From Oktoberfest to the NFL: How Munich crowd made 'Country Roads' a stadium ritual

MUNICH (AP) — Tom Brady called it “pretty epic.” In Munich four years ago, the Buccaneers beat the Seahawks.

But he wasn’t referring to the game.

The now-retired quarterback was talking about how the German fans memorably belted out the lyrics to “Take Me Home, Country Roads” late in the fourth quarter and then stuck around after the final whistle to sing “Sweet Caroline.”

The full-stadium karaoke has become a tradition at each NFL game in Germany and no doubt will be a highlight Sunday when the Detroit Lions face the New England Patriots at Allianz Arena in Munich.

“Once they’ve had a couple of beers, they like to hug each other and start singing songs — it’s like an integral part of German culture,” said Jan Weinreich, a former quarterback who helps cover the NFL for German broadcaster RTL.

Both songs are well-known in Germany and have been popular for years at festivals like Oktoberfest.

“Not only after beers,” fan Zeljko Vrhar explained Saturday after a visit to the NFL’s merchandise store in Old Town.

“Every birthday party, private parties, everywhere the song is in the playlist,” he said of John Denver’s 1971 hit. “Everybody knows it — children, older people, my grandpa, my grandma, my parents.”

Similarly, he said, Germans learn Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline,” released in 1969, from an early age.

Vrhar, who attended the Munich game in 2022, called it “a special moment... I saw the players on the field. They were looking around like, ‘what’s happening here?’”

As fans stayed post-game and sang “Sweet Caroline,” Tampa Bay players Sean Murphy-Bunting and Carlton Davis III — who now plays for New England but is injured — bounced to the beat and high-fived fans.

The tradition has continued at two games in Frankfurt in 2023, another Munich game in 2024, and last year in Berlin — with visiting American fans and others of course joining in.

Alexander Steinforth, general manager of NFL Germany, said the singing is “deeply rooted in the German culture of Oktoberfest.”

“'Country Roads' but also ‘Sweet Caroline’ are two of the songs that almost everyone knows here in Germany," he said. "They’re often played in stadia, but I think it never reached such a level as it did for the first NFL game here in ’22. It has evolved from there. Now, it seems to be played across all our international games.”

It makes sense why the songs are so popular at games — across a variety of sports — with feel-good lyrics and uplifting choruses.

The Boston Red Sox have been playing “Sweet Caroline” in the middle of the eighth inning of home games at Fenway Park for more than 20 years.

“Country Roads” — which the Library of Congress says has been recorded in 19 languages — became the anthem of the U.S. men's soccer team during last summer's World Cup.

Born Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr., Denver died in a plane crash in 1997. The song references West Virginia, but Denver's estate told the AP this summer that it transcends geography.

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

New England Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones attends a news conference after an NFL football practice in Munich, Germany, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026 ahead of the match between the New England Patriots and the Detroit Lions on Sunday. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson addresses the media during a press conference after an NFL football practice in Munich, Germany, Friday, Nov. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Lennart Preiss)

New England Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas wears a FC Bayern Munich soccer club scarf as he attends a news conference after an NFL football practice in Munich, Germany, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026 ahead of the match between the New England Patriots and the Detroit Lions on Sunday. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (0) gestures during an NFL football practice in Munich, Germany, Friday, Nov. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Lennart Preiss)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Matvei Gridin scored the go-ahead goal with 8:39 remaining and the Calgary Flames held off the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 on Saturday night.

Yegor Sharangovich had an empty-net goal and an assist, and Morgan Frost also scored for Calgary. Dustin Wolf made 29 saves, helping the Flames improve to 2-0-1 in their last three road games after winning just one of their first six away from the Saddledome.

Sharangovich's empty-netter with 1:14 left gave Calgary a 3-1 lead. Mats Zuccarello scored his first goal for Los Angeles just 18 seconds later as the Kings skated with a 6-on-5 advantage.

Wolf, a Northern California native who moved to suburban Los Angeles and then Orange County to participate in the Kings’ youth hockey program during his formative years, has won five of six games against them in his NHL career.

Joel Armia also scored and Anton Forsberg stopped 21 shots for the Kings, who lost five of seven games on their homestand. It concluded with four straight defeats in which they totaled six goals.

Frost converted Sharangovich’s pass off the rush with a one-timer from the right circle 2:13 into the second period. Armia tied it at 6:21 of the third with a wrist shot from the slot.

Gridin and Martin Pospisil created pressure in the offensive zone, leading to a turnover and Gridin’s one-timer for his sixth goal of the season at 11:21.

Los Angeles did not have star winger Artemi Panarin in the lineup following the death of his grandfather. The Kings are 5-0-1 when Panarin has multiple points in a game and 0-11-1 when he does not.

Flames: At Anaheim on Sunday.

Kings: At Boston on Tuesday.

See AP’s full NHL coverage here

Calgary Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf (32), center, stops a shot on goal by Los Angeles Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson (44), right, as Calgary Flames defenseman Zach Whitecloud (28), left, defends during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Caroline Brehman)

Calgary Flames right wing Adam Klapka (43) reacts after Calgary Flames center Morgan Frost (16) scored a goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Los Angeles Kings, Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Caroline Brehman)

Calgary Flames right wing Matvei Gridin, center, is greeted by teammates after scoring a goal during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Los Angeles Kings, Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Caroline Brehman)

Calgary Flames right wing Matvei Gridin (92) shoots and scores a goal during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Los Angeles Kings, Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Caroline Brehman)

Calgary Flames right wing Matvei Gridin reacts after scoring a goal during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Los Angeles Kings, Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Caroline Brehman)