Rest in peace, Whitney: The Super Bowl's very best anthem singer ever

FROM KEITH GROLLER

Feeling considerable sadness tonight upon hearing about the passing of Whitney Houston.

Just a tremendous voice and it was never better showcased than when she sang The Star-Spangled Banner at Super Bowl XXV back in 1991 in Tampa. That was the game between the Giants and Bills, featuring the Valley's very own Andre Reed, that ended with Scott Norwood missing that field goal that would torment Buffalo throgh three more Super Bowl defeats.

The game was played during the height of the first Gulf War and Houston's performance -- given that Patriotic backdrop -- drew goosebumps. To me, it remains the gold standard for anthems.

Sometimes as a sports writer you want to hear a fast version of the anthem just to get the game going.

But that day, I wanted to be moved. We all wanted to be moved.

That soaring version of the anthem moved the entire country. Here's a link to it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wupsPg5H6aE

I have no idea what the cause of her death was. I have a feeling that she could never recover from the downward spiral that drug-abuse caused in her life. No matter what, she shouldn't be leaving us at age 48.

All I know is that when she was young, vibrant, and drug-free, there was not a better singer on the planet than Whitney Houston.

Hopefully she can finally rest in peace.

http://blogs.mcall.com/groller/