Confession: I Hate The Seven Nation Army Cheer at OPACY

[Can_of_corn]

No. People hear the lyrics wrong...

http://www.amiright.com/misheard/song/sevennationarmy.shtml

Wow folks hear I'm going to Baltimore out of that line?

[Can_of_corn]

It works as a sports chant. The only reason I don't like it is because it reminds me of how little I like Jack White/The White Stripes music. Yes, it would be preferable to have a unique, fan created song, but I feel like in this day and age it's almost impossible for that to catch on to the point where a large majority of the stadium is participating. Damned 21st century, globalization, technologization, etc.

Blunderbuss is, to date, the best album of the decade.

[Mayor McCheese]

Wow folks hear I'm going to Baltimore out of that line?

The way they say it. If you did not know the line it does sound like Bal-ta-moh

[lovetoaster]

Blunderbuss is, to date, the best album of the decade.

[video=youtube;pWdd6_ZxX8c]

[brianod]

Gotta call minor BS on this one. Steeler fans did not invade Baltimore for years. They had a presence at memorial for the first two years and maybe the first few years at M&T. They haven't had a noticeable presence (more than 5-10% of the stadium) in about 12 years.

Also, Steeler fans in Pittsburgh are actually really friendly. Very easy stadium to watch the Ravens in. Much tougher for Steeler fans in Baltimore, unfortunately.

It's not something people realize, but ravens fans travel as well or better than steeler fans at this point.

BS. The top two traveling fan bases are #1 Green Bay and #2 Steelers. Ravens fans don't compare to either when it comes to traveling. There must have been 25,000 Packer fans in Ravens stadium last year and Pittsburgh usually has about 15,000

[atomic]

So, my anger at the Seven Nation Army cheer has been simmering ever since it first appeared at OPACY in 2012. If it was there before then, I don't remember it. It certainly wasn't present in what I'll call the lean years in the 2000s.

Here are my issues:

#1 - I view this as a Ravens cheers and a Maryland Terps cheer. It seems that the cheer only surfaced at OPACY was in 2012, when the bandwagon fans who weren't in the stand the prior 14 years decided to include the Orioles back into their sports lives.

#2 - The chant is often started at what seem to me to be inappropriate times. Specifically, the chant often comes before we have delivered the proverbial "dagger." I am not a believer in the "jinx," but I also view this cheer as a definitive "We Have Destroyed You" cheer, so why are people doing it before the real damage has been done?

My irritation at hearing this cheer at OPACY is rivaled only by my dislike of the wave and small children in attendance.

Am I the only one who despises the Seven Nation Army cheer?

Obviously people like it or wouldn't be doing it. I like it and I also like the wave. And small children at the game is not an issue to me. You sound grumpy. Anyway all of these will continue to happen and there is nothing you can do about it so best bet is to lighten up and join in.

[notfast]

I hate it and so do my Orioles fan friends.

Not the ones who became fans in the past 24 months.

[weams]

Blunderbuss is, to date, the best album of the decade.

Or maybe two.

[atomic]

I hate it and so do my Orioles fan friends.

Not the ones who became fans in the past 24 months.

So you were the three guys who used to attend games.

[MurphDogg]

BS. The top two traveling fan bases are #1 Green Bay and #2 Steelers. Ravens fans don't compare to either when it comes to traveling. There must have been 25,000 Packer fans in Ravens stadium last year and Pittsburgh usually has about 15,000

I agree with your overall thesis though I think your numbers are a little high. I somewhat object to calling those two teams the top traveling fan bases though. It isn't like everybody is jumping in their Winnebago in Wisconsin and headed to Baltimore, those two teams just have more fans spread out nationally. Mostly because those teams were successful 40 years ago, and a lot of people either used to live there or their family lives there or used to live there and they are 200+ miles away and the only chance to see "their team" is on the road.

[PeteU]

I don't mind it.

True, as many others have pointed out, the song is far from being a Ravens/Baltimore thing. Many teams fans have tried it to moderate degrees of success.

That being said, at least in terms of American pro sports franchises, the Ravens are more associated with the song than any other team. If you recall watching the Super Bowl, or even the playoff games in Denver and New England, you could definitely hear it very clear from the visiting contingent of Ravens fan. So despite the non-exclusivity of the song, I think the Ravens have burnt more of their identity into it than any other team, at least stateside. So I see nothing wrong taking it across the parking lot into Oriole Park, given the large crossover fanbase.

Funny story.....last year I was at the Ravens-Dolphins game down here in Miami. I believe the Heat used the chant during their championship run, and the Dolphins sought to carry it over to their games right before kickoff. Except there was a very large and sizeable contingent of visiting Ravens fans at the stadium, so once it begun playing, the Ravens fans started to get into it, far moreso than the Dolphins fans.

Like the Italians and pasta, the Seven Nation Army chant was not native to Baltimore. But Baltimorians have sought hard to make it their own.

[brianod]

I'll join the grumpy old man side with my hatred of the wave. People ignore what is going on on the field to be a part of it. Fans are there to enjoy themselves but they are also there to help the team win by paying attention and being into the game. Nothing burns my butt more than people doing the wave in a close game when we are in the pennant race.

[Samatwing]

Moved to Baltimore from the south 6 years ago. I frequently heard the chant at multiple SEC football and basketball games before moving up here. That's why I find it funny when Ravens fans claim it as their chant. Song came out in 2003. That being said, it's still exciting when the Os score and the crowd goes nuts with it.

[crowmst3k!]

I like fun things.

SNA is a fun thing.

[Odenton O]

I like hearing it at O's games. Yeah, it's not unique to the Ravens, but it was the Ravens who popularized it here in Baltimore. Then O's fans picked it up too. I like seeing that kind of cross-pollenation between the fan bases. We're all Baltimore fans, it's nice to have some common traditions across teams.

You know what I really love? When the Ravens go on the road in the play-offs, and you hear the "O!" during the national anthem in Miami, or in New England. That's awesome, and always a great indication of how well the team travels. Would I want Ravens fans to stop doing that just because it's an Orioles tradition? Heck no.

Besides, the "OOOOOO" chant sounds perfect for Orioles games. If anyone should be using it, it's us.