OT: Whiteout creator fired from Penn State

marching band, love maize outs and night games though

the RAWK MUSIC but I can see why some people do not like it. But I am sorry I have never seen the band pump the crowd up like I witnessed at the UTL game this past season. The Big House was straight rocking.

Just reading the headline my thought was, I didn't know Mike Nesmith's mother worked at Penn State.

I do think the music is often over done, but then again, I remember when short, tight basketball shorts were in style, so what do I know.

Does Penn State still play that stupid lion roar over the speakers?  If they do, then they should get rid of that too. 

I'd hope that some people feel as I do that Seven Nation Army is waaayyyy over-used. It seemed like that song was being played 5 times a game. I'm fine with a little RAWK music, but I think it should be used a little more sparingly, and preferably play songs that aren't beaten to death by every other school in college athletics (like Seven Nation Army and Kernkraft).

Yes, the Lion Roar is still there...and yes, it still sucks.

I don't mind it the music, I think Seven Nation Army is a pretty good hype song, though I know it's played quite a bit by everyone. Some of their songs choices are pretty interesting. Like "Sweet Caroline" at really intense moments in the game. Also, I find it pretty hilarious they've started playing the beginning of "The Whisper Song" by the Yin-Yang Twins. Has anyone else noticed that?

I admit that I love SNA and the sea of yellow pom poms at the big games. Whatever it takes to pump up the crowd. Flo Rida "I got a feeling" = yes. Journey and Eminem work. Fill me up buttercup = not so much.

SSIIITTTT DDOOOWWWWNNN!!!!!

For those of you who have been to a Penn State home game, especially at night, you know that their atmosphere is unreal. Songs like zombie nation, the white pom poms, the shitty construction, etc, make that entire stadium rock like very few places on earth. I guarantee they sold those moments to recruits in the past. In a time of desperation for that fanbase, i'm surprised they would move away from someone who has garnered them national attention in a positive way. 

College athletics demands a certain level of musical showmanship to build atmosphere and fire up the crowd. Bands are traditionally used to accomplish this, but are hard to hear. Fortunately miking was introduced recently to Michigan Stadium enabling the band to be heard throughout the stadium. I remember walking through the upper decks of the stadium only being able to hear the clapping parts of The Victors because the band was too far away. Miking makes the marching band modus operandi less absurd in an electronic age.

The other side of the coin is canned music. Its quality varies widely. I believe that it too has a place in the stadium environment, but it is especially easy to overdo it, as in our Beaver Stadium example. It is necessary to play canned music from time to time to help make the gameday experience more universal and to conform to our pre-established ideas of what a collegiate athletic competition ought to include. The playing of the music also helps to impose our own unique rhythms and pacing to the gameday experience. For example, Ohio Stadium likes to play Hell's Bells before kickoffs, and it energizes the crowd, and the players. You don't have to sing along to 7NA if you don't want to. I will probably not sing along with you.

The band does an amazing job and I prefer them over the piped-in music MOST of the time. But sometimes there are just situations that call for 7 Nation Army and there's nothing you can do about it except embrace the madness.

Hell, whatever it takes to get the alumni off their rear ends and cheering is fine by me.  4 years  in the student section pumped every game and giving it my all to now being told to sit down and not be so loud so some old folks can act like theyre watching the masters.  If the victors or a go blue chant doesnt get you going then something is wrong.

I say good.  Racist bastard.

spongebob and let him rock out with the Bikini band doing the Final Countdown. Wouldn't that look great for a night game on the jumbotrons, and before you say anything, I only had one drink...really.

Nothing - NOTHING! - beats "Build Me Up, Buttercup" during crunchtime against Ohio.  We deserve to be mocked after that shitshow.

This is one of the few nice things about Purdue football games (I'm a student there)...the band does seem to play a lot more compared to the most recent Michigan games I've been to. It's the same with our basketball games, the band is very active in both of those sporting events.

I'm not so ignorant as to criticize any genre of music.  Anything that is up-tempo and gets people going is fine.  Old style band music, classic rock, rap, hip-hop, country, mainstream (nee "alternative"): it's all music.  A good song is a good song regardless of genre.

I know the thread has gone more toward the Big House, but going to a game anywhere has changed drastically the last twenty years or so.  It's not the genre that is irritating people in the Big House or anywhere else; it's the amount of stimulus that is being pumped into every stadium at every game, pro or college.  

There is no "white space" anymore.  The people in charge of the music in a lot of venues seem to forget that the game itself is the attraction, and don't allow it to "breathe."  It's as though most people in charge of any pro or college sport now think that if they give people ten seconds without action, blaring music, or cheesy contests, they will get up and leave.  

When the stadium was redone a lot of the thinking was what the staff and players wanted (more noise from the stadium design).

So UM has an interest in thinking about players and staff (to get a tactical advantage).  Is there any research about how much any of the color-out, or music impacts anything on the field?  Or do the players have really strong opinions- for example do recruits come and see that and like it- or do players encourage these type of events to happen to get a better home-field advantage?

I'd be interested to see if anyone knows those answers- or if this is first and foremost a way for the school to capitalize on sales/advertising for money (which I think is a fine idea).

Thanks

As long as I never hear "In The Big House" by Pop Evil again, I'll feel a little better about the RAWK music. That song is embarrassing. I don't mind some of the piped-in music, but they need to do a better job of selecting songs appropriate for each scenario. I'm pretty sure they played "Build Me Up Buttercup" at the end of the Ohio State game which totally deflated the crowd in my opinion. Awful song choice. I will always prefer the marching band to anything else, but "the times, they are a'changin'.''

Music is a total joke. I actually like the concept but the vagina diaries of music have no place in my house of worship. Our hole in the ground needs hard hitting music to match our attitudes. You can bet neil diamond isnt on in the weight room. Children of bodom, tool, etc etc .. Not there to act like its prom and dance around to third base, there to defend our house.

I don't get the music pumps the fans up.  The reality is that no one is going to get pumped up for EMU with or without RAWK music, and there will be a strong atmosphere vs. notre Dame UTL but that's because of who we're playing not the fact that we brought RAWK music into it.