"It's Time To Get Rid Of Marching Band Halftime Show"

[Ghost]

The band is better than the football team at Illinois!

Probably the same comparison at UMass.

[Liahona]

Fox Sports Clay Travis has an interesting "solution" to shortening college football games..

The comments are great!

http://foxsportsradio.iheart.com/onair/outkick-the-coverage-with-clay-travis-58002/its-time-to-get-rid-of-15185958/

This is one of my favorites....

Let's get rid of you, instead.

Marching bands are an integral part of the college football experience.

Those young people work hard to create an entertaining halftime program

and what they offer is far more interesting and entertaining than talking heads

such as you. They also add to the spirit and high energy atmosphere in the

stadiums. Stop floating this idea, before someone stuffs you in a tuba!

[HockeyDad]

There are some schools.... Ohio State and Texas A&M come to mind, among others.... where the football fans might riot if their bands could not perform at halftime!!!

There are other schools where the band is so popular they named their post game performance the 5th quarter.

[Fran Haring]

The band is better than the football team at Illinois!

Heck...right now, INT is better than the football team at Rutgers. LOL

Signed,

A long-suffering RU fan

Edited October 14, 2016 by Fran Haring

[Terri Schehr]

Heck...right now, INT is better than the football team at Rutgers. LOL

Signed,

A long-suffering RU fan

Rutgers plays the Illini tomorrow. Clash of the titans.

[Fran Haring]

Rutgers plays the Illini tomorrow. Clash of the titans.

If there's a game that should be allowed to end in a tie, it's this one. LOL

[BassClefTristan]

Probably the same comparison at UMass.

Murray State University as well.

[garfield]

Haven't read past the first post, but listened to his words and read some comments - mostly band moms (and dads, and a few performers) whining about not getting any recognition...blah, blah, blah. This again.

I'm so tired of this argument after sustaining the battle for over 50 years. When will band people stop falling into the trap of defending their worth to the bully sports people... ughh. It all gets so-o-o boring.

This is a non-issue, and the band community should not be drawn into some battle of worth with the bullies who are looking for someone to pound on to demonstrate their superiority. I don't know this jerk at all, but I do know this type of jerk. He's an idiot. The backlash alone should be what the activity focuses on, and maybe blacklisting the buffoon's eye and making him pay for it financially, just for fun.

The support groups in favor of the band, WE all know - those of us inside the band activity, know - what the average football fan knows: that in many cases, the halftime and "fight song" support that the band contributes to creating "that college experience" is better than the teams are doing during a miserably-boring football challenge. When they start selling fewer tickets to their football "competition" because their product sucks, and because their "experience" forces them to adjust their tolerance of what product is put on the screen monitor while the teams are taking a break in the locker room. It did take a Mom to point out to him that football teams will still be in the locker room while they run commercials or demonstrate their football brilliance. While their kids' heads are being smashed into concussion... Let the product sell itself. Keep the focus on the product.

Buffoons like this one have come and gone many times over the years and there's no doubting the statistics and measurements that show that the most successful football programs place significant energy on cultivating the relationship of ALL of the players in creating that "football experience", not kicking any to the curb out of desperation to talk about any OTHER than concussions. This guy's a pawn.

The music community is magnitudes bigger than this numb-skull realizes, and any significant effort to get the music kids off the field will rouse a tremendous level of support, both financial and PR. Guys like this were the class clowns who were, at one time, the fringe and mostly ignored. This one won't be much different. He's probably not knowledgeable enough to know that he's only the most recent wolf to be thrown up against lions.

Now I'll go read the rest of the comments for fun, and wait impatiently for some word from the auditions happening this weekend.

Sorry, I'll go get some coffee.

Edited October 16, 2016 by garfield

[garfield]

There are some schools.... Ohio State and Texas A&M come to mind, among others.... where the football fans might riot if their bands could not perform at halftime!!!

Yea, and in this we must all refocus the argument. There are many more than those, especially the teams in the bottom-half of the typical season. The band, the experience, the party...it's not always the team that creates that for students to, literally, "buy" into.

[garfield]

And some schools like Jacksonville State where the band often performs after the game (due to HS Band Day, Southerners Reunion, special guest bands, etc.). And still they play to packed stands.

I love it that the Music and Athletic departments at JSU have a great relationship and mutual respect for each other.

And me, with THE Ohio State Univ and TBDBITL. Their style and tradition is quirky and fun and works perfectly for them, and their support network is H-U-G-E. Everyone knows it because the product draws thousands each home-Saturday to pack St. John's Arena to watch ONLY the bands for about 40 minutes before the game. The desire to be among those who get a spot inside is simply and strictly the quality of the product that they put "on the field" of that floor.