The University of Texas also made headlines this fall after the Longhorn marching band opted not to play its fight song “The Eyes of Texas'’ at a game against Baylor. In June, the University of Florida banned its “Gator Bait” cheer at all home games. In the GOP primary earlier this year, Judson Sapp, a Florida Republican who lost a 10-way race to replace representative Ted Yoho, even campaigned on rescuing Gator Bait.
Some Gator fans have protested the decision to discontinue the tradition, saying that there’s nothing racist about the chant. UF school president Kent Fuchs explained the ban by noting the “horrific historic racist imagery associated with the phrase”. Some Florida tourist spots even sold postcards depicting African-Americans being attacked by alligators. Historians say black children were used as bait to lure alligators in the 19th century, and the term “alligator bait” was also used as a racial slur. In June, the University of Florida banned its “Gator Bait” cheer at home games. But universities are now discovering that even seemingly innocuous fight songs and fan-friendly chants aren’t safe from their problematic histories.
Cheers for blue team color war free#
Two generations ago, Confederate battle flags flew free in the stands of Southeastern Conference games and marching bands proudly played “Dixie” – the Confederacy’s unofficial anthem. University of Alabama history professor John Beeler says he isn’t aware of a direct correlation, but he wouldn’t be surprised if it were true.Īt a time when Black Lives Matter protests have sparked a scrubbing or contextualizing of campuses’ Confederate iconography, many universities south of the Mason-Dixon line are now grappling with school traditions more subtle than larger-than-life Robert E Lee statues or “stars-and-bars” rebel flags. “Roll Alabama Roll” definitely inspired “Roll Tide”, says Joe Ringhoffer, a former commander of the Semmes Camp 11 of the SCV. They’re the century-old nonprofit group responsible for funding the construction of hundreds of Confederate memorials all over the south. Yes, according to the Alabama Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. Is it just a coincidence that the university’s fight song “Yea Alabama” calls for “Dixie’s football pride” to send Georgia Tech’s Yellow Jackets “to a watery grave?” Does the “Roll Tide Roll” rallying cry come from “Roll Alabama Roll?” That one-on-one skirmish is the most famous naval battle in Civil War history and is immortalized in a French impressionist Manet painting.
It’s a late 19th-century song – an elegy of sorts – that mourns the sinking of the Alabama, a Confederate raiding ship, by the Union warship Kearsarge. There’s some circumstantial evidence to suggest that it was adapted from an old sea shanty called “Roll Alabama Roll”. The history of the phrase, as well as the creation myth behind the Crimson Tide’s nickname, is murky at best. Pick out particular words that stand out to you, add or remove words, add numbers, or change up the spelling to create a name that’s unique and personal.But it may also have forgotten Confederate origins. If you don’t find your perfect cheer squad name above, you can use our names as a jumping-off point for inspiration. Adapt some of the choices on our list.You might even want to take suggestions from the team or take a vote on which words are most reflective of your aura. Build a team name off of a word that reflects your team as a whole. Think about your team members’ strengths and talents. Pick a word that describes your cheer team collectively.Start by making a list of words that your team finds motivating and inspiring you can look up synonyms to create an even wider range of possibilities. Consider positive and uplifting words like “elite” and “fearless” to project a great vibe for your cheer squad.
Use words that have uplifting meanings.Your cheer team name should be bold and powerful.Ĭreate your own cheer squad name using the following tips: Cheerleading isn’t just waving pom-poms around - it’s a sport that takes a lot of discipline and skill.
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