Should Fum's Song be censored?
That was supposed to change last season. The athletic department decided to resurrect a video of a rally cry originally made and performed by the late Thurman "Fum" McGraw, a former three-sport All-American and athletic director for the Rammies. The video worked to perfection. Drunken college students giddily sang along with equally enthusiastic middle-aged alumni as they pumped up the football team between the third and fourth quarters of every home game. Players were happy, fans were happy, alumni were happy, everyone was happy. Apparently, somewhere in the bowels of the Fum McGraw athletic offices during the offseason, a group of sports officials decided that after a one-year revival, "Fum's Song" would no longer be shown on the big screen. The song, which refers to Colorado College as "sissy boys" and students at Colorado School of Mines as "drunkards" apparently went against CSU's goal of a family-friendly atmosphere at games. The closing line -- "Before I see my son in Boulder, I'd see my son in hell" -- was not a favorite of the athletic department. Apparently, old men are not allowed to say "sissies" on the big screen, but it is fine for college students to chant obscenities. This is where the story takes a weird turn. The athletic department decided not to tell anyone about their decision to cut "Fum's Song." However, the word did leak down to football players who were pretty pissed at the decision. Running back Kyle Bell, last seen averaging more than 100 yards per game during his sophomore season, wanted to get the news out in the best avenue he knew: Facebook. As fast as you can say "politically correct," a movement began. On Saturday night, Bell started a group called "They banned Fum's Song at football games ... screw it, we'll sing it anyway." By Sunday night, the group had 600 members and rising, while Ram alumni and boosters started hearing the rumors on Ramnation.com, an unofficial fan site. By Tuesday, the student government had called an emergency session. An online petition for reinstatement of the song attracted 800 signatures, and almost every student on campus was mobilizing. Gary Ozzello, the athletic department's media relations director, said that some opposition to the demise of Fum's Song was expected, but the school had simply decided to go in another direction and that similar decisions are made throughout the year. His response is not good enough for most students, who do not understand the removal of a song that had offended only a handful of people. Bell did not expect to lead a mini-revolution, but he feels that the song has value because it really does get the football team pumped up. "It's a school pride thing," he says. "When we are standing out there on the field between the third and fourth quarter, it's an adrenaline boost. It brings a kind of energy back to the game." As of Tuesday afternoon, the Facebook revolution was rolling like a snowball down a Colorado slope. T-shirts with FUM U on the front and the song's lyrics on the back are being made. Flyers are being printed in hope of making the song a permanent tradition, but Ozello said that he didn't think it would be played this season on the scoreboard. CSU is known nationally for two things: a pretty good football program led by head coach Sonny Lubick and drinking. Party pooping has apparently been added to that illustrious list. This story was written By Mike Donovan, a junior at Colorado State. Is Fum's Song offensive? Read the lyrics below and give us your two cents. FUM'S SONG I'll sing you a song of college days And tell you where to go Aggies' where knowledge is, Boulder spends your dough. C.C. for your sissy boys, Utah for your times, D.U. for your ministers, For drunkards, School of Mines Don't send my boy to Wyoming U., A dying mother said; Don't send my boy to Brigham Young, I'd rather see him dead, But send him to the ole Aggies, 'Tis better than Cornell, Before I'd see him in Boulder, I'd see my son in Hell! Best Places to Watch College Football
In our Miami road trip story, we declared The Rat – an on-campus restaurant packed with students -- as the best place in Coral Gables to watch a Hurricanes home game. At California, Golden Bears fans rave about the view from Tight Wad Hill, located behind Memorial Stadium. At Iowa, Joe’s Place is the bar of choice for the Hawkeye faithful. Now we want to hear from you. What other locations are ideal for checking out your favorite team? Heisman Predictions
Not only does the Tigers' running back have a nifty "Irons for Heisman" webpage, he averaged nearly 150 yards per game during final six weeks of last season on his way to the SEC rushing title. He has a strong offensive line (three returning starters) and a strong quarterback (Brandon Cox) who will prevent teams from stacking the line to stop him. Our only concern is the tendency of Coach Tommy Tubberville to play two backs (see Carnell Williams and Ronnie Brown), but we think that Irons' superior talent will force Tubberville to play him every down. So that's our pick. We know it's out of the box and that's the way we like it. Who's your Heisman favorite? Mid-major Heisman Favorites
Instead, we want to talk about Heisman favorites from mid-major schools. Our favorite is Northern Illinois running back Garrett Wolfe. He can put his name on the radar when he goes against Ohio State (and its rebuilding defense) in Week 1, and pad his rushing totals in early match-ups against Ohio, Buffalo, Indiana State and Ball State. Who are the other top mid-major players from this year's crop of Heisman contenders?  |
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