BY TOM WARD
Published November 11, 2009
To the Daily:
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Whether we like it or completely hate it, it appears that the Athletic Department has decided piped-in music is here to stay. So that’s where we stand — every week we are subjected to some mysterious DJ spinning “Jock Jams, Volume 76". Most students eat it up, falling victim to a mob mentality that forces them into an inane chant or "8-mile"-inspired hand motion. A smaller sect pine for the days of the Michigan Marching Band being the sole auditory component to the game.
But if we are going to go down the piped-in music rabbit hole, one thing we should all be able to agree on is that we need to do it right. There needs to be more thought behind what is being played. Anyone who watched the Ohio State-Penn State game may have noticed that Penn State’s band plays The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army” in between nearly every play. This is nothing new — Penn State has been playing “Seven Nation Army” for years now. When you catch the Ohio State-Iowa game this Saturday you may again hear “Seven Nation Army” during kickoffs — an Ohio State gameday tradition. Anyone who’s been up to Michigan State for a game knows that they play AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” as their entrance song and have been doing so for years.
For all the problems there have been with the music at Michigan Stadium — poor sound quality, playing at inopportune times — the biggest problem is lack of originality. There are thousands of songs out there; why can’t we find something unique to Michigan? We are supposed to be the “Leaders and Best.” It seems that we’ve instead settled on copying our rivals — following, not leading.
Tom Ward
LSA senior
