Orioles national anthem “singer” went viral after mind-blowing performance

May 4, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Sam, an American bald eagle from the Cincinnati Zoo, takes flight from center field at the conclusion of the national anthem before the first inning of a baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: The Cincinnati Enquirer-Imagn Images
May 4, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Sam, an American bald eagle from the Cincinnati Zoo, takes flight from center field at the conclusion of the national anthem before the first inning of a baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: The Cincinnati Enquirer-Imagn Images | The Cincinnati Enquirer-Imagn Images

Most of the time, when national anthem singers make the news, it is because they were particularly terrible. Before the 2024 Home Run Derby, Ingrid Andress supposedly got hammered, and her subsequent performance of the Star-Spangled Banner was called the worst ever by some in the immediate aftermath. If you want to go further back, go ahead and Google "Roseanne Barr national anthem" and enjoy. In the case of the Baltimore Orioles, their recent "singer" of the national anthem made headlines for all the right reasons.

Most of the attention amongst Orioles fans is on the upcoming trade deadline and, more specifically, who Baltimore could end up losing at the deadline since being a buyer isn't really a realistic option anymore. However, whistling champion (yes, that is actually a thing) Chris Ullman brought the house down at Camden Yards for his whistled interpretation of the national anthem, and fans loved it.

Unorthodox Orioles national anthem singer wows crowd yet again

This is far from the first high-profile performance Ullman has made. He has performed the national anthem at multiple sporting events, and he even performed last year at Camden Yards when the Orioles took on the Red Sox. Hell, the guy even did a private performance at the White House for George W. Bush. Amongst whistlers, he is one of the absolute GOATs.

The best part was the crowd's reaction. It would be easy in this cynical and needlessly polarized world we live in for a whistled national anthem not to get embraced and to even be made fun of. However, Orioles fans listened and knew right away what Ullman was able to do was beyond anything they thought could be done while whistling before. It was tremendous, and the crowd gave him the love he deserved.

Would fans want Ullman's artistry for every national anthem? Probably not, as the lyrics do add something, and it isn't like Ullman is going to single-handedly usher in a "whistle music" cultural phenomenon. However, for a few minutes before a much-needed Orioles win, Ullman gave us all an unexpected reason to smile.

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