No matter what surprises are in store in the national college football championship game on Monday night (referred to from here on out as “the Natty”), one thing is for certain: Like just about all other sporting events in this country, it will begin with a rendition of the national anthem. On Monday night, the anthem will be sung by Ciara, who is known for hits like “Goodies” and “Oh.”
The tradition is believed to date to the 1918 World Series, played during World War I, when the anthem was spontaneously performed during the seventh-inning stretch in Chicago.