for the Olympic games. That being said, I dont “follow” the Anthem as it is being played. It seems to me, that the last half plays before the first half. Is the version of the US National Anthem played for global sporting events different than those used for national sporting events (Major League Baseball) and if so Why? ---
**Author:** ![Klaatu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Klaatu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Klaatu)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2006, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-star-spangled-banner-adapted-for-olympics-and-world-cup/361090/2 "2006-06-18T07:01:28Z")
The Olympics, World Cup, etc essentially have “canned” versions of every country’s anthem. MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, NASCAR and so forth generally have a live guest/group sing the anthem, who will have their own arrangement. ---
**Author:** ![Klaatu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Klaatu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Klaatu)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2006, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-star-spangled-banner-adapted-for-olympics-and-world-cup/361090/3 "2006-06-18T07:18:16Z")
That was a grammatically tortured last sentence, but I hope you get my drift. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![gabriela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@gabriela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gabriela)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2006, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-star-spangled-banner-adapted-for-olympics-and-world-cup/361090/4 "2006-06-18T10:55:05Z")
> [@Klaatu](#): > > That was a grammatically tortured last sentence, but I hope you get my drift. 🙂 Hijack: I love your Doper name. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2006, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-star-spangled-banner-adapted-for-olympics-and-world-cup/361090/5 "2006-06-18T19:44:48Z")
Back in 1976, I remember that the Olympics played shortened, edited versions of all the national anthems. They stopped doing that, but it’s possible other events play edited versions, just to speed things up. ---
**Author:** ![Scuba\_Ben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Scuba\_Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scuba_Ben)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2006, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-star-spangled-banner-adapted-for-olympics-and-world-cup/361090/6 "2006-06-19T00:41:19Z")
Uber-nitpick: The version of _The Star-Spangled Banner_ played or performed at just about every event you’ve ever witnessed is only the first stanza; F. S. Key wrote three more stanzas in his poem, which answer the questions in the first stanza. (Yes, _Jeopardy!_ fans, our National Anthem is phrased in the form of a question.) ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2006, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-star-spangled-banner-adapted-for-olympics-and-world-cup/361090/7 "2006-06-19T00:45:08Z")
> [@Scuba\_Ben](#): > > (Yes, _Jeopardy!_ fans, our National Anthem is phrased in the form of a question.) Whenever I hear the national anthem, I always say, “yes it does.” (Which is the answer to the question posed in the first stanza: “O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?”) ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2006, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-star-spangled-banner-adapted-for-olympics-and-world-cup/361090/8 "2006-06-19T16:21:18Z")
“America: F\*\*k, yeah!”