Football is as synonymous with Thanksgiving as turkey and stuffing.

At Thursday's Minnesota Vikings game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field, none other than the legendary singer Aretha Franklin was in Detroit to sing the national anthem before kickoff, but Variety reported that her rendition was a tad long.

>> Read more trending stories

The Detroit native sported long brown hair, a fur coat and a Lions beanie as she played the piano and sang a soulful version of the "Star-Spangled Banner" for 4 minutes and 55 seconds.

But Franklin is the queen of soul, and sings as long as she wishes.

Viewers, however, noticed and said so on Twitter.

For what it's worth, the Lions defeated the Vikings 16-13, so Franklin's vocals may have been a good luck charm, however long.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Collect candy, play carnival games for prizes and do more not-so-scary stuff at Boo at the Zoo at Zoo Atlanta on Saturday and Sunday. (Courtesy of Zoo Atlanta)

Credit: Photo courtesy of Zoo Atlanta

Featured

A TSA officer checks the identification of travelers at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Oct. 01, 2025 (Ben Hendren for the AJC)

Credit: Ben Hendren