Wow, I'm a bit charred.  Can you guys smell that?  I just wanted to spice
things up a little bit, so I sent out an e-mail about the Bud song.  Zoom. .
. .I got flamed from all directions.
 
Well, I started the whole Bud thing, so I think I should have the last say in
the matter (with no follow-up flames).  I'm sure we've strayed too far from
the issue of hockey anyway.
 
This isn't about a "beer" song, as many of you think.  (In case someone out
there thinks that we haven't heard just about enough "cheesehead" or "drunk
Wisconsinite" jokes in our lives. . .save it.)  It's about our song.  Yeah,
we call it "Bud", but what do you want us to call it?  "Hey, play that 'When
you say Wisconsin, you've said it all!' song."  See what I mean. . .it's a
little wordy.
 
As you can tell from the responses of Andy Wagner and Eric Lentz (members of
the Wisconsin Band) there's a certain pride that goes with that song.  It's
as big a part of Wisconsin sporting events as Harry singing "Take me out to
the Ballgame" at Wrigley Field.  Most people would feel like the experience
was incomplete without it.  I know that many schools play the song, but does
it really MEAN anything to any of you?
 
Hopefully, no one took my message as a serious attack.  I don't think that
anyone did (except, possibly, some sarcastic RPI Alumni).  It originated
because of an article that appeared in the Milwaukee Sentinel during the
Final Four two years ago.  A reporter interviewed Shawn Walsh re: the Bud
Song.  Walsh stated that he had asked the band director earlier that year to
play the song during Black Bear games to stir up the crowd.  Then, with
17,000 Badger fans at the Bradley Center, it seemed logical to him that the
people would need to choose a team to cheer for.  Walsh wanted to make sure
that it was Maine, so he asked the band to play the song in Milwaukee.
That's what made me bring it up.
 
I knew of the origination of the song (the way Eric Lentz describes it
occuring during the 1972-73 season at a Wisconsin Hockey game).  Can
anyone else say that they know the story of how their band came to play
the song and when???  Some of you took my "plagiarism" rap a little too
seriously.  I never claimed that someone at Wisconsin wrote the song or that
we had sole rights to it.  I'm just saying that we used it first, we play it
best, and it means the most to us.
 
As Mike Machnik wrote: "No one plays it like the Wisconsin band, that I have
heard. . ."  And if you've ever had the opportunity to hear them, I'm sure
you'd agree.  I say this as objectively as I possibly can, but I don't think
that anyone plays anything like the Wisconsin Band.  Year in and year out,
they are the most talented and entertaining band I've ever heard.  Few bands
can stir emotion, but I've gotten chills while listening to the theme from
"2001: A Space Oddity" when belted out by the Badger Band after a big win.
If 77,000 fans showed up at Camp Randall Stadium to see a Big Ten game and
neither team showed up. . .2/3 of the people would stay to watch the band for
3 hours.
 
Face it.  Each school has songs and cheers that are trademarks of their
school and/or teams.  How would Minnesotans feel if, after a goal, Badger
fans started cheering W_I_S_C_O_N_S_I_N, Wisconsin, Wisconsin. .
.Heeeeeeeeyyyyy Badgers!?  There'd probably be a riot.  I stand by my
statement.  It's our song.  Regardless of whether or not it came from a beer
commercial.  We use it for something else.
 
So, back to college hockey.  I appreciate your comments.  Many of them were
amusing.  Let's put the Bud Song to rest.  But first, my next topic. . .Hey,
Cornell, RPI, BU, Detroit Red Wings and the former Soviet Union.  Give us
back our colors!  We had 'em first!
 
Chuck
GO BIG RED!!
 ===========================================================================
Chuck Sackett                                4840 Chicago Ave. South, #4
[log in to unmask]                            Minneapolis, MN  55417
Minneapolis, MN                              (612) 825-4176
                                             (612) 943-0401 (work)
Varsity, Varsity,
U-Rah, rah Wisconsin
Praise to thee we sing
Praise to thee our alma mater
 
U-rah, rah Wisconsin
 ===========================================================================