Every National Anthem Performance in Sports History, Ranked

Scott Stapp approached the anthem at a NASCAR event like it was a Creed power ballad. Heavy vibrato, dramatic pauses, intense facial expressions — everything was dialed way past what the moment called for, stretching the song into something awkward and self-serious.

The reaction was merciless. Fans cringed, critics mocked it, and the performance became internet shorthand for anthem excess. The race itself was quickly forgotten, but Stapp’s rendition lives on as a cautionary tale.