It's Great to be a Michigan Wolverine Chant
September 10th, 2009 at 8:30 PM ^
I know when I was a freshman (current junior, so we're talking 2007) the super-fan at the time (Rhys or something like that...Idk exactly) and the Michigan cheerleaders taught it to us at some welcome week pep rally at Palmer Field. Beyond that, I have no idea where it came from originally. I heard it used at a pep rally for Tennessee basketball one time...
September 10th, 2009 at 8:36 PM ^
I recall hearing it as far back as the championship year in 1997.
September 10th, 2009 at 8:34 PM ^
There was a thread about this a while ago, I don't remember where it is, but suffice it to say that most other schools' chants simply don't fit the rhythm well.
September 10th, 2009 at 8:36 PM ^
... the chant was there the last time we won the NC.
September 10th, 2009 at 8:40 PM ^
First time I remember hearing it was after the '05 State Penn game, though I'm sure its been around for decades at some high school/college or another.
September 10th, 2009 at 8:51 PM ^
I went to Miami for graduate school in the mid 90's and they were doing that cheer back then. HOWEVER, my last year of grad school my friends and I took weekend trips to all of their SEC alma maters and they all were doing it as well.
I kind of don't like this cheer anymore because we definitely didn't originate it and its certainly not original on any level. It is in fact great to be a Michigan Wolverine, just think in our greatness we can come up with an original cheer.
September 10th, 2009 at 9:47 PM ^
I don't care who invented it. Our version sounds better than anyone else's. Does it bother you that we weren't the first school to sport a winged helmet?
September 10th, 2009 at 8:54 PM ^
first post BOOM
http://mgoblog.com/content/its-great-be
September 10th, 2009 at 8:55 PM ^
there was lockerroom footage of the team chanting that after the 34-8 victory.
September 10th, 2009 at 9:06 PM ^
was 1994.
September 10th, 2009 at 9:06 PM ^
i remember them singin it after the penn state game in 97 like martykaye said, but I believe florida has used it before then. but i still think it's great, to be, a michigan wol-ver-ine sounds the best. it kind of slant rhymes and it isn't missing any syllables. like florida gator and georgia bulldog, but miami hurricane just sounds like crap.
September 10th, 2009 at 9:22 PM ^
Wasn't great to be a Mi-ami Hurr-i-cane in 96-98 when they were on probation. For a Wolverine jonesing for college football, it was all there was. Nothing about it was as good as the Big House but that's where I got my introduction and continuing hunger for a college night game.
September 10th, 2009 at 9:29 PM ^
I've heard that it originated at Florida, although that seems strange, since "It's great to be a Florida Gator" is missing a syllable.
September 10th, 2009 at 9:30 PM ^
The Michigan band has been using this chant in their walkup to Michigan Stadium from Ravelli for as long as I can recall. At least the mid 80's.
For those who don't know, each section of the band will do something different on the walk, some will dance a little, some will chant different things such as 'Beat the Buckeyes/Spartans/Lions whoever, others chant nonsense.....but for certain a few rows of the band will chant "Its Great to be a Michigan Wolverine."
The Michigan crowd didn't really pick up on the chant until the mid to late 90's sometime when it started to become prevelant, mostly led by the students.
In any case, its a great cheer, one I certainly credit Michigan with starting before anyone else. I don't even believe Florida did it until they played us in 2003. I can't confirm it, but I never remember hearing it until then.
September 10th, 2009 at 11:22 PM ^
The few times I got to Ravelli in time in the mid 80's the band was doing it.
September 11th, 2009 at 12:33 AM ^
I thought it was the band too. And isn't one of the chants, "It's all about blue baby, yeah, boy!" or something like that?
September 10th, 2009 at 11:08 PM ^
with a group of Michigan fans at Ohio State in 2006. That was when we all deliriously believed there would be a rematched in the National Championship game.
September 10th, 2009 at 11:11 PM ^
I just had an argument with Mr. Case of Blue, himself a Gators fan, about who ripped it off who and which sounds better, Michigan or Florida. We had to call a truce or we would have still been arguing at kickoff on Saturday.
September 10th, 2009 at 11:25 PM ^
what are the actual lyrics to the chant?
September 10th, 2009 at 11:56 PM ^
Contrary to most of the other posts, I could have sworn I heard it in the videos of the 1969 Michigan/OSU game I've seen.
September 25th, 2009 at 11:35 PM ^
Marc_from_novi, the It's great to be a Michigan Wolverine chant was taken from Alabama when they beat us in a bowl game in 1996. It's a SEC chant, and I know I've heard the Volunteers chant it. But when Michigan beat Ohio State in 1997, they gathered around the band after the game, and the players started chanting IT'S GREAT TO BE A MICHIGAN WOLVERINE. The band took it and put it in it's pre and post game march chants. And for some special reason, it is only used on special great wins.
In 2002, at the last second win, Washington game, I was sitting near the band when they kicked the winning field goal. I remembered how good it felt after that OSU game, and I looked down at lady in the band, and started chanting it. This huge smile came over her face, and she started chanting it too, until it caught on with the band, then it got up in the student section. And from then on at great CCHA championship wins, or last second victories, I have been there to lead that cheer. And now it's part of Michigan history. At the Wisconsin miracle victory last year, it was heard, and I didn't have to start that one! But that chant is like the Victors, it's something special!
P.S. When Michigan played Alabama in 1988, their band didn't play Let's Go Blue. In the 2000 Orange Bowl, they played their own version called ROLL TIDE ROLL! We stole the Wave from Washington Huskies fans in 1984, and the It's Great Chant in 1996, so it's only fair Bama got Let's Go Blue!
GO BLUE!