One of the more memorable things about Tuesday night's All-Star Game in San Diego might have been what happened before the first pitch was thrown: A member of a Canadian quartet singing the country's national anthem altered some lyrics and held up a sign that said "All Lives Matter."
The group, the Tenors, which is based in British Columbia, drew heavy criticism on Twitter after one of its members, Remigio Pereira, inserted the political statement while singing "O Canada" before the game at Petco Park in San Diego.
Pereira pulled out the sign from his suit jacket and, during a solo portion of the song, sang: "We're all brothers and sisters. All lives matter to the great."
The traditional lyrics at that point in the anthem are: "With glowing hearts we see thee rise. The True North strong and free."
The other members of the group -- Clifton Murray, Fraser Walters and Victor Micallef -- said later they were "shocked and embarrassed" by the actions of Pereira, whom they described in a statement as being a "lone wolf."
They added that his stunt was "extremely selfish" and that he would not be performing with the group until further notice.
"Our sincere apologies and regrets go out to everybody who witnessed this shameful act, to our fellow Canadians, to Major League Baseball, to our friends, families, fans and to all those affected," the statement said.
"United We Stand" was written on the back of Pereira's sign, The Associated Press reported. Major League Baseball had no idea that Pereira planned to make a political statement, a spokesman, Matt Bourne, said.
The Canadian anthem was not broadcast live on U.S. television, but it aired in Canada. At the stadium, fans reacted with surprise when Pereira's sign was broadcast on the scoreboard.
The Tenors were formed in 2007 and have performed more than 500 concerts on five continents and have made over 150 television appearances, according to the group's biography.
Here's Johnny
After a one-year hiatus, Johnny Miller is back to calling the shots at one of the two major championships he won.
Miller developed into the most famous voice among golf analysts over the last two decades at NBC Sports. He was a perfect fit for the U.S. Open, which he famously won at Oakmont in 1973 with the first round of 63 in major championship history. But he was left without broadcasting a major last year when the USGA began its new 12-year deal with Fox.
NBC now begins a long-term deal with the R&A that was supposed to start next year at Royal Birkdale, where Miller won the British Open in 1976. Instead, it took over for ESPN starting this year, and Miller has some history at Royal Troon. He was runner-up to Tom Weiskopf in 1973.
Miller found one comparison with the Open Championship and the U.S. Open, where it often is said the players who complain about it are the ones that rarely contend. He recalled asking Tom Watson how he won the British Open five times because of so many funky bounces that can occur along the humps and hollows of links courses.
"With a long pause he said, 'I love bad bounces. It was very revealing to me that he was saying, 'I'm a tough guy mentally, and if I'm getting bad bounces, most guys are complaining. And I know if they are getting bad bounces, I don't have to worry about them too much.' "
Sports on 07/14/2016