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Jami Klagos sings "The Star-Spangled Banner" before the Northwoods League All-Star Game at Warner Park earlier in July. - Michelle Stocker/Capital Times

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Click here to watch an audio slideshow featuring photos of "The Star-Spangled Banner."

With all the talk that swirls about what it means to be a patriot, someone should salute Koby Schellenger.

The Madison Mallards' marketing manager thinks the national anthem should be treated with respect. That's why, on one very long day last May, he held a tryout for people who wanted to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" before Mallards' games this summer.

Thirty-four spots were open; 120 people tried out. All in one day.

"A lot of people at the end said, 'Do you want me to sing the national anthem or a different song?' " Schellenger said. "But I didn't mind. Everyone has their own interpretations of the song."

Since the national anthem began to be sung before baseball games during World War II, sports fans have been treated to more interpretations than they'd probably like. There are short ones, long ones, bombastic, patriotic renditions and quiet, soulful renditions. There are good versions and there are bad versions.

That's why sporting events try to have some checks and balances in place for those moments before the first pitch, kickoff or tipoff.

This was the first year the Mallards had tryouts, Schellenger said. Last year, people volunteered and didn't always show up, forcing the staff to scramble.

The Milwaukee Brewers require audition tapes to be sent from November to February, with choices being made after that.

"In February when it's still kind of cold around here and we start hearing the national anthem go through the building, it's fun for everyone to start thinking about baseball," said Aleta Mercer, the Brewers' director of broadcasting and entertainment.

Anyone wanting to sing at a University of Wisconsin event has to submit a tryout tape, provide a list of performance credits and two letters of recommendation from music authorities such as a choir director, band director or voice teacher. After all that, he or she still must audition live with the band.

"Our approach is we are really looking for high-quality singers. We're not just trying to fill the bill," UW band director Mike Leckrone said, pointing out that the band is always there. "We can cover. I find it enjoyable to have the band and listen to the crowd sing. That's as stirring as some of the other versions."

On the clock

When choosing a singer, team representatives have two basic rules: Keep it short and remember that you're there to lead the crowd, not to be the star.

The Brewers have a 90-second time limit, Mercer said.

"When you're talking about a national recording artist, you'll sit through if it's really, really decent," she said. "But when we're talking about starting a game, we've got 2 minutes to introduce our anthem performer and get the anthem done. We like to say, 'In 90 seconds, we want you to bring it home.' "

Brevity is key for the Mallards, too.

"I heard the song was written to be sung in 38 seconds," Schellenger said. "A lot of people come in and their version stretches out to 2 minutes. It's easy to eliminate them."

The Whitney Houston version from the 1991 Super Bowl -- in the midst of the Persian Gulf War -- clocks in at around 2

minutes. The popularity of her interpretation proved Houston has the right pipes for the song. The same can't be said for everybody else.

"It's much more difficult than people think," Leckrone said. "It's got a range, it's got a couple of intervals that are kind of hard to hear. I know even trained singers will struggle with it if it's not in the right key for them."

Schellenger had a few duds during his May tryout session.

"There were a few that were not very good," he said. "A few people didn't have the words right. A few people didn't have the notes right. Not even relatively the right note."

But having the checks and balances in place avoids a repeat of an experience he had while working for the minor-league Iowa Cubs in Des Moines.

"We had two little girls, probably 7 or 8, sing it," Schellenger said. "One was very, very good. One was terrible. The good voice got drowned out and it just sounded like noise. The bad one was just screaming. The two together was just awful."

Big venues, big challenges

Even if a singer can get the notes right, the environment of an arena or stadium presents its own challenges.

At Wisconsin, Leckrone says it's a rare occasion to have a singer for football because of the delay between the voice and the sound system at Camp Randall Stadium. Singers will be more likely to appear for basketball and hockey at the Kohl Center and volleyball at the Field House.

The size of Miller Park presents challenges, too. The Mount Horeb Firehouse Minstrels sang there last weekend for the third time. The baseball stadium presents a different challenge than when the group sings the national anthem at Memorial Day services at Mount Horeb High School.

"We warn them about the echo," said Diane Dangerfield, the group's musical director. "We just say, 'Trust the microphone. Don't listen, just sing.' "

Mercer said she even warns professionals about how different singing will be at Miller Park because of the sound delay.

"It's not exactly how it sounds in the shower," she said.

A STAR SPANGLED HISTORY

1814

After seeing an American flag fly through the smoke at Baltimore's Fort McHenry during a British bombardment, Francis Scott Key is inspired to write a poem. He makes a note that it should be sung to a popular 18th century British drinking song, "To Anacreon in Heaven." A Baltimore publishing house puts the words and music together and calls it "The Star-Spangled Banner."

1916

President Woodrow Wilson orders "The Star-Spangled Banner" to be played at military and naval events.

1931

"The Star-Spangled Banner" becomes the national anthem by an act of Congress. There had not been one up until then. US MARINE CORPS VERSION, 1953

1942

With World War II under way, "The Star-Spangled Banner" is played before baseball games, starting a tradition for all sporting events that still continues. It had been played at games before, but not regularly.

1968

Prior to Game 5 of the World Series, singer and guitarist Jose Feliciano performs a Latin, acoustic rendition of the anthem that sparked controversy during the Vietnam era. It's considered the first pop interpretation to be heard by mainstream America. It was released as a single and was on the Billboard charts for five weeks.

1969

-- Jimi Hendrix performs the anthem as a guitar solo at Woodstock, full of feedback and again, full of controversy. Given the times, it was considered a political statement but Hendrix had played it before and told talk show host Dick Cavett, "I thought it was beautiful."

1983

Marvin Gaye's funky rendition rocks the crowd prior to the NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles. Last month, U.S. men's basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski played it at the first day of practice to fire up the Olympic team.

1988

"Hey, it's Enrico Palazzo!" In the first "Naked Gun" movie, Leslie Nielsen's Lt. Frank Drebin impersonates an opera singer to get onto the baseball diamond, and ends up fumbling his way through the national anthem.

1990

-- Roseanne Barr screeches a version of the anthem prior to a Padres-Reds game in San Diego. For comedic effect, she deliberately sang off key and poked fun at baseball habits such as crotch-scratching and spitting. The headline in the San Diego Union-Tribune said: "The Fat Lady Sings (Poorly)."

1991

-- Whitney Houston gives a rousing rendition prior to the Super Bowl. It was released as a charity single for families during the Persian Gulf War. It was released again after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

1993

Former track and field superstar Carl Lewis starts his version too high, and says "Uh-oh" as he struggles to hit a few notes while singing the anthem before a New Jersey Nets NBA game.

2003

Manhattanville College women's basketball player Toni Smith turns her back to the flag during the national anthem as protest over the war in Iraq and other U.S. policies. She faced no punishment from her school or the NCAA, but opposing schools showed their displeasure, particularly the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

2006

"Nuestro Himno" ("Our Song") sparks controversy during the nationwide boycott to support immigration reform. Some of the lyrics to "The Star-Spangled Banner" were rewritten.