The National Football League and FOX just made it official: The star of Burlesque will perform the National Anthem as part of Super Bowl XLV pregame festivities at Cowboys Stadium on Super Bowl Sunday. Says Christina Aguilera in the press release that just popped up in the in-box: "I have been performing the Anthem since I was seven years old, and I must say the Super Bowl is a dream come true." Matter o' fact, says here: "Throughout her youth in Pittsburgh, Aguilera sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" before Pittsburgh Penguins hockey, Pittsburgh Steelers football and Pittsburgh Pirates baseball games, including during the 1992 Stanley Cup Finals."
Best part of the announcement: the link to the league's Official History of Super Bowl Entertainment, which reminds: In 1980, Cheryl Ladd sang "The Star-Spangled Banner," so, see, it coulda been worse. But in '74, it was none other than Dallas's own Charley Pride, who last had that honor during Game 5 of the World Series in Arlington on November 1. Let's watch that again.