Carrie Underwood a controversial choice for national anthem

By Tracy Ringolsby, Rocky Mountain News

Friday, October 26, 2007

BOSTON - Major League Baseball threw the Rockies a curve.

Country singer Carrie Underwood was selected by MLB to sing the national anthem before Game 3 of the World Series at Coors Field on Saturday, the first Series game played in Colorado.

It’s an interesting decision.

Dick and Charlie Monfort, the Rockies general partnership, are active in the beef industry. Their grandfather, Warren Monfort, and father, Ken Monfort, created Greeley-based Monfort Inc., which was one of the largest meat-packing companies in the world. It is now a part of Swift Co.

Underwood, meanwhile, was voted "world’s sexiest vegetarian," by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in 2007, the second time she has been selected for the award. She also is a supporter of the Humane Society of the United States, which has taken stands against the beef industry, rodeo and hunting.

She recently deleted a link to the HSUS Web site from her official Web site.

Rockies officials said they were not consulted on the decisions about who would sing the national anthem. "Major League Baseball told us who the singers would be," said Jay Alves, Rockies vice president of communications.

Fox is televising the World Series and is believed to have been involved in the decision-making process. Underwood is a former winner of the Fox show American Idol.

"Carrie Underwood was invited to sing the national anthem based solely on her vocal accomplishments, including being a two-time Grammy Award Winner and the best-selling female country artists from 2005-2007," Major League Baseball said in a statement.

A spokesman for Underwood issued a release announcing her appearance at the World Series but did not respond to e-mails or reply to voice messages left on his office and cell phones.