http://sports.yahoo.com/news/self-home-chiefs-during-anthem-202154143--ncaab.html

Sorry, I haven't been regularly on the board this year, but it seems like the "UC!" "Blue!" and "Gold!" chants have mostly disappeared this year, but "Home of the Bears!" is still being done.

Thoughts?

I agree. It strikes me as disrespectful.

I must be missing the "cheers." I don't notice them, if they are happening.

The partial "taps" version of the National Anthem saturday at Furd was stirring. They reprised what had been done 50 years earlier after the JFK assassination. Normally, I prefer America the Beautiful to the National Anthem. But I thought this was really outstanding saturday.

People still do UC, Blue, Gold, and Bears in the student section. I agree that we should drop it.

In 2012, Mic Man Aaron specifically requested students not do it on Veteran's Day. He said it was a respect thing, and we needed to show as much respect for the veterans as possible. It seemed like almost everyone did it anyway.

It's a song

1979bear;842233363 said:

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I must be missing the "cheers." I don't notice them, if they are happening.

The partial "taps" version of the National Anthem saturday at Furd was stirring. They reprised what had been done 50 years earlier after the JFK assassination. Normally, I prefer America the Beautiful to the National Anthem. But I thought this was really outstanding saturday.

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Well...first of all, they do that regularly at the big game. It is not as though they dusted it off for this game because of the year.

Second: I found it odd they said it was the 50th anniversary of them playing the national anthem in that way in memory of the assassination of JFK.

The wording was kind of "look at me".

It should have been "in remembrance on the 50th anniversary of the assassination of JFK... blah blah blah." I am surprised more people did not notice.





In either case, I find the crowd signing the National Anthem to be much more moving than passively listening. Also, the UC, Gold, Blue and Bears dont feel disrespectful to me at all.

As for America the Beautiful vs the National Anthem, I prefer the National Anthem, but was glad to see a return of AtB pre-game this year.

CalAlumnus13;842233366 said:

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People still do UC, Blue, Gold, and Bears in the student section. I agree that we should drop it.

In 2012, Mic Man Aaron specifically requested students not do it on Veteran's Day. He said it was a respect thing, and we needed to show as much respect for the veterans as possible. It seemed like almost everyone did it anyway.

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What a weirdo.

Phantomfan;842233387 said:

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Well...first of all, they do that regularly at the big game. It is not as though they dusted it off for this game because of the year.

Second: I found it odd they said it was the 50th anniversary of them playing the national anthem in that way in memory of the assassination of JFK.

The wording was kind of "look at me".

It should have been "in remembrance on the 50th anniversary of the assassination of JFK... blah blah blah." I am surprised more people did not notice.





In either case, I find the crowd signing the National Anthem to be much more moving than passively listening. Also, the UC, Gold, Blue and Bears dont feel disrespectful to me at all.

As for America the Beautiful vs the National Anthem, I prefer the National Anthem, but was glad to see a return of AtB pre-game this year.

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I thought I was the only one who thought this announcement full of the usual Furd self serving bullshit. Played it what way? The way the Cal band and they played it as opposed to the way their clown shoes band plays it.

I don't see a problem with it. It gets people engaged and at its heart it pays tribute to the fact that we have the freedom to sing it that way. I never sang the anthem until I sang our version and while I sing it that way I'm in no way diminishing America by doing so.

cccbear04;842233401 said:

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I don't see a problem with it. It gets people engaged and at its heart it pays tribute to the fact that we have the freedom to sing it that way. I never sang the anthem until I sang our version and while I sing it that way I'm in no way diminishing America by doing so.

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This: I love that our stadium sings the anthem. I think it is more respectful than the way Furd does it, standing around as mute witnesses.

Random thoughts about the Anthem, Furd and Cal...


I'm not really into the Anthem being played before sporting events, but, if it is, we ought to not improvise on the lyrics. I've always thought that was just plain silly.

This is partly the trumpet player in me opining, but it was lame to mike the solo trumpet the way Furd did this time. It was a lot more impressive when they used to have the person play sans microphone and the stadium was soooooo quiet that the one player could easily be heard anyway.

You stand with your right hand, cap, or hat over your heart ( unless you are in the military at which point you salute) and sing it the way it was written. Always hacks me off at Rangers games - they have 5-6 players ( always rookies and young players plus Murphy now gone) out of the dugout as if it was a hazing ritual. Look across the way and depends on team but say it is the O's - everyone of them on top step where they stay till colors leave the field - that is another thing -if the colors are posted you stand while they are marched onto the field and after when they are marched off field. As I recall A's pretty good about doing this.

So often at games we are in stadiums which were built as memorials to the war dead. Show them and the nation a little respect and etiquette.

I do like the crowd at Rangers games- they generally do it right and if you are late, everyone stops in the concourse, concession stands, the ushers stop letting people in, the cops stop letting people cross the street, and everyone where they are stops, puts their hands over their hearts and sings.

You want to get rid of the most entertaining feature of cal home games this season?

The University of California, Berkeley is a superior institution to the United States of America.

Big C_Cal;842233552 said:

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This is partly the trumpet player in me opining, but it was lame to mike the solo trumpet the way Furd did this time. It was a lot more impressive when they used to have the person play sans microphone and the stadium was soooooo quiet that the one player could easily be heard anyway.

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Are we sure he was actually playing? Wouldn't be the first Stanfurd Banned member who fakes it. (Their arrangement of the National Anthem necessitates that there be one good trumpet player in the band every year).

Phantomfan;842233410 said:

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This: I love that our stadium sings the anthem. I think it is more respectful than the way Furd does it, standing around as mute witnesses.

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Incidentally, this is why the Cal Band's version of the Banner starts with a big Bb-Major chord. The Banner was arranged by former Cal Band Director Bob Briggs, and he wanted everyone in the stadium to "hear" the Key so that they would be encouraged to sing along. It's akin to an A cappella group blowing a Pitch Pipe before singing a song.

fight4california;842233315 said:

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http://sports.yahoo.com/news/self-home-chiefs-during-anthem-202154143--ncaab.html

Sorry, I haven't been regularly on the board this year, but it seems like the "UC!" "Blue!" and "Gold!" chants have mostly disappeared this year, but "Home of the Bears!" is still being done.

Thoughts?

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against Arkansas yesterday. I'm guessing that the Razorbacks fans were wondering what that was all about.

Cal Geek;842233342 said:

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I agree. It strikes me as disrespectful.

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WTF are we in Berkeley or in Omaha (not that there is anything wrong with Omaha)?

Lots of stuff is viewed as disrespectful or non-patriotic by some but not by others.

As mentioned below. It is just a song. If someone wants to have fun with it so what. Will you join in the criticism of Jimi Hendrix for playing a rock version of the song? (It was said in the 1970's "It's just not respectful")

Who chose to play such a song at the start of a public sporting event in the first place. It would be more "respectful" to play it only at official events like the opening of Congress or some public policital party gathering or at public funerals of fallen veterans. Why play it at an event where thousands of overweight fans are swilling beer and munching on hotdogs.

Will you then join in the criticism of those who use the Red White and Blue as patches on the seat of the pants, as designs for a shirt, etc. That too is viewed as "disrespectful" by some (if not many) people.

I think that the Star Spangled Banner is a song that celebrates being an American (America, that is, excluding geographically Canada and Latin America). So we should enjoy poking fun at the song itself as well.

If you don't like it, Tough. This is America and I can do what I like.

(Now my only hope is that the NSA doesn't come knocking on my door in the middle of the night.)

slotright20;842233609 said:

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You stand with your right hand, cap, or hat over your heart ( unless you are in the military at which point you salute) and sing it the way it was written. Always hacks me off at Rangers games - they have 5-6 players ( always rookies and young players plus Murphy now gone) out of the dugout as if it was a hazing ritual. Look across the way and depends on team but say it is the O's - everyone of them on top step where they stay till colors leave the field - that is another thing -if the colors are posted you stand while they are marched onto the field and after when they are marched off field. As I recall A's pretty good about doing this.

So often at games we are in stadiums which were built as memorials to the war dead. Show them and the nation a little respect and etiquette.

I do like the crowd at Rangers games- they generally do it right and if you are late, everyone stops in the concourse, concession stands, the ushers stop letting people in, the cops stop letting people cross the street, and everyone where they are stops, puts their hands over their hearts and sings.

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I was in the military during the Vietnam war. I usually put my right hand on my heart. But at the appropriate time, I sing loudly: "UC" "Blue" "Gold" and "Home of the Bears".
It is a bit silly, but Berkeley is a bit silly.

Insulting the National Anthem is a good way for you to end the game before kickoff.

That's a good point: It could've been a recording.

Actually, you might be shocked to learn that there are a fair amount of decent musicians in the Stanfurd Band. Part of their problem (a small part, because they totally suck) is that they are often inebriated.

GlynMilburnTD;842234325 said:

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Insulting the National Anthem is a good way for you to end the game before kickoff.

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Well that ends this debate and thread. If glyn doesn't like it, you know I love it.

I like having the national anthem played at the start of the games. For that brief time the fans and players of both teams put aside their desire to pummel the other team and turn their attention to something much bigger, our country, that makes possible our competitive sports and so much more.

I also like that Cal encourages everyone to sing instead of just bringing a soloist. Participation is good.

If it were not for sporting events, when would most of us ever even hear the national anthem?

All of the above is diminished by injecting cheers into the national anthem. In today's society disrespect is much more widespread than it once was, and it is nice to take a break from it once in a while.

I like to sign along just to see if I could do it in front of a crowd. [My best Robert Goulet (he was Canadian)impression.] Do I remember all the words? It's a pretty tough song to sing, by the way, lots of highs and lows. I admit I usually end it with "...home of the Bears!"

BearBones;842234772 said:

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I like having the national anthem played at the start of the games. For that brief time the fans and players of both teams put aside their desire to pummel the other team and turn their attention to something much bigger, our country, that makes possible our competitive sports and so much more.

I also like that Cal encourages everyone to sing instead of just bringing a soloist. Participation is good.

If it were not for sporting events, when would most of us ever even hear the national anthem?

All of the above is diminished by injecting cheers into the national anthem. In today's society disrespect is much more widespread than it once was, and it is nice to take a break from it once in a while.

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Disrespect is the life's blood of a vibrant and free democracy.
We are Berkeley.

Big C_Cal;842234616 said:

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That's a good point: It could've been a recording.

Actually, you might be shocked to learn that there are a fair amount of decent musicians in the Stanfurd Band. Part of their problem (a small part, because they totally suck) is that they are often inebriated.

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There's also a large group of people who literally do not know how to play the instrument they've been assigned/choose in the Furd band.

StillNoStanfurdium;842234926 said:

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There's also a large group of people who literally do not know how to play the instrument they've been assigned/choose in the Furd band.

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Confirming your statement. I know a guy who was on the field with the stanfurd band(?) and was told to just take the horn he was "playing" and put it to his lips "as if he were playing it" during the band's(?) performance(?).

That is what he did. He never played a note.

Less and less people do it. Of course we ha e less and less fans. We do it in our party and will continue to do it. It isn't disrespectful at all imo.

Two comments:

1. Yes, it's disrespectful (and embarrassing).
2. When the Anthem is playing, pay attention and take off your damn hats.

Maybe its time to retire the Stanford band.

The fans at Ucla altered the national anthem as well. I'm always surprised at how many people who don't take their hats off during the anthem. I was at a dodgers game last year and two dudes got in a fight when one guy asked politely for the other guy to take his hat off.

slotright20;842233609 said:

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You stand with your right hand, cap, or hat over your heart

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From what I have seen this is becoming a thing of the past. Call me what you may, but our flag means a lot to me.