Ross-Ade music doesn't pump up Boilermakers

Publication Date: 10/09/2008

The atmosphere in Ross-Ade Stadium has reached a pitiful low. Beyond the disappointment of an anemic loss to the talented and tough Penn St. team, the pedestrian canned music pumped onto the crowd left me as disappointed as yet another shanked field goal.

Playing "Kernkraft 400" by Zombie Nation was sheerly mind-boggling. Did the fact that this song owes most of its staying power to the Nittany Lion fans who chant ' quite audibly ' "We are Penn State" over the pulsing beats not deter any of the powers that be to maybe put that track on the shelf for at least one week? While the song is prevalent at sporting events, playing it repeatedly when Penn State is in town is tantamount to treason. Why on Earth should we spend any time pumping up their fans with their signature song?

That outrage aside, please for the love of true traditions stop playing "Shout." We might as well call it "Reach" for the underwhelming and largely silent reaction it stirs in the stadium. "Shout" is actually a pathetic rip-off of two other traditions: Wisconsin's playing of "Jump Around" and the Chicago Cubs' celebrity-introduced seventh inning stretch. This "tradition" peaked with last year's return visit from Drew Brees and hit rock bottom with this week's hackneyed spell-a-thon by Sameer Mishra.

I have no problem trying to get folks out of their seats, dancing, and making noise. Why not do it with the Quad City DJ's "C'mon Ride the Train"? It's at least more fitting and noise-worthy than "Shout."

And where's "Fighting Varsity" been? We'll play other teams' songs but not one of our own? The Boilers need to hear their fans and their songs, not corny imitations.

Jason Tindall

Alumnus