By Mike Blake
Sports Editor
Let’s talk sports music.
Little gets a sports crowd as energized as great sports music in the background or at halftime. Many people think all high school marching bands sound alike – must be all the brass – but your local high school band is the best … it is ALWAYS THE BEST.
The brass, the bass drum, the marching formations, the uniforms. The fans cheering and the smell of hot dogs in the air. Little can compete with the magic of high school football energy, fan loyalty, sounds, sights and aromas.
On the college level, there are some bands that stand out. The controversial Leland Stanford JV Marching band Cardinal band is historically creative and iconoclastic – they are the banned band, having been disciplined numerous times for their actions, but they sound good. The University of Southern California Trojan marching band has been featured in “The Naked Gun,” “Forrest Gump” and other films.
Locally, the Ohio State University matching band is one of the largest all-brass and percussion bands and is famous for drills as making Michael Jackson moonwalk across the field, or Link’s trusty steed Epona (from the "Legend of Zelda" video games) gallop towards the end-zone.
The Ohio U. Marching 110 is named in honor of the original 110 members of the band, which is now 245 members strong. Today, the 110 represents the “110% effort” that goes into memorizing music, drill and performing.
And then there are the sports anthems that rock stadiums and get those in attendance, stomping, cheering, dancing and singing. My favorites include “We Will Rock You” (Queen's “We Are The Champions”), “Don’t Stop Believing,” “Mortal Kombat,” “Gonna Fly Now” and, when a player gets ejected or sacked, “Another One Bites the Dust.”
At other events, sports music often takes center stage. Who doesn’t like it when an opposing pitcher is taken out and your home team PA system plays ““Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye”?
OK … your assignment: Let me know what your favorite marching band is and why … and what sports anthems do YOU move and groove to at the game?
Perfection and near perfection
We reported a hole-in-one last week on the golf course, and this week, we report perfection and a hair from perfection – twice. In a Monday 4x4 League game Sept. 7 at Redskin Lanes, Blake French and Matt Spears BOTH rolled 299s – more on Matt Spears in a moment. Well done … too bad we couldn’t get that last pin to blow over … turn the air conditioning up a bit before next game. I would have rolled a 300 my last big game on the alley if only 56 more pins would have fallen down. I must have had 12 bad racks. Well, it has been a good month for Matt Spears, who followed up his 299 on Sept. 7 with a 300-game Sept. 14 at Redskin Lanes. This time, that last pin was no match for the ball. Well done, Matt. So what’s in store for next week …a 301? Maybe with that last roll, a pin in another lane will fall as well.
Another ace
I received a hand-written note celebrating a hole-in-one hit by Roland Hanna on Aug. 8, at the 151-yard fourth hole at The Links at Echo Springs. Hanna’s 7-wood did the trick, and his shot was witnessed by Larry Salva, John Ewalt and Shaun Whithead. Well hit. Well done.
See you next time.
