OT: "Sweet Caroline" is no longer welcome at Penn State football games
"Sweet Caroline," which is a big fan participation song during games, is being cut because of the lyrics, more specifically the line "touching me, touching you."
Wonder what we'll do when we host Penn State in a couple of years.
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/sweet-caroline-no-longe…
August 27th, 2012 at 1:26 PM ^
That's a little overboard. Yeesh.
August 27th, 2012 at 1:30 PM ^
Yeah, I can sort of see that as being a little overboard, but that song is creepy in and of itself. It was written about an 11 year old girl. Ew. Catchy melody, though.
August 27th, 2012 at 1:32 PM ^
Well... that 11 year old girl part sums it up then...
One of the creepier things I learned today.
August 27th, 2012 at 1:54 PM ^
Neil Diamond Storytellers by JimGoodwine
August 27th, 2012 at 5:35 PM ^
So much that I've had that skit on my Ipod for the last 2 years. Nice work Still in AA!
August 27th, 2012 at 1:56 PM ^
August 27th, 2012 at 4:41 PM ^
Um... in what way isn't it romantically about an 11 year old?
August 27th, 2012 at 4:05 PM ^
I'm ok with PSU doing a little overboard after so much underboard for 13 years.
August 27th, 2012 at 8:57 PM ^
they are coming off the worst pedaphile scandel in college football history, every media outlet will be on them this season, almost all of their athletic leaders are under indictment, under investigation or already in prison, and the NCAA just hammered them. I don't blame them at all for erring on the side of caution with frivolous things like Sweet Caroline.
August 27th, 2012 at 1:28 PM ^
Every little thing at Penn State will be the butt of all jokes, sadly...
August 27th, 2012 at 1:54 PM ^
Having people (and I include myself) with warped or morbid senses of humor rain insults upon you is part of the pennance for not standing up and doing what was right.
August 27th, 2012 at 7:32 PM ^
I don't think you got the joke.
August 27th, 2012 at 2:29 PM ^
Everything at PSU is going to be looked at in a different light. I feel rather sorry for them. Not the people involved but the students and all the other innocents that will have to deal with the fallout of the sickness and dearth of values that occurred there.
August 27th, 2012 at 2:50 PM ^
Penn State butt jokes.
August 27th, 2012 at 1:28 PM ^
Man...great move. Whew. About time, huh?
....
Oh...it's the lyrics.
...
Not that Neil Diamond sucks?
August 27th, 2012 at 1:32 PM ^
But I will defend the hell out of that song (though not drunken frat boys singing it).
August 27th, 2012 at 1:32 PM ^
Ummm, these guys would probably disagree with you:
August 27th, 2012 at 1:40 PM ^
who are those guys?
August 27th, 2012 at 1:45 PM ^
#runonsentence
August 27th, 2012 at 1:46 PM ^
Neil Diamond, Darren Silverman, Wayne LeFessier, and J.D. McNugent.
August 27th, 2012 at 1:59 PM ^
August 27th, 2012 at 2:10 PM ^
Kind of looks like a mix between Tom Cruise/Steven Seagal, Jason Biggs, Jack Black, and Steve Zahn.
August 27th, 2012 at 6:52 PM ^
The gap-toothed dude kinda looks like Flea also, if Flea wore a purple 70's tuxedo shirt and played a shitty Ovation.
August 27th, 2012 at 3:11 PM ^
Or the fact that is one of the corniest songs of all time? One thing that I thought about is how Herbert on Family Guy is going to be handled. As PC as we've become, I can't imagine that he isn't going to ruffle some feathers if he's featured on any episodes from here on out.
August 27th, 2012 at 1:29 PM ^
August 27th, 2012 at 1:31 PM ^
I'm inclined...
To believe they never would.
August 27th, 2012 at 3:15 PM ^
Gerald.
August 27th, 2012 at 1:32 PM ^
Honestly, someone was thinking ahead on that one, but its sad where you have to live in a world without Neil Diamond
August 27th, 2012 at 1:34 PM ^
Somebody edit the lyrics to In "The Big House" to have something potentially maybe risque.
August 27th, 2012 at 1:40 PM ^
Somebody should edit "In the Big House" to have a duration of three seconds.
August 27th, 2012 at 1:35 PM ^
But PSU isn't doing any itself any favors by openly discussing it and drawing more attention to themselves.
August 27th, 2012 at 3:04 PM ^
Agree. Why didn't PSU just drop the song but not make any mention of it? They do Seven nation army so much, the students would never notice that "Sweet Caroline" was even missing.
August 27th, 2012 at 1:37 PM ^
Wow, sensitive people twisting lyrics. That's way overboard if you ask me. But I guess they are in a derperate situation trying to fix their image. Don't want immature people making a big deal about it. meeeh whatever.
August 27th, 2012 at 1:38 PM ^
This isn't OT: http://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/mgoboard-faq
August 27th, 2012 at 1:38 PM ^
August 27th, 2012 at 3:15 PM ^
Dude, whe the hell have you been man! You were the shiznit in the mid 80's. Carribean Queen, Love Zone, and Mystery Lady are great, but Get Out of My Dreams Get into My Car...not so much.
August 27th, 2012 at 1:54 PM ^
and a Neil Diamond concert, why is this being adopted as a Penn State/Michigan/anything tradition? Since when did we get into the business of copying the Red Sox?
August 27th, 2012 at 5:00 PM ^
People have the right to be offended, creeped out, or whatever by this song at Penn St.
I commend the University, particularly the Athletic Marketing department on doing the due dillegence and catching this AHEAD of time. Granted, it was probably some intern out at the bar when the song was on when it hit him/her that it would be inappropriate at football games, but a good catch nonetheless.
Penn St. ignored, avoided, etc. the comfort of so many people for so many years...even if this may seem overboard, I'm glad they're doing everything in their power to reverse that culture.
The last thing I'll say is that it is smart from a PR standpoint. The last thing you want is people coming into your stadium making fun what happened by singing that line louder than the others or making gestures. And when you're talking about a bunch of drunk fans, dignity will certainly be beneath many of them. I'm sure there will be opposing fans doing something to poke fun at the situation...I pray they aren't wearing Maize and Blue!
August 27th, 2012 at 1:42 PM ^
Well it has never been "welcome" at the Big House but they still play it.
August 27th, 2012 at 1:50 PM ^
August 27th, 2012 at 2:05 PM ^
August 27th, 2012 at 1:51 PM ^
They should probably have just quietly stopped playing the song, instead of publicly announcing their decision to stop playing it. Penn State gets +1 for incompetent PR.
August 27th, 2012 at 1:58 PM ^
I think it should be banned from UM games as well.
August 27th, 2012 at 2:07 PM ^
Is it not welcome at our games now too? I hope so.
August 27th, 2012 at 2:09 PM ^
It should be "unwelcome" in every stadium...because it's terrible and has no place in sport. It's a fine song for an Irish pub, but shouldn't be played in a football stadium. You listening, DB? You can clear out Pop Evil while you're at it.
August 27th, 2012 at 2:13 PM ^
Levon Helm was critical of the inclusion of Diamond, not discerning any musical connection to The Band. Reportedly, when Diamond came off stage he remarked to Dylan, "Follow that," to which Dylan responded, "What do I have to do, go on stage and fall asleep?"
August 27th, 2012 at 2:17 PM ^
August 27th, 2012 at 2:31 PM ^
Oh boy, people need to just accept the penalties, appologize profusely, and move on. Does anyone here think that students singing a song which may or may not have questionable lyrics will have any bearing on anything in the world? Do you really think that banning a damn song will make the victims lives' better, or discourage other sickos, or really do anything other than to serve as a cheap public relations stunt for an obviously idiotic university administration? What's next, banning "Beat [Team Y]" because it could be interpreted as offensive for abuse victims? Or hell, why doesn't Penn State take out the showers from the locker room? Boy, that would really show the world how serious PSU is about stopping future abuse.
Take real action, Penn State, not this garbage that only furthers the notion that your university's leadership is a bunch of out-of-touch grade-A assholes. Give me a break.
~Herm
August 27th, 2012 at 2:48 PM ^
Good. I don't care what anyone says, it's a terrible sports song. Zero pump up factor. Also, the band doesn't play it, which pretty much settles the matter.
August 27th, 2012 at 2:51 PM ^