07-14-2005, 07:06 PM
Article from ESPN. com as posted on AZZ:
Songs Worth Fighting Over
This week's list has already stirred plenty of controversy. See, I explained to some colleagues that the subject was Best Fight Songs and proceeded to have my list shredded by one editor at ESPN Mag Tuesday. The critic in question, the Frank Stallone of the sports media world, took issue with my top pick Michigan, and then pretty much everything else before breaking into his own rendition of Rocky Top. In the spirit of fairness, I have included some of his comments throughout the list.
1. Michigan: Drenched with the same Brooks Brothers arrogance you probably get from that Michigan grad in your office, The Victors deserves the top spot. It is like the Mary Hart of entertainment reporters. Even Buckeye fans have to admit the song's a classic. (OK, they probably won't, but it still has that co-STANZA! kind of appeal.)
ESPN's Frank Stallone's take: Michigan? Stodgy!
2. Notre Dame: Written during the Knute Rockne era by two Irishmen (Shea and Shea), "Victory March" is a big reason, I suspect, why the Irish have such a huge fan base and also why they're one of the most hated teams in the world.
(FULL DISCLOSURE: I think ND might've had a claim to the top spot if Kelly were the Notre Dame honk not Regis.)
ESPN's Frank Stallone's take: Notre Dame. Ditto. (Though that little post-TD leprechaun jig song is kinda cute). Still, I suppose they belong on the list for no other reason than everyone knows them. Which leads us to ...
3. Army: I'm channeling Beano here. It's the top pick, he says, when sung by the corps. I'm partial because I grew up an hour from Michie Stadium. And really, how can we slight the Academies?
ESPN's Frank Stallone's take: Name two non-West Point grads who can hum it? Air Force ("Off We Go, Into the Wild Blue Yonder") is better. Tons.
4. Yale: Cole Porter wrote it, so it has to be special.
(At least that's what Beano said. He was on a roll. I wasn't about to interrupt him. Next thing I knew he was comparing the Big Ten to 16th Century Spain.)
5. Georgia Tech: The Jackets don't mess around. They're singing about boozing and cussing out Georgia. It's like Lil Jon wrote this. But not.
6. USC: Personally I can do without "Fight On," but maybe that's cause I've heard it slurred by some of my friends late at night in bars. However I think there's something majestic about "Conquest," the thundering brass sound that accompanies every big Trojan defensive stop.
7. Tennessee: So what if Corso mutilates "Rocky Top" a couple of times a year? And sure, the "corny factor" is pretty high, but it's memorable. Only problem is I can't think of it without hearing Corso.
8. Oklahoma: "Boomer Sooner" is perfect in its simplicity. A mediocre team could never have a fight song like this. Then again, even if one did, I probably wouldn't have heard it like 10,000 times.
ESPN's Frank Stallone's take: No problems with your middle, except that USC and OU should be higher.
9. Ohio State: The Buckeyes have more songs than a Springsteen show. Doesn't hurt to have it played by "The Best Damn Band in the Land" either. The pick here: "The Buckeye Battle Cry."
ESPN's Frank Stallone's take: ZZZZZZ. If I want a dirge, I'll take Nebraska's.
10. Texas: "The Eyes of Texas" is a good song, but falls on the list because it doesn't sound so much like a college song. Now, this -- THIS! -- sounds like a college song.
11. Bowling Green: It's goofy, it's weird and it probably sounds even better after a few beers. The song was made famous when it was performed in the football classic "Paper Lion."
ESPN's Frank Stallone take: What is it with ESPN the Magazine's pro-Ohio bias? How many dead presidents are you getting from the cradle of presidents? Bruce, you forgot Akron! And Toledo! And Oberlin!
No UCLA? Insane! No "On Wisconsin"? Criminally insane! And anyone who's been to college, watched football or heard music knows the best college fight song is: Rocky Top!
Just Missed the Cut: Alabama, North Carolina, Illinois, Texas A&M, Wisconsin and Michigan State.
Songs Worth Fighting Over
This week's list has already stirred plenty of controversy. See, I explained to some colleagues that the subject was Best Fight Songs and proceeded to have my list shredded by one editor at ESPN Mag Tuesday. The critic in question, the Frank Stallone of the sports media world, took issue with my top pick Michigan, and then pretty much everything else before breaking into his own rendition of Rocky Top. In the spirit of fairness, I have included some of his comments throughout the list.
1. Michigan: Drenched with the same Brooks Brothers arrogance you probably get from that Michigan grad in your office, The Victors deserves the top spot. It is like the Mary Hart of entertainment reporters. Even Buckeye fans have to admit the song's a classic. (OK, they probably won't, but it still has that co-STANZA! kind of appeal.)
ESPN's Frank Stallone's take: Michigan? Stodgy!
2. Notre Dame: Written during the Knute Rockne era by two Irishmen (Shea and Shea), "Victory March" is a big reason, I suspect, why the Irish have such a huge fan base and also why they're one of the most hated teams in the world.
(FULL DISCLOSURE: I think ND might've had a claim to the top spot if Kelly were the Notre Dame honk not Regis.)
ESPN's Frank Stallone's take: Notre Dame. Ditto. (Though that little post-TD leprechaun jig song is kinda cute). Still, I suppose they belong on the list for no other reason than everyone knows them. Which leads us to ...
3. Army: I'm channeling Beano here. It's the top pick, he says, when sung by the corps. I'm partial because I grew up an hour from Michie Stadium. And really, how can we slight the Academies?
ESPN's Frank Stallone's take: Name two non-West Point grads who can hum it? Air Force ("Off We Go, Into the Wild Blue Yonder") is better. Tons.
4. Yale: Cole Porter wrote it, so it has to be special.
(At least that's what Beano said. He was on a roll. I wasn't about to interrupt him. Next thing I knew he was comparing the Big Ten to 16th Century Spain.)
5. Georgia Tech: The Jackets don't mess around. They're singing about boozing and cussing out Georgia. It's like Lil Jon wrote this. But not.
6. USC: Personally I can do without "Fight On," but maybe that's cause I've heard it slurred by some of my friends late at night in bars. However I think there's something majestic about "Conquest," the thundering brass sound that accompanies every big Trojan defensive stop.
7. Tennessee: So what if Corso mutilates "Rocky Top" a couple of times a year? And sure, the "corny factor" is pretty high, but it's memorable. Only problem is I can't think of it without hearing Corso.
8. Oklahoma: "Boomer Sooner" is perfect in its simplicity. A mediocre team could never have a fight song like this. Then again, even if one did, I probably wouldn't have heard it like 10,000 times.
ESPN's Frank Stallone's take: No problems with your middle, except that USC and OU should be higher.
9. Ohio State: The Buckeyes have more songs than a Springsteen show. Doesn't hurt to have it played by "The Best Damn Band in the Land" either. The pick here: "The Buckeye Battle Cry."
ESPN's Frank Stallone's take: ZZZZZZ. If I want a dirge, I'll take Nebraska's.
10. Texas: "The Eyes of Texas" is a good song, but falls on the list because it doesn't sound so much like a college song. Now, this -- THIS! -- sounds like a college song.
11. Bowling Green: It's goofy, it's weird and it probably sounds even better after a few beers. The song was made famous when it was performed in the football classic "Paper Lion."
ESPN's Frank Stallone take: What is it with ESPN the Magazine's pro-Ohio bias? How many dead presidents are you getting from the cradle of presidents? Bruce, you forgot Akron! And Toledo! And Oberlin!
No UCLA? Insane! No "On Wisconsin"? Criminally insane! And anyone who's been to college, watched football or heard music knows the best college fight song is: Rocky Top!
Just Missed the Cut: Alabama, North Carolina, Illinois, Texas A&M, Wisconsin and Michigan State.
Seriously, what does yours sound like?![[Image: tn_busred%20006.jpg]](http://www.huskiemobile.com/tn_busred%20006.jpg)
