Sunday, September 20, 2009
One for the old Tigers...
Some tiny fraction of our audience might be interested in the Princeton University Marching Band's pre-game show. Sad to say, the Citadel exacted its revenge on the battlefield gridiron. Let us hope that is our only loss this season to a team called the "Bulldogs."
4 Comments:
By 
MoonPie, at
Sun Sep 20, 03:39:00 PM:
We had a scramble band in Charlottesville, too. Seems a long time ago now.
Sigh.
By 
, at
Sun Sep 20, 07:41:00 PM:
Yeah , but the Iowa Hawkeyes won on Saturday.
That's the other half of "Tigerhawk".
-David
By hnav, at
Mon Sep 21, 12:38:00 AM:
Dear Tigerhawk,
I enjoyed the game. Always a joy to visit Princeton for a game.
However...
Did you catch the halftime show?
I wish you had that on film.
I was rather disappointed, so were a number who attended the game with me, as the Princeton Band made references to South Carolina in a silly attempt at political expression.
The image of playing 'capture the flag' was an obvious implication of the old Civil War - fighting for Grey and Blue flags.
The "Stuck in a Time Warp" hipster tune from the Rockey Horror Picture Show, mixed with the various references made by the Band Announcer, was implying SC State was stuck in a racist mindset - linking the past - with today (* such as opposition to Obama and Democrats being a product of racism).
The Band Announcer's references to "YOU LIE", Strom Thurmond, etc., were not so subtle ploys of an overt political mantra - judgmental of the SC existence.
Sure, the youth may be just having fun, but I felt it was over the top, and was simply not a sign of a decent host - some pleasant sign of hospitality. NO ONE around us applauded - (I was on the Princeton Side by the way). Either the performance was that bad, or they too noticed the amateur attempt at regretful political dogma.
I am well aware of the prior problems with these two schools meeting, and the Princeton Band's controversial past visit to the Citadel.
And certainly, this effort may have been 'tongue n cheek' as at moments it was hard to hear the entire offering. But I thought "PUB" was making a statement, that was trying to be just sly enough to fool all, but it flopped.
The honoring of the 14 Citadel Grads who passed away fighting since 9-11 before the Halftime production by the University's Announcer was admirable, and many clapped in sincere respect.
I just don't know if the halftime production was so overt, provincial, etc., that one should make some issue of it on a larger scale, writing a letter somewhere about it. It wasn't classy or truly creative in a positive sense.
I thought maybe you would have some better insight.
Thank you.
By TigerHawk, at
Wed Sep 23, 03:29:00 AM:
hnav -- just saw this -- been traveling and a little behind.
I actually did film the halftime show, but did not much like it for all the reasons you described and elected not to put it up for that reason. I also thought it was fairly lame. But I have significant southern roots, including in South Carolina, and somewhat bridle at anti-southern snobbery that prevails in the Ivy League.
