Super Bowl XLIV Prop Bet: The National Anthem

To see the 2011 Super Bowl XLV (45) National Anthem Prop Bet, featuring Christina Aguilera in the game between the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers, click here.

Over the next week and a half leading up to the Super Bowl, we'll be taking a look at various proposition bets for the 2010 Super Bowl, Super Bowl 44, Super Bowl XLIV, The Big Game, or whatever it's called these days.

Before the Colts and Saints execute their keys to the game, America (and several other countries outside of the United States) will be paying close attention to some keys prior to kickoff -- the keys sung by Carrie Underwood during the National Anthem, just as we did last year when we were quite possibly single handedly responsible for shifting the opening line. If you recall, the long winded Jennifer Hudson's anthem line was set at 1 minute and 54 seconds before we got some research in (aka watched YouTube videos of previous anthems. We found that all three of her available anthems on YouTube were at least four seconds longer than that mark, and strongly recommended the over. Then, the line moved to 2 minutes and 1 second overnight. The result? It took Hudson 2 minutes and 13 seconds.

This year, with yet another American Idol winner taking the opening tune, the results should be much different. Carrie Underwood could sing the shortest Anthem since Billy Joel did it in 1 minute and 30 seconds back in 2007 (in a Super Bowl broadcast by CBS... in Miami... featuring the Colts).

So, let's get down to business this year. According to Bodog, the 2010 Super Bowl XLIV National Anthem prop bet line, as sung by Carrie Underwood:

Super Bowl XLIV - How long will it take Carrie Underwood to sing the National Anthem?

Clock starts as soon as Underwood sings first Note and Stops when she sings her last note.

Super Bowl XLIV - How long will it takeCarrie Underwood to sing the National Anthem?

Clock starts as soon as Underwood sings first Note and Stops when she sings her last note.

Over 1 Minute and 42 Seconds	-105
Under 1 Minute and 42 Seconds	-125

The 1 minute and 42 second line is way below Jennifer Hudson's, and well above Billy Joel's. So where does Carrie Underwood stand and what can Underwood's National Anthem history tell us about her upcoming performance prior to the Super Bowl? Let's get to the tape.

Underwood's first anthem comes to us from June 6, 2005 before Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs in Detroit. As you can see, she starts at roughly :15 into the video, ending at 1:58 (remember it counts through the completion of the final note). Anyone who has ever failed math before knows that her total time is 1 minute 43 seconds, one second above the Super Bowl anthem prop. But don't be so quick to jump on that over. Let's take a peak at a few more videos first.

This next video comes to us courtesy of the NFC Championship game on January 26, 2006, when Underwood was in Seattle to sing the National Anthem prior to the Seattle Seahawks date with the Carolina Panthers. This one begins at :25 and ends at 2:05, totaling 1 minute 40 seconds. This is, of course, below the current line for the Super Bowl by two seconds, and is doubly significant because it is the only anthem on file of her at a football game. That under is suddenly looking appealing, if only we could see a couple more videos...

Next up is July 11, 2006 at the MLB All-Star Game in Pittsburgh. This video serves both as research and a further reminder of how nice it will be not to listen to Joe Buck on Super Sunday. The singing starts at :32 in and goes until 2:10, giving us a total anthem time of 1 minute 38 seconds, now four (FOUR!) seconds below the line. We're starting to see a pattern here as she continues to progress. How about one more video to cement our bet?

Our last piece of video evidence comes from the 2007 World Series on October 27, 2007. Underwood sang the Star Spangled Banner prior to Game 3 of the series between the Boston Red Sox and Colorado Rockies, with this the first game in Colorado. Take a listen to this one and not only will you be rewarded with more Joe Buck at the end, but you'll hear that she starts at :23 and ends 1:59. She trails off a little and it is difficult to spot the exact end, but we think 1:59 is a fairly safe judgement. This would mean that her most recent anthem went 1 minute and 36 seconds, a full six seconds below her prop bet line of 1 minute 42 seconds. That's about all the information we need.

Let's review:

June 6, 2005: 1 minute, 43 seconds (one second OVER her Super Bowl line)

January 22, 2006: 1 minute, 40 seconds (two seconds UNDER)

July 11, 2006: 1 minute, 38 seconds (four seconds UNDER)

October 27, 2007: 1 minute, 36 seconds (six seconds UNDER)

With each passing anthem, Carrie Underwood has taken less and less time to sing the Star Spangled Banner. We understand that it is the Super Bowl and some singers milk the opportunity for all it's worth (see Hudson, Jennifer from last year), but we don't see Underwood going that route. It isn't like she hasn't sang the National Anthem at a big event before, already hitting both of the other major sports' championships, an all-star game and the NFL's next best thing to the Super Bowl. For us, the above videos provide all the evidence we need to make a sizeable bet on the UNDER 1 minute and 42 seconds, at just -125 juice.

Super Bowl XLIII Prop Bet: The National Anthem

To see the 2011 Super Bowl XLV (45) National Anthem Prop Bet, featuring Christina Aguilera in the game between the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers, click here.

Over the next week and half leading up to the Super Bowl, we'll be taking a look at various proposition bets for the 2009 Super Bowl, Super Bowl 43, Super Bowl XLIII, The Big Game, or whatever you want to call it.



Before the Steelers and Cardinals can execute their keys to the game, America (and several countries outside the United States) will be paying close attention to some keys prior to kickoff--the keys song by Jennifer Hudson during the National Anthem.



The former American Idol contestant, whether she knows it or not, will be responsible for what might be the first of many prop bets for millions around the world.



Bodog currently has the following odds:



Super Bowl XLIII - How long will it take Jennifer Hudson to sing the National Anthem?

Clock starts as soon as Hudson sings first Note and Stops when she sings her last note. Singles Only. Max $50. (This Prop is Closed for Betting)

Over 1 Minute and 54 Seconds -250

Under 1 Minute and 54 Seconds +195



Thanks to modern technology, aka Youtube, we're able to disect this proposition wager and determine the best possible bet. And we've determined that the Over is, even at -250 odds, an absolute steal. The evidence is below.



Let's first take a look at the Anthem that Hudson delivered at the Democratic National Convention on August 28, 2008.









Her first note starts at about :02 into the video and ends at the 2:03 mark. Simple math will tell you that that equates to a 2 minute and 1 second long anthem, seven seconds longer than the prop bet calls for.



What's interesting about this clip is that you'll notice that she could have been done at about the 1:50 mark when she finished the last word of the song, only to repeat it again immediately after, which would put the anthem at just 1 minute and 48 seconds.



Fear not, over bettors, because she would have held out that last note and dragged out the word "brave" if not for her putting her own creative spin on the Anthem. And, yes, we have more evidence to support our claim.



Here's another Anthem which, despite its phone camera quality, is very telling. This one is from Jackie Robinson Day back on April 15, 2007, prior to a Dodgers-Padres game.









This one, high quality as it is, cuts off the first two words of her performance (Oh Say), beginning with the word "can." It's hard to tell exactly when it stops, but we're going to guess its around the 1:58 mark. Remember, the bet ends on the very last note, and even without two words, she's still four seconds longer than the over/under.



Since the Dodger game is obviously a sports venue, we feel pretty confident that we'll get a similar Anthem out of her at the Super Bowl.



Finally, although Hudson, like many others, tends to drag out more notes or add a creative element during live performance--which the Super Bowl will be, of course--we thought we would go ahead and include her studio release of the famliar tune, in case anyone is paranoid that the audience at either previous performance caused her to go longer than she normally would.









The studio version begins at about the :18 mark and finishes at 2:16 for a grand total of 1 minute and 58 seconds. So, let's recap.



DNC August 28, 2008: 2 minute 1 second; 7 seconds longer than over/under

Dodgers April 15, 2007: 1 minute 58 seconds (w/o two words); 4+ seconds longer than o/u

Recorded version: 1 minute 58 seconds; 4 seconds longer than o/u

Needless to say, we're pretty confident that when Hudson ends with "And the Land of the Free, Home of the Brave," she'll be well over the 1 minute and 54 second mark.

Be brave and feel free to make that bet.



Get all of the latest NFL odds by visiting BetFirms.com.

Early Super Bowl XLIII Prop Bets

If you're looking for some early Super Bowl XLIII (that's 43) prop bets, you've come to the right place.

We're making Stock Lemon your home for Super Bowl proposition betting in 2009 and thought we should go ahead and post some standard prop bets that will be offered for the matcup between the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers. (Of course, as we grow closer and closer to kickoff each day, we'll have some of the wackier bets listed as well.)

Here's a general list of what to expect:

First, there are your regular lines. The Steelers are opening at around -6 1/2 or -7 favorites over the Cardinals, but those lines will be different on a quarter-by-quarter basis and updated as the game goes on. The Over/Under is set at around 47. Here are some others you can expect:

• Game line
• Moneyline
• First half line
• First quarter line
• Second quarter line
• Third quarter line
• Fourth quarter line (not including over time)
• Over/Under

Then you get a little more specific:

• Total points scored by the home team (Cardinals)
• Total points scored by the visiting team (Steelers)
• First team to score
• Last team to score
• Will the last team to score win the game?
• Will there be a score in the last two minutes of the first half?
• Will either team score three unanswered times?
• Will there be a score in the first six and a half minutes of the game?
• Which team will have the longest touchdown?
• Will there be a successful two-point conversion?
• Will there be a safety?
• Which half will have the highest point score?
• Which quarter will have the highest point score?
• Will the home team ever have the lead?
• Which team will commit the first turnover?
• Which team will use the coaches' challenge first?
• Which team will be the first to call a timeout?
• Will there be overtime?
• Which team will get the first penalty?

Then, as we inch closer to the game, we'll have plenty of player props:

• Who will have more yards between a Cardinals RB/WR like Edgerrin James and Steelers RB/WR like Willie Parker?
• Who will have more tackles between a Cardinals defender like Adrian Wilson or Steelers defender like Troy Polamalu?
• How many yards will a team's star player like Larry Fitzerald have? (Answers will be in increments: between 1-60, between 60-90, etc.)

Then, of course, there will be the wacky and fun Super Bowl prop bets as well:

• How long will the National Anthem last? (This will be an over/under, usually somewhere between 1:30-2:00. Like last year, it will be sung by another former American Idol, Jennifer Hudson.)
• How many times the announcers will say ____? (Could be the name of a player not involved in the game, for example.)
• How many times will cameras show ____? (Could again be a famous person or player not involved in the game but in attendance.)
• Will this be the highest rated Super Bowl ever? (Game will air on NBC.)
• What color will the liquid poured on the winning coach be? (Multiple Choice.)
• Who will the game MVP thank first?
• What songs will the halftime entertainer sing? (Bruce Springsteen is the halftime performer this year.)
• Will the coin toss be heads or tails?

That's it for now. Hopefully this generic list will suffice. Don't worry, though, plenty more prop bets will be coming, so stay tuned and make sure to check back to Stock Lemon for more updates on your Super Bowl 43 proposition bets for 2009.

Fun with Super Bowl Prop Bets

American Idol's Jordin Sparks will be singing the National Anthem at Super Bowll XLII in her native Glendale, Arizona on February 3rd, and of course, Bodog allows you to bet the over/under on the length of her Star Spangled Banner.

The over/under is set at 1 minute and 42 seconds, and we're taking the under, although it was a close call.

Last year, when Billy Joel drunk drove his way to Miami to sing the Anthem at Super Bowl XLI, a simple youtube sampling of his previous anthems revealed that he usually took about 10 seconds less to sing it than Bodog had anticipated. When the big game came, he took the mike and sure enough, was under by far. Easy money.

This year was a little more difficult. Jordin Sparks has three youtube offerings of previous National Anthems. We calculated the time it took for her to sing from the first note to the last, and all were very close to the 1 minute 42 second mark. Here's the breakdown:

Video 1: Dallas Mavericks at Phoenix Suns in Phoenix, Arizona, November 9, 2006

This is the shortest of the performances, clocking in at 1 minute and 39 seconds. She was Arizona Idol at the time, not yet American Idol, so maybe fame has added 3 seconds to her wind pipes.

Video 2: 2007 NBA Finals Game One: Cleveland Cavaliers at San Antonio Spurs in San Antonio, Texas, June 7, 2007

Being very generous towards the over, Jordin clocked in at exactly 1 minute and 42 seconds. If we were to time it exactly using a high tech device (aka a stopwatch), we think it would be slightly less.

Video 3: San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals in Glendale, Arizona, September 10, 2006

This was only a partial video, so we combined it with her more long-winded anthem at the NBA Finals and came up with a total of, you guessed it, 1 minute and 42 seconds. Again, we made sure to go from first note to last and maybe even a bit further, just to be sure.

In all, we have three videos averaging 1 minute and 41 seconds, with none going over 1 minute and 42 seconds. This is enough for us to put a decent sized wager on Jordin Sparks going under at the Super Bowl.