Mariachi band’s national anthem at Bears vs Eagles game sparks debate over racism and US senator’s response

To bring you up to speed, the Monday Night Football game between the Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles was preceded by the national anthem – performed by a mariachi band.

And what followed in the nearly 24 hours following this performance was an impartial and logical discussion about the quality of the performance and the choice of the Mariachi Herencia de México to launch into a grand finale that the crowd certainly did not expect but was mostly celebrated.

No.

Sorry, but social media doesn’t do unbiased or subtle music reviews.

Case Keenum of the Chicago Bears celebrates after Kalif Raymond scored a 41-yard touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles during the fourth quarter at Soldier Field on September 28, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Getty Images)

CALEB WILLIAMS, LIMITED BY INJURY TO THE CICISJANCIERS, SEEN WITH CLEARANCE ON THE BEARS SIDELINE DURING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM

This led to an emotional and sometimes vitriolic debate that included accusations of racism from one of the group’s artists, counter-accusations that the NFL is pursuing an offensive outsourcing of the American game to foreigners…

…And a U.S. senator gets involved.

So, no tame stuff.

And if you can’t stand this heated exchange, stop here because the next few paragraphs will get into it.

But for the curious and the committed:

SINGING THE CANADIAN NATIONAL ANTHEM AT THE BUFFALO BILLS’ HOME OPENING WAS A MISTAKE

We start with the representation itself. To an ear untrained in the intricacies of the music, it sounded early on like any other national anthem in that the ensemble’s three-horn section led the way.

Mariachi bands don’t play salsa music, people. So no drum section or bongo that sets the rhythm.

Where things got a little different (on the side?) was when the ensemble, dressed in their full traditional mariachi costume, including wide brimmed hats. sombreros, apparently tempted for a grand finale. And this grand finish didn’t look at all like the traditional Star-Spangled Banner.

Well, it didn’t take long for reviews to hit the streets online. Some reactions:

• “Last time I checked, Mexicans have their own country and their own national anthem. We don’t need people dressed like Mexicans to perform the American national anthem.”
• “The performers all wore Mariachi regalia and it’s a symbolism 100% dedicated to Mexico.”
• “Why is the F a trash mariachi band playing the national anthem?”

CONTROVERSY OVER VICTOR WEMBANYAMA ANTHEM GROWS AS SPURS, NBA AND ESPN REMAIN SILENT DURING FINALS

To be specific, The Mariachi Herencia de Mexico is a two-time Grammy nominated band from Chicago. And they were brought to the game as part of the Bears and NFL’s celebration of Hispanic and Latino Heritage Month.

Reaction to the group, meanwhile, came from both the left and right sides of the political spectrum — with some on the right questioning why the anthem was used to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month — even though Hispanics make up the largest minority group in the United States — and some on the left rejoicing that people on the right might be triggered.

Some people on both sides also praised the performance.

That wasn’t enough for one of the group’s leaders, Alonso Orozco Jr., who saw the backlash and accused it of racism.

“Yesterday we had the opportunity to perform the United States National Anthem for the NFL game between the Chicago Bears and the Eagles, and it was amazing to do it with love and respect for a great nation,” Orozco posted on X.

“But a huge wave of racist criticism emerged.”

What happened next was that a U.S. senator saw an opportunity to wade into a melee that had nothing to do with the business of the U.S. Senate. Arizona’s Ruben Gallego came to the mariachi group’s defense.

(And here I am, an American sportswriter, writing play-by-play about a mariachi band controversy.)

Regardless, here’s the unbiased analysis the online exchange missed:

The referees almost gave the Dallas Cowboys a victory at Maracana Stadium in Brazil, but the Baltimore Ravens won on a 56-yard field goal. (AFP via Getty Images)

The NFL is indeed doing hard and constant work to internationalize American football. And while that will likely include more overseas games first and then teams in Europe, Mexico could also have a franchise in a few decades.

This business decision by the NFL has upset some fans in the United States because they see themselves as losing games when they are shipped overseas.

This may explain some of the reaction that was subsequently generated by the mariachi band. But, to be fair, there have actually been some disparaging comments online and none of those are apparent when other artists take unorthodox approaches to the national anthem, like performing it with bagpipes.

But again, this all happened online.

ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!

No one ran onto the field playing the banjo to defend America’s honor.

One more thing: it is not racist to criticize a performance.

It is not racist to have a dissenting opinion on the choice of artists or their performance. This is America, friends.

FOLLOW ARMANDO SALGUERO ON X: @ARMANDOSALGUERO