Inspiration

When Whitney Houston Won the Super Bowl

by ParentCo. February 02, 2016

In anticipation of Super Bowl 50, let's all take a moment and remember when Whitney Houston sang the national anthem and won ALL the Super Bowls forever. In addition to Whitney's singing, and the game itself, much else was notable about Super Bowl XXV. I don't know what number those letters make because I'm not a gladiator but I know it was 1991, at the very start of the Gulf War. In her article, When Whitney Hit the High Note, ESPN contributing writer, Danyel Smith (@danamo), writes beautifully, reconstructing who America was in 1991 -- pre-World Trade Center bombings (1 and 2), pre-Oklahoma, and pre-Boston Marathon. Smith also sets the stage for understanding the power of this particular performance: You have to understand: By slowing it down, Team Houston and the Florida Orchestra -- under the direction of Chinese conductor Jahja Ling -- not only increased the national anthem's level of technical difficulty, they amplified its soul. They made it the blues. Another interesting take on this historic game is the ESPN film, Four Falls of Buffalo, an installment in the ESPN/NFL 30 for 30 digital short series. While the context is always football, each of the 30 stories is about the follies and triumphs of people. If you're looking for a filmmaker's perspective on America's obsession with the game, these are great films. Artistically presented by different directors, they're watchable for families with sports-history enthusiast kids (age 8+). Meanwhile, GO BRONCOS and hey, GO PANTHERS!