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HISTORY OF MUSIC AT SPORTING EVENTS The Ancient Greeks intently tied the performance of music to sporting events, particularly at their quadrenniel Olympic games. :"The extent to which cultural elements were included in the Pan-Hellenic games is enlightening. At several festivals, including Delphi, Isthmia and Athens, music played a prominent role in the athletic contests." The revival of the Olympic games in 1896 also incorporated music into the festivities surrounding the competitions. On March 25 of that year, "the Philharmonic Orchestra played the National Anthem and the first Olympic Hymn , written by poet Kostis Palamas and set to music by the well-known Greek composer Spiros Samaras ." ASSOCIATION OF SONGS WITH SPORTING EVENTS Certain songs have historically been associated with particular sporting events. Fans of the home team at collegiate athletic events may serenade the losing visitors with a song recorded by Steam , titled '' Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye) '', with its familiar refrain, "na na, na na na na, hey, hey, hey, goodbye." The Queen standards '' We Will Rock You '' and '' We Are The Champions '' have also become common fare at sporting events, as has Gary Glitter 's '' Rock And Roll (Part 2) ''. Most collegiate sports are accompanied by a Band that plays Brass and Drum Instrumental Music designed to accentuate the experience. Basketball music At NBA games, repetative Organ music is played at key points of the game. For example, the announcers often play a "charge" Bugle call to accompany the home team entering the visitor's side of the court with possession of the ball. A different theme is used to encourage the home team in defense of their own side of the court. Many NBA teams now play a particular theme to accompany the home team taking the court to begin the game. The NCAA does not use organ music, but in many larger Division I schools, a smaller jazz band plays at games (as compared to the full-size football marching bands). However, during a 2004 game between Michigan State University and the University Of Kentucky at Ford Field , both teams' full football marching bands played. Baseball music '' Take Me Out To The Ball Game '' is often sung at Major League Baseball games, and play of the sport in most venues has been accompanied by an Organist for nearly a century. In the modern evolution of the sport, many athletes now have "theme songs" that are played when they come up to bat. Slate notes that Major League Baseball players "can pick several songs as personal themes for their plate appearances, sometimes a rotation of four different tracks a game." Indeed, in 2004 , the Wall Street Journal reported that the longtime organist for Dodger Stadium "has been usurped by a deejay who sits directly below her. He plays a selection of hip-hop and rock, interspersed with devices designed to pump up the crowd and the stadium's volume." In some cases a particular song may be played at a specific time in the game. For example, Neil Diamond's song Sweet Caroline is played during the eighth inning of Boston Red Sox home games and has been a regular part of the program since 2002. In this specific instance the music became a standing tradition gradually after several years of playing it based on the home team's performance. Association Football music In the many countries where and Frank Skinner . A subset of football music is novelty football music, which typically includes humorous lyrics. Examples of novelty football songs include "Vindaloo" by Fat Les , "Meat Pie, Sausage Roll", and numerous Frank Sidebottom songs. Theme music in American football Many College Football teams have Marching Band s that play during the game at football games and march on the field during breaks in play. Currently two teams have marching bands in the NFL. The Washington Redskins have featured a marching band since 1938, and the Baltimore Ravens have featured a marching band since its 1996 inception; however, the Marching Ravens date to the All-American Football Conference (a league which merged with the NFL) team in Baltimore, MD, featured a marching band when it began in 1947, went through many years with the Colts, and continued operations after being abandoned by the Irsay family when the team moved to Indianapolis in 1984. However, that band stayed intact in the area and began playing at other events, including the Preakness Stakes , and was used for the two-year CFL experiment known as the Baltimore Stallions. When the NFL returned to Baltimore with an expansion team in 1996 (the NFL suspended the Cleveland Browns franchise, and awarded an "expansion team" in Baltimore in a complex deal), the loyal band was rewarded by becoming the new Ravens' marching band, and the group's name was changed to Marching Ravens to reflect the new team. A common choice of music to be played over PA systems as games are being kicked off is '' Start Me Up '' By the Rolling Stones . Theme music in other sports Entire teams will occasionally adopt a theme song (such as the Chicago Bears with their 1985 '' Super Bowl Shuffle '', sung by the members of the team). Monday Night Football has its own theme, sung by Hank Williams, Jr. ; and the Olympic Games have long had powerful theme music composed to accompany ceremonies opening and closing the games. Perhaps the most extreme example of this can be found in Professional Wrestling , where almost every wrestler has an entry theme written to suit their particular character. An album entitled " ESPN Presents Stadium Anthems " has been released that includes many songs that are played over the Public Address system at North American sporting events. Simular albums, such as Jock Jams have been released in the past. SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
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