The Great Debate |
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Which U tradition is more meaningful? |
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Ute Walk outshines other traditions |
Fight song most valued fan favorite |
 Utah’s team bus arrived at the corner of 500 South and Guardsman Way two and a half hours before game time, the same as it has for every home game since 2007. The doors opened and Ute players emerged to see hundreds of screaming fans amped for the season opener. This was the scene I witnessed at the Ute Walk before the Aug. 29 game against Utah State. Players and coaches made their way to the stadium through a gauntlet of Utah faithful, the path punctuated by cheerleaders and the band. All were sending the Utes good vibes for their upcoming battle while taking an opportunity to connect with the athletes through high fives, pats on the back and words of encouragement. While it’s still a new tradition at Utah, the Ute Walk is something that bears a lot more meaning to players, coaches and fans than the old, outdated fight song does. The fight song has been around since 1904, and there’s no doubt it’s a fan favorite. It’s safe to say that not everyone knows the words, but they have a good time clapping along and screaming “Go Utes” at the end. It definitely gets the people going — for a moment. The Ute Walk, on the other hand, can have an effect that resonates with fans for a lifetime. For a young sports enthusiast, getting a chance to high-five Travis Wilson, Dres Anderson or Bubba Poole is something he or she won’t soon forget. No one had a chance to connect with Alex Smith at the Ute Walk, because it didn’t exist while he was at Utah. But I guarantee that people who had any kind of connection with Smith at the U were reminiscing about that bond when he led the Kansas City Chiefs to their fourth-straight win last weekend. The next time a former Ute makes an impact in the NFL, there will be people who remember high-fiving him at the Ute Walk. Not only does the Ute Walk give fans a chance to create lasting memories, but it also gives Utah players an extra boost heading into their upcoming contest. Kyle Whittingham has never shied away from saying how important fan support is to Utah’s success, and the Ute Walk establishes that support well before kickoff. I’m sure the fight song doesn’t get players’ blood pumping before the game like a mob of anxious onlookers enthusiastically yelling and cheering does. To have a respectable football program, you need to have unique traditions. Texas A&M has the midnight yell, Florida State has the flaming spear, Notre Dame is fraught with tradition and Clemson has Howard’s Rock and the Hill. Until recent years, Utah has been lagging on game-day rituals. We’ve had the fight song since 1904, but seriously, what school doesn’t have a fight song? It’s the newer customs at the U that make the Rice-Eccles experience unique. I’m pretty sure no other team has a Crazy Lady dance at every game or a fourth quarter drum or a third down jump. Even more important than a tradition being distinguishable, though, is it being mutually beneficial to both players and fans. The Ute Walk accomplishes that better than the fight song ever does, and it always will. |
 Utah’s football program is full of traditions that fans love to see at every game. From Swoop to the annual blackout, from the Ute Walk to the drum routine before the 4th quarter, these are all things fans have grown to expect and appreciate throughout the years. The greatest tradition, though, is one of the most recognizable of the bunch, and that is the “Utah Man” fight song. Every school in the nation has its own fight song, and traditionally, these songs are played after that respective team scores. Some of the more popular songs are from Notre Dame, Michigan and Oregon. While not everyone in the nation would know “Utah Man” when it is played, when heard in this state, and especially Salt Lake City, everyone knows whose song it is. When I first came to Utah after transferring from another school, I felt so out of place at my first Utes game. It was last season’s opener against Northern Colorado, which is not the most dominant team in the world. So Utah, like it should have, was scoring a lot. Therefore, the fight song was being played a lot. I felt like an idiot not knowing the song and just standing there, but let me tell you, I immediately began to like it. It wasn’t just a song that the band played without response from fans. Every Utes fan knew to stand up, clap in time to the music and sing the words. To be honest, it isn’t the easiest song to learn, but yet every student in the MUSS — and all the other Utah fans in the stadium, for that matter — knew the words and sang in support of their team. I understand some of the issues in the past with this song, but really, get over it. People have claimed that it is outdated, sexist and offensive, among other things. Move on. This song has been customized and changed to fit the Utes, and if it was changed even the slightest bit from how it is now, the entire song would be ruined. Vice presidents of the school have tried to change the lyrics in the past, but quite frankly, it just wasn’t right. This should show the importance and the value that Utah fans place in the song. So please, leaders of the university and angry fans who need to get their head straight, just leave it alone. The fight song is perfect and the best tradition Utah has. Every touchdown or field goal scored just would not feel right if Ute fans couldn’t sing loud and proud, “A Utah Man am I.” |
Great Debate: Which U tradition is more meaningful?
October 1, 2013