The year of marching band outrage in college football continued this weekend, although on a much more scaled back level compared to what Kansas State got in the middle of earlier this season. The University of Florida marching band has been asked to cease playing a certain stand tune after receiving email complaints about the song leading to Florida students adding the line “Move back you suck” to it.
Florida’s athletics department requested the band to stop playing its “You Can’t Do That” song that was usually played after a penalty on the opposing team. The request was made after the athletics department reportedly received numerous emails complaining about the student cheer that accompanied the song.
“The reason why it’s been stopped is because there have been too many complaints from fans to the athletic department that the student section was saying something else that the fans thought was vulgar and inappropriate,” University of Florida Associate Director of Bands Jay Watkins said in a report by WUFT. “This is a frustrating situation for all and a perfect example of how a few complaints or a few individuals doing the wrong thing negatively affect a great 10-year tradition.”
Florida is not the first SEC school to have its band stop playing a familiar stand tune because the students took it to the extreme. LSU was forced to ban the playing of the catchy “Neck” during games, because students could not help but add in a quick line that was considered vulgar. LSU’s band did play it earlier this season at Mississippi State, but it probably will not be played in Tiger Stadium.
You can ask the bands to stop playing certain songs, but nothing will stop the student sections around the country from coming up with alternative lyrics or new chants to add to pep songs, no matter what song is played. It’s going to happen. Leave it to those immature college students to ruin a good thing. Now get off my lawn!