# superbowl national anthem signing

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superbowl-national-anthem-signing/6825>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 5, 2000, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superbowl-national-anthem-signing/6825 "2000-02-05T15:19:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![JKB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@JKB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKB)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2000, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superbowl-national-anthem-signing/6825/1 "2000-02-05T15:19:00Z")

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Durring the pre-game rendition of the “Star Spangled Banner” there was a chorus of kids doing the anthem in sign language. But were they really using a true sign language? Or were they using something that looked like sign language wasn’t?

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**Author:** ![Jeannie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e480ec/32.png) [@Jeannie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeannie)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2000, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superbowl-national-anthem-signing/6825/2 "2000-02-05T17:26:00Z")

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I’m pretty sure that was they were using American sign language (ASL). I think the practice started the year that Garth Brooks sang the anthem. They had Marlee Matlin signing at the same time. That was the first time I remember seeing it, and I’ve seen it ever since.

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**Author:** ![Ursa\_Major](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a88e57/32.png) [@Ursa\_Major](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ursa_Major)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2000, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superbowl-national-anthem-signing/6825/3 "2000-02-05T17:42:00Z")

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Yeah, there’s no reason to let deaf people off the hook when it comes to this unpopular yet enduring sports custom. I wonder how the signers translate the minutes-long words like “Freeeeeee” and “Braaaaaaaaaave”.

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**Author:** ![omni-not](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8dc957/32.png) [@omni-not](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/omni-not)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2000, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superbowl-national-anthem-signing/6825/4 "2000-02-05T17:56:00Z")

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With Faith Hill singing, must admit I didn’t pay much attention to the chorus… 😃

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**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2000, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superbowl-national-anthem-signing/6825/5 "2000-02-06T06:25:00Z")

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Can’t be much more distracting than when Xena’s top fell off when she was doing the anthem.

I’ rather amused but quite tolerant of the idea that kids might just be waving their hands around in no particular fashion.

I did not see the kids, but I can assure everyone it was american sign language.

As for doing things like Freeeeeeeeeeeeeee,  
they just keep the sign up longer & spread the sign thru the air longer…