Tulsa Mayor On OU National Anthem Debate: Sing It The Right Way

NewsOn6.com

TULSA, OKLAHOMA – Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett said he hopes University Of Oklahoma fans will opt for the traditional ending of the national anthem before the Sooners game vs. Air Force in Norman Saturday.

"The armed services of this country deserve to be so stated that this is the home of the brave," he said.

Bartlett, who said he will be attending the game, made the comment during his State of the City speech in Tulsa Wednesday.

A standing tradition, OU fans often end the national anthem by saying "home of the Sooners." The practice has come under fire this week as the Sooners prepare to take on Air Force.

On Tuesday, University of Oklahoma Head Football Coach Bob Stoops also asked fans to say "home of the brave."

"Hopefully the people who are singing "home of the brave" can surely be louder and stronger than anybody singing the Sooners," Stoops said.

OU President David Boren agreed.

"The word ‘brave' should be sung because it is a reference to those who have fought and given their lives for our country," Boren said in a statement.

OU plans to honor the U.S. military with a flyover Memorial Stadium just before the 2:30 p.m. kickoff.

9/14/2010 Related Story: OU Officials Call for Patriotism Over 2 Sooner Game Traditions