NFL fans couldn’t believe their ears when a Mexican mariachi band performed an unusual rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner before the Eagles-Bears Monday Night Football showdown.Ahead of kickoff at Soldier Field, the Grammy-nominated Mariachi Herencia de Mexico were given the stage to perform the US national anthem live on ESPN in front of tens of millions of viewers.The rendition left fans split as they watched on from home, with one writing: ‘Why they got a mariachi band playing on my TV, f***s going on?’Another added: ‘Why in the F is a garbage mariachi band playing the national anthem.’A third said: ‘Maybe it’s just me… but hearing the American national anthem played mariachi-style on Monday Night Football feels weird. I understand putting your own spin on music, but the national anthem is one of those things that just hits harder when it’s kept traditional. Some things don’t need reinventing.’Others, though, loved the performance, with ESPN playcaller Joe Buck even claiming it gave him ‘chills’ when he took over in the booth. The Grammy-nominated Mariachi Herencia de Mexico performed the US national anthem Many fans watching on from home didn’t enjoy the change-up from the usual traditionsOn X, one fan claimed: ‘Whoever decided on the mariachi band national anthem needs a raise immediately.’The performance was part of the Bears’ annual ‘Latino Heritage Month’ celebrations, with various Latino-inspired activations taking place around the stadium.It was the first time a mariachi group had ever performed the national anthem at a Bears game, making history in front of a packed stadium. The group had even appeared on Pat McAfee’s ESPN show earlier in the day to preview their performance, with the host claiming he was ‘pumped up’ to watch it. The band’s performance came as part of the Chicago Bears’ annual ‘Latino Heritage Month’It became a very divisive decision from the Bears, though, as some claimed the franchise had ‘lost its mind’ by veering away from the usual patriotic performance. The tradition of performing the national anthem ahead of NFL games is a long-standing and extremely patriotic one, with Americans – in the stadium and at home – often quick to judge the performance.Acoustic versions often come in for the most criticism, and that was exactly what the mariachi band produced on Monday night.As they performed, ESPN showed a wide shot of the field with the American flag, before panning around some confused-looking players and crowd members.