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Jim Cornelison


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It's a tradition like no other in sports and one that began at the old Chicago Stadium back during the 1985 Campbell Conference Finals against the Edmonton Oilers. The Blackhawks would lose that series, but the exuberant hand-clapping and cheering during the playing of the anthem certainly stuck.

 

"The anthem is probably one of the biggest events beside the actual game going down," Blackhawks fan Marco DeCarlo of Naperville, Ill., told NHL.com. "It's the loudest stadium you're going to enter in the NHL. You might as well not even have anyone singing because you can't even hear (the singer). These fans are getting ready to watch our Blackhawks win a championship -- this is outstanding."

 

Cornelison, who has sung in opera houses around the globe, admits nowhere else does he receive the reaction that the fans of United Center bring with each performance.

 

"I usually do more warming up in the penalty box when the crowd is screaming and it's just so loud down there with the pregame show and the crowd that I have to stand right up against the glass so that my voice will bounce back into my face or else I can't even hear myself," Cornelison told NHL.com. "It's really a different situation than anywhere else I've sung. I've always had pregame jitters, and if I don't have jitters then I get jitters because you don't have jitters. I think that keeps you sharp when you're nervous."

 

Cornelison earned a shot at singing the anthem after moving to Chicago in 1995 when a friend of his, David Honore, asked to audition in order to be part of the rotation of singers the organization used at the time. The rest was history.

 

"It's great that the crowd gets involved the way they do," Cornelison said. "They become part of the performance. They show what they're feeling and what they're thinking. To have the fans come up to you afterwards and high-five you -- it's a tremendous experience.

 

"I have to stay emotionally even but, I have to say, a couple moments in the anthem, particularly before I do the hand gesture where I know the crowd is just going to explode, I always get a rush."

 

And how does Cornelison prepare for his big night?

 

"At home, I'll sing before I get dressed but on a day like (Saturday), where the whole thing is surreal, there's so much energy in the city and kind of going through me, I've been really just taking it easy and staying calm," Cornelison said. "The main thing (Saturday) is the head game. Not to get caught up in all the energy until after the anthem."

 

The United Center opened in 1994, across the street from the site of Chicago Stadium on the city's West Side. It was originally the house that Michael Jordan built, but, in recent years, has seen a meteoric rise in hockey fanatics. The team has ranked first in the League the last two seasons in average attendance, hitting 21,783 per game in 2008-09 and 21,356 this campaign. They were 19th in the League in 2007-08 (16,814).

 

In addition to the fans, players on both sides admit the anthem in Chicago has become a pretty special event at United Center.

 

"It's got to be one of the coolest things in sports, as least for me," Blackhawks right wing Adam Burish said. "The noise and the excitement that comes from the anthem at United Center is unbelievable. There's not a guy in this room that won't tell you he gets the chills when he hears the place roar."

 

"It's very cool to see," Hawks forward Patrick Kane said. "Everyone asks about the anthem and what it's like. It's really fun to see and fun to be a part of and I would think for other teams to come in, instead of just a regular anthem where people are quiet, they get up and get loud and it's really enjoyable."

 

Flyers goalie Michael Leighton, who signed his first pro contract with the Blackhawks in June 2001, spent two seasons in the Windy City and wore the hometown colors for 42 regular-season games. He's privy to the electric atmosphere during the anthem.

 

"I didn't play a full season here (in Chicago), but I remember the arena, the fans," Leighton said. "During the National Anthem, it's pretty exciting. If you don't get chills watching that or being part of that, then there's something wrong with you."

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I am a blackhawks fan and I get chills even listening to the crowd on the radio when the man is going. Hes become so important to the city and the organization and recently you have seen him traveling quite a bit as well doing it for other chicago sports teams. He has become almost iconic. He creates such an atmosphere and gets the crowd going which usually feeds right down the team. I've been to 1 game a couple of years ago and it was magical

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I have been at the UC and recorded the anthem on my camera to always listen to it. I was able to feel the excitement and energy building to an amazing level and wish there would be a way to have Cornelison do the anthem at all the home games of the teams in our City. It is so special. I remember last hockey season there was some clown reporter in Detroit of all places giving we the people of Chicago a hard time about being so vocal during the anthem. It was best said by Medal of Honor Recipient Salvatore Giunta that the feeling he received while attending a Blackhawks game and being part of the ceremony of the anthem was that Giunta was blown away at the passion the fans showed to Giunta and the patriotism that the fans showed for the U.S. From a blog posting, here is what Giunta said, "To Be Able To Stand On The Ice And Hear The Reaction Of The Crowd And Feel The Rumble And See The American Flag Waving In All Of Its Glory At The Top Of The Stadium Was Truly Incredible." That to me speaks volume like nothing else ever will and this should be extended to all of the teams in Chicago.

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Nobody really knows how the cheering started???

 

I'm just curious why more teams don't do it. I personally feel one helluva a lot more patriotic cheering. As a middle-school principal who supervises games, I get to listen to the national anthem roughly 75 times before athletic events throughout the school year. It starts to feel more like a funeral song. Instead of cheering the team, why not cheer for the country? I loved the USA chants.

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