Dear Bob:

I understand.  The argument centers around quantity, not substance.
Michigan may or may not be the National leaders in terms of the shear
number of times they strike up the fight song in a game (any game, not
just hockey) but they have to be in the top 10%.  I'n not dissing
Michigan or their band here - Michigan has a well-deserved reputation
for excellence in hockey as they do in many sports and our sport would
be well served by all schools having an enthusiastic pep band at the
games.  I certainly didn't call the band silly.

I will stick to my guns here, though.  There must be other tunes,
perhaps even traditional ones, that the band could play from time to
time instead of a seemingly endless, nay, even mindless, repetition of
the same tune.  To carry your argument to the logical extreme, the fans
at Yost would not cheer as loudly or as often at the games without the
band cuing them with the fight song.  I just think it's a tradition gone
a bit wild.

And I do feel for those poor Wolverines exposed so often to the same
tune they probably don't even hear it half the time.  :-)

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bob Griebel [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Wednesday, March 24, 2004 11:08 AM
> To: Rowe, Thomas
> Cc: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Strike up the . . .
>
>
> Rowe, Thomas wrote:
>
> >I rather suspect the tradition is to play it often enough to
> irritate
> >opposing fans instead of as a service to your own fans.
> >
> >
>
> Tom, how about as a service to their team?
>
> I used to wonder whether the band directors had never read
> the Internet
> or guessed what the reaction of opposing fans is.  Then I
> surmised they
> had read the Internet and fully understand the reactions, but also
> understand how the band serves the function of supporting fans.  The
> band is one way to take the effect of Yost on the road,
> especially when
> the school only gets 200 tickets for the regional.  I
> suspect, if we can
> just get everyone else to stop cheering for their teams (or
> maybe limit
> cheering to twice a game), it'll be easier to work a deal.
> So far, only
> the people in Munn seem to be willing to go along.  If those
> St. Cloud
> people can bring those silly cheerleaders, why shouldn't
> Michigan bring
> that silly band?
>
> Bob Griebel
>
>  . . . and just think of those poor Michigan hockey players
> who have to
> listen to it over and over and over.
>
>