Let's Start A Chant
by gotsparkly on Dec 5, 2009 8:56 AM EST
33 comments
There have been a lot of pixels on the Rink lately devoted to cheers and chants ... or more specifically, the ones that either the Rats don't like or the ones that are used inappropriately (there have been a good smattering of both lately). While there has been some discussion of what we do like from college / minors and other stadiums, that's been drowned in comments of a critical and disapproving nature.
Without getting into a discussion of who is or isn't overly uptight about such things, my momma taught me that when you're faced with something you don't like or don't approve of, you've got two choices: b**** about it or do something about it. For all the complaints about the "All Your Fault" chant, at least they're doing something besides making random noise. So, if we don't like what they're doing, then maybe we should do something ourselves. Both of the Rink's previous initiatives to make our opinions known (red poncho love, Free Alex) have been well-received by the media, so why not try it?
I personally like the "who cares" chant after an opposing goal and will join it myself at the next game. But I'd like to see us start one of our own instead of just complaining about other people's. Here's a few ideas, and I'd love to see yours contributed in the comments.
- When an opposing player goes into the penalty box, they need to be showered with a little (verbal) love. Maybe a "you can't do that *clap, clap, clap clap clap* or a "na na na na, na na na na, hey hey, goodbye".
- Last minute of a game, if we're up by more than one goal, or after an empty-net goal that ices the game, pull out your keys and shout "Start the bus! Start the bus!" while shaking them.
- We need a goal song or a goal chant of some kind. I don't have a lot of ideas here - anyone? Bueller?
- I don't have a problem with sing-songing the goalie's name when we're up or tied - as long as it's the right goalie.
- Anything else you guys can think of?
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Start the bus would be amazing. I don’t think we could pull it off though, because most fans are just screaming nonsense if the Caps are about to win. The end of the game would be the hardest time to start a chant, but the coolest.
And a new “Ref you suck” chant is needed. I can’t think of anything, but ref you suck is too boring.
My favorite for that is Hershey’s approach: B-U-L-L-S-H--T BULLSHT! I don’t know that that would catch on at the VC though, because of the language issue.
“Ref you suck” is short, sweet, and to the point, and surprisingly effective when 18,000 people are shouting it at the top of their lungs.
FЯEE ALEX
Don’t people in Philly just say “ASSSSHOOOOLLLLEEEEEE, ASSSHHHOOOLLEEEE”? I like that one.
"Alex Ovechkin makes Chad Johnson look like he's reading the paper."
(sung to clementine)
who’s your father, who’s your father, referee
you don’t have one, never knew one, you’re a bastard, referee
My baby has a play-pen/sleeper that plays clementine and I can’t get that chant out of my head. sometimes I accidentally sing it to him.
Plenty of people read this blog. An attack against a particular opposing player could easily be organized ahead of time. I don’t know, like everybody crying “Waah Waah Waah” at Sidney Crosby, or shouting “Bozo!” at Scottie Hartnell.
Sample post:
Hey everybody, the word of the night is “Troll!”. Make sure you let Jon Sim hear it tonight!
This doesn’t have to be limited to players. Is Hitch’s girth out of bounds? Or McCreary’s porn-stache?
Maybe there’s a poll beforehand so that a general consensus can be reached.
I don't have a problem with sing-songing the goalie's name when we're up or tied - as long as it's the right goalie.
I dunno! “Hex-staaaaaal” works for me in almost all situations. It’s kind of the all-purpose, anti-any-goalie, you’re-a-chump whoever you are, just as Hextall was. (Reminds me of a time, back in the Dark Days, when the Pen-Gweens were in town and the arena was full of all manner of frightful Appalachian hillbillies. And here was this one female specimen with bleach-blonde hair and inch-wide black roots, in a LeMeow Gweens’ jersey, with an IQ of (and I an rounding upward here) 12. They had just scored a goal against us (it was probably against Olie) and she gleefully began the “Hex-staaaaaal” chant. It was surreal in it’s inappropriateness. Kind of defined the archetypal Gween Fan for me, forever: blockhead.)
I like the “start the bus” and “you cant do that – – – - -” chants.
But i’m also a fan of soccer style chants that dont necessarily have words requiring enunciation or endings to the chant (ala "ole, ole ole ole, ole, ole – (hard to actually type)). A few years back I was at a non hockey game and they did the “mortal combat” / “i like to move it” tune over and over and over. No words, just fun. Then again, hard to start up and sustain if it’s not an already established tradition.
Last minute of a game, if we’re up by more than one goal, or after an empty-net goal that ices the game, pull out your keys and shout “Start the bus! Start the bus!” while shaking them.
I do like this one, but if you’re going for an original chant I’ve heard a bunch of colleges use the “warm up the bus” chant. Not that we shouldn’t use it, just sayin’ is all.
Of all our iniquities ignorance may be the worst
Sports broadcasts are very good at picking up MVP chants. I have to think that should become a lock for AO goals.
Beyond that, something easily picked up by the masses, yet unique, would rock. Duke’s crowd-monotone-jumping-chant comes to mind as an excellent example.
Winterion Game Studios
Visit us online at : http://winterion.com
You think that belongs to Duke? I’m almost offended. Anyway, that would never have the same effect in an NHL arena that it would for a college student section standing right on the court.
by sixsevenfiftysix on Dec 5, 2009 4:25 PM EST up reply actions
I’m with you here, I thought that happened in every college basketball arena. It even happened in my high school. Anyways, this idea is pretty interesting, it would be neat to see something like this during special teams, like a power-play or penalty kill. Not sure which one would be more effective though, if at all.
"Alex Ovechkin makes Chad Johnson look like he's reading the paper."
I mean, the thought is that it disrupts the offense, but in terms of hockey that hardly makes any sense. You’re much more isolated from the crowd than college basketball players are (let alone the fact that it’s not like you’re going to get the ten-fifteen rows of people closest to the glass to do it, period).
by sixsevenfiftysix on Dec 5, 2009 5:07 PM EST up reply actions
Didn't we just have another one of these threads a few days ago?
Something about starting English Football type chants at the games? And I’ve seen this same sentiment in other boards and sites I used to visit. Hell, I even started a couple threads on this exact topic.
There always seems to be plenty of enthusiasm and then no execution.
Why? Probably b/c no one here wants to come up with something and have it either not go anywhere or outright derided. It’s clear to see that not everyone here likes some of the chants that already are at the VC, so why would someone even try to start a new one?
If this is going to actually happen – everyone first needs to take the stick out of their ass and step off of their pillar and stop judging others outbursts of enthusiasm. Don’t like a chant, stop whining and come up with something better. Have an idea for one? Be brave and yell it loud and proud at the next game. If it is good, pretty soon folks around you will join in, then your section, then the arena.
Or organize beforehand, either with your friends or if you really want to try something – see if you can get the in game entertainment folks to help out.
Let’s make VC the loudest, most hostile arena in the NHL.
You may have noticed that the organizing part is exactly what I’m trying to do. Perhaps you’d like to help.
FЯEE ALEX
I think you pretty much need a section of the arena to get on board with one of these. I think that’s how the “It’s All Your Fault” thing got started, at least according to Dan Steinberg.
If that came across as snark I didn’t mean it. What I meant was to get the people sitting around you, your “VC friends and family” as it were to buy into starting a chant before the game starts.
I would gladly like to help, just let me know what to say and when to say it — and hopefully I won’t be the only one saying it.
by Gin and Tonic on Dec 7, 2009 12:59 PM EST up reply actions
I still think this chant could work:
Goal scored by his excellency, Alex Ovechkin!
Calder!
Hart!
Pearson!
Richard!
Ross!
Hart!
Pearson!
Richard!
Atta dinnin stick a who!
When they are called for roughing or something we could say, oh no you didn’t!
by washfan29 on Dec 5, 2009 11:17 PM EST via mobile reply actions
I think ironic cheers are the most memorable – though it’s tough to get all 18000 on board for them.
I will never forget this one – at BU, we were in Hockey East with UMass-Lowell in the early 90s. Lowell’s jersey was basically the Rangers’ blue road jersey, except it said “Lowell” diagonally (or something like that). At that time, Lowell was a bottom-feeding team, and the games when they visited were often one-sided blowouts for BU. At one, the bored crowd began chanting “Nineteen forty! bum-bum-bum-bum-bum Nineteen forty!” It was hilarious.
Not sure what a similar angle for the Caps would be, but wanted to share that memory.
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