Rocky Top

[rizolltizide]

I've lost so much sleep over this I gotta go lay down...quick.

 

[Gopher07]

mighty suspiciouis that they pay tribute to a state only after they have won the game and not before the game even started. And someone even brought it up that they went to that same game a few years ago playing arkansas and did not play Rocky Top.

We did not have Rocky Top in our repitoire 2 years ago when we played Arkansas; it was added just recently because a portion of our band was asked to be a Tennessee pep band for their recent NCAA volleyball match on our campus. And as far as why we played it only at the end, I can't answer that question. I, for one, wanted to play it during the battle of the bands.

 

[KayBee]

then your band probably wouldn't have been in condition to attend the game

 

[Scott4UA]

I agree

I think they played it because of winning in the STATE of Tenn. I honestly don't think that they meant it the way that some of the fans took it. They probably are not even aware of the issues between UA and UT.

 

[HighTide03]

I think they played it because of winning in the STATE of Tenn. I honestly don't think that they meant it the way that some of the fans took it. They probably are not even aware of the issues between UA and UT.

How deep in the caves of Afghanistan does one have to go to not be aware of the bad blood between Alabama and Tennessee? Suggesting Minnesota may not have been aware of the issues doesn't give very much credit to Minnesota.

 

[Gopher07]

As far as Minnesotans are concerned, if it ain't hockey, then it ain't worth a damn. Unfortunately, our 6 national championships and countless stars (Bronco Nagurski anyone?) don't mean a thing to our younger generation, and in fact mean less to most people up here than what Randy Moss ate for breakfast. Therefore, Alabama-Tennessee is NEVER talked about up here ... if 'bama is ever mentioned, it's because of the Iron Bowl. Having lived in Ohio, I know what it's like to live in a state that lives and breathes football. Minnesota is not one of them. We (the Gophers) are lucky if we can bring 45k to our games. Compare that to our hockey team, whose season ticket waiting list is over 10 years long, and you'll see where I'm coming from.

 

[KayBee]

minnesota football is not discussed down here but I at least you know you play a game for a big axe

 

[aerosk83]

I don't know whether they played it to spite you guys, but this bad blood about it happened I'm not sure exactly how many years ago, we'll say like 5 (i think it was more). That puts the band members between 13 and 17, and then we will say half of them are girls. Now lets throw in the fact that this is the state of Minnesota we are talking about. So that means to begin with being in the state of Minnesota there isn't a ton of college football interest anyways, than lots of kids in band aren't really avid sports fans, follow that by even less girls in the band are avid sports fans, and then that some of them were 13 years old, I really doubt they cared about what was going on with a rivalry between Tennessee and Alabama.

So though some of you think it's the most rediculous thing you have heard that the members of the band didn't know anything about the rivalry between Alabama and Tennessee, I find it not surprising in the least.

If we would have played you guys in Iowa and you beat us and your school had played the Iowa song, I doubt many members of the band would know about them storming our field a couple years ago and taking down our goal posts and it would have created a little tension.

I'm sorry this action of the band offended some of you, but for those that think it is bs that the band didn't know about the tennessee-bama rivalry, I think you just need to realize that football or sports in general just doesn't matter to some people, and sorry to be stereotypical, but lots of times those people are band members.

 

[CapitalTider]

How deep in the caves of Afghanistan does one have to go to not be aware of the bad blood between Alabama and Tennessee? Suggesting Minnesota may not have been aware of the issues doesn't give very much credit to Minnesota.

"One of the things I notice most about people who follow sports now is that they only follow their own team, so they don't really have a perspective." Michael Wilbon, Washington Post 1/4/2005 (Sorry I only have print edition, so no link).

That is what is going on here. Outside of Alabama and MAYBE some in Tennessee, no one knows about or cares about the bad blood between Alabama and Tennessee. If I didn't read this board and the Alabama newspapers on-line I wouldn't know much about it and I'm an Alabama fan. To think that 18-22 year old band members from Minnesota should know about this is ludicrous. There are plenty of people in the U.S. that do not follow sports, and even if they do, outside of the South do not know much about Coach Bryant, our Rose Bowl victories, all of our national championships, etc. and probably really don't care. Unfortunately the whole country does not obsess about Alabama football.

 

[Gopher07]

Response from UM band director

Though now it seems that it has died down, I felt I should post this for the BAMA nation. This is an e-mail I received from our band director in response to the criticisms voiced on here and other internet message boards -

I wish to offer an apology on behalf of the Minnesota Marching Band.
Our performing "Rocky-Top" was intended as a tribute to Tennessee for
being great hosts, not as an insult to Alabama. Last year at the Sun
Bowl we performed "Yellow Rose to Texas" for the same reason a it was
taken as a touch of class. I was not aware of the history and would
not have performed "Rocky-Top" if I new I was in poor taste.

Again I apologize,

Respectfully,

Jerry Luckhardt
Director of the Minnesota Marching Band

 

[tidehawk]

Though now it seems that it has died down, I felt I should post this for the BAMA nation. This is an e-mail I received from our band director in response to the criticisms voiced on here and other internet message boards -

I wish to offer an apology on behalf of the Minnesota Marching Band.
Our performing "Rocky-Top" was intended as a tribute to Tennessee for
being great hosts, not as an insult to Alabama. Last year at the Sun
Bowl we performed "Yellow Rose to Texas" for the same reason a it was
taken as a touch of class. I was not aware of the history and would
not have performed "Rocky-Top" if I new I was in poor taste.

Again I apologize,

Respectfully,

Jerry Luckhardt
Director of the Minnesota Marching Band

That's about what I thought it to be. Sounds good to me.

 

[lnadell]

There are just simply times when we Alabama fans need to get over ourselves, and there are times such as this thread that make me understand why at times we as a fanbase and team are not well liked by other sports fans, because of this notion that everything football related revolves around us. This stuff involving Alabama and UT does not make it into newspapers outside the southeast and as stated in certain areas of the country they probably have no clue about 99% of the stuff that we live and die on, and I knew from the very start that in no way had Minnesota does this to get at us, and I'm embarrassed that apparently some Alabama fan sent an e-mail to their band director are we that big of cry-babies?

 

[jeremy]

.

This stuff involving Alabama and UT does not make it into newspapers outside the southeast

I think you under estimate the power of the internet. My uncle in Seattle knew about it. And no, he does not follow Alabama football.

 

[chris]

you tell 'em laura! :biggrin:

 

[rizolltizide]

Alright. You got your apology. Can we drop it now? Sheesh!

 

[lnadell]

Jeremy the difference is you can find out anything you want to know on the internet if your looking for it, the point being made is that Minnesota fans barely even care about Minnesota football so why it is Alabama fans think they would go out of their way to bone up on the history of Alabama and UT is beyond me.

 

[BocaLance]

Amazing!

I was as shocked as anyone to hear "Rocky Top" playing after the game, but ... geeez, folks, Alabama fans "taunt" the opposite team with "Rammer Jammer ... we just beat the hell out of you" after our wins.

Let's get over it.

 

[Nash-Bama]

They should have played Tennessee Waltz which is the original and REAL state song. Rocky Top was just added sometime in the last 20 years, I believe maybe when Ned Ray McWherter was governor, I can't remember for sure. I would never have taken offense if that had been played.

 

[KayBee]

hard to except an apology when a band leader of all people writes "Yellow Rose to Texas" in stead of "Yellow Rose OF Texas"

and I still say that if you were paying tribute to a state you would have played it before the game and probably during the game....I am not sold

 

[Nash-Bama]

hard to except an apology when a band leader of all people writes "Yellow Rose to Texas" in stead of "Yellow Rose OF Texas"

and I still say that if you were paying tribute to a state you would have played it before the game and probably during the game....I am not sold

My husband got that same email reply from the band director too. He had several misspellings, etc. in it. Makes me wonder about the education up there.

I'm not sold either.