KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Mike Eli of the Eli Young Band forgot the lyrics to the National Anthem when he performed it prior to the Kansas City Chiefs home game Sunday vs. the Denver Broncos.
Eli was greeted with a less than forgiving crowd at Arrowhead Stadium, particularly when he attempted to save grace by starting all over. Unfortunately, he also forgot the lyrics the second time around.
"The Eli Young Band would like to apologize to the fans in attendance at this weekend’s Kansas City Chiefs game, as well as anyone who was offended by the performance," the band said Tuesday in a statement posted on their official Web site. "Lead singer Mike Eli has performed the Anthem at numerous sporting events (including the 2010 NCAA Cotton Bowl Classic) and was honored when asked to perform at their [first] NFL game at Arrowhead Stadium. Severe technical difficulties combined with nerves threw the singer off track and got the best of him."
"I’d like to apologize to the Kansas City Chiefs and their fans," added Eli. "I was hoping to give you a better performance. I take singing our National Anthem very seriously and look forward to singing it again in the future. I promise to knock it out of the park the next time!"
Luckily, the day ended better than it began. The Chiefs went on to defeat the Broncos 10-6 to remain atop the AFC West standings.
