The Fray's NCAA anthem assaults America's eardrums

The Fray's strange interpretation of "The Star-Spangled Banner" before last night's NCAA Championship Game attacked listeners at the Superdome, putting the "bomb" in "bombs bursting in air." "The Fray's attempt at a hipster version of Marvin Gaye's iconic 1983 National Anthem rendition was a failure," wrote @deadspin, while @jeffgluck asked, "Didn't anyone see The Fray rehearse that version of the anthem and go, 'Uhh, guys? Maybe not a good idea?'" @sdietrich was more succinct: "Disgraceful performance," she wrote in a zinger so caustic it was retweeted by ... @thefray.

The "How to Save a Life" band responded to the backlash, tweeting, "doing the National Anthem is a bit like choosing between Jif and Skippy. You just can't please everyone."