Dear Miss Manners:
I was wondering what your thoughts were about this “First Down...Bitch” chant that has apparently been going around Alumni? As a grad in the class of ’08, we didn’t have stuff like this. It’s not even the profanity, it’s just stupid. The chant is not imaginative. It’s not creative. And it’s dumb. You know at some point BC is going to be losing a game, they’re going to get a first down, and the chant is going to come out. At that point, who cares? Look, I applaud the underclassmen and new Eagles for taking initiative and trying to start some new traditions. And it’s not that I’m offended by the language. I’m offended by stupidity and a lack of creativity, both of which this dumb cheer reeks of.
-- Matt '08
Matt:
You captured the problem with this cheer succinctly. It is neither clever nor creative. What ever points the BC students get for originality is negated by the stupidity of the chant. While you may not be offended by the language, there are sure to be plenty of fans who are. Anyone attending a college football game can expect to hear a few offcolor remarks, but a coordinated and consistent chant -- after every first down no less -- is too much. Boston College has an image and an environment that it protects and projects fiercely. Six thousand Superfans yelling "bitch" is not consistent with that image.
The SuperFan movement was organic and came from passionate students. BC grabbed a hold of it and helped turn a few yellow shirts into a tradition. The "First Down...bitch" is as organic. I expect BC to mute it with the same efficiency they helped the original SuperFans.
I am sure some of the "bitch" yellers will view BC and older fans as humorless or grumpy. What they don't realize is that the thousands of people annoyed by their cheer were once sitting in those same student seats. With time, perspective and a little class, they will realize that the "bitch" cheer doesn't belong at Alumni.
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