Super Bowl National Anthem 2018: Twitter Reacts to Pink's Performance

Before the Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots kicked off Super Bowl LII, Pink's rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" served as the ceremonial start of Sunday's game in Minneapolis.

In the days leading up to the Super Bowl, there had been some concerns about a flu possibly preventing Pink from singing the national anthem. She confirmed in an Instagram post that a battle with influenza wouldn't stop her from performing at U.S. Bank Stadium.

The NFL shared a replay of her performance:

Land of 10's Erin Sorensen and Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman were impressed Pink sang the anthem despite feeling under the weather:

Every year, the length of the anthem is one of the more popular prop bets surrounding the Super Bowl. According to OddsShark, the over/under for Pink was set at two minutes even.

US Weekly's Emily Longeretta reported the anthem lasted 1:53, well below the under. Former NFL offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz was among those who were happy to see the under prevail:

Player protests during the anthem have been one of the biggest storylines in the NFL over the last two years, so naturally many wondered whether those protests would continue through the Super Bowl.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders shared a statement from President Donald Trump in which Trump said Americans "proudly stand for the national anthem" as a way to show thanks for members of the United States military:

It didn't appear any players chose to protest during Sunday's anthem.

Reaction to Pink's performance was overwhelming positive:

"

Let Pink do halftime too

— Marc (@MarcSnetiker) February 4, 2018"

"

a powerful but efficient performance from Pink. Gonna get a high DVOAnthem rating.

— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) February 4, 2018"

Josh Groban is familiar with the pressure that comes with performing at the Super Bowl. He sang "You Raise Me Up" before Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2004 as a tribute to the astronauts who died when the Space Shuttle Columbia exploded in February 2003.

Groban praised Pink's effort:

However, many highlighted something that happened before the singer took to the microphone. It looked like she removed a piece of chewing gum, though it may have also been a lozenge given the circumstances.

Regardless, the moment wasn't missed by those watching at home:

Despite what some are already calling "gumgate," most fans will forget everything that preceded Pink's anthem. She delivered an excellent rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner," and it undoubtedly helped fans get excited for the biggest football game of the year.