Going Too Far for the Sabres?
OK, there are a few things about the Sabres Mania (beyond the bandwagon jumping by some media and people) sweeping Buffalo and Western New York that bother me. I've mentioned how annoying various local media outlets are not only by treating sports new as actual news, but making every Sabres bowel movement so important that the first 5-6 minutes of a newscast on an off-game day are all Sabres/Sabres related stories. Remember, my first journalism job was as a sports reporter, and I was fortunate enough to receive a first-place award for sports coverage from the New York State Press Association, so I do like my sports and sports journalism.
But I have never been a big fan of the several Sabres (and Bills) songs; I can go for an occasional, as in once a week, "We're Gonna Win That Cup," and if a new recording of it is/will raise money for a charitable group or two, cool, I'll handle listening to it more often. On the other hand, I never liked the "Buffalo's Going to the Super Bowl" song Bills' linebacker Isaiah Robertson came up with one year.
I now have a new Buffalo sports related song that makes my colon clench, "Let's Go Sabres, Let's Get Stashu's Cup Polka" by Jerry Darlak and the Touch. While the Hoseys may have been one of the very few families in the Depew portion of Cheektowaga to have no Polish blood (Irish, with a bit of Scottish and British), I enjoy a good amount of polka music, live and recorded. There is a strong similarity between polkas and Irish/Celtic music, German "oompah" music (having been a pretty decent tuba player, I know why) and Spanish/Mexican traditional music, and I have enjoyed Darlak's music live, but this Sabres polka song is AWFUL. It sounds like a joke or a cliched polka song written and performed by people who don't like polkas and are making fun of the genre to my ears.
But I have never been a big fan of the several Sabres (and Bills) songs; I can go for an occasional, as in once a week, "We're Gonna Win That Cup," and if a new recording of it is/will raise money for a charitable group or two, cool, I'll handle listening to it more often. On the other hand, I never liked the "Buffalo's Going to the Super Bowl" song Bills' linebacker Isaiah Robertson came up with one year.
I now have a new Buffalo sports related song that makes my colon clench, "Let's Go Sabres, Let's Get Stashu's Cup Polka" by Jerry Darlak and the Touch. While the Hoseys may have been one of the very few families in the Depew portion of Cheektowaga to have no Polish blood (Irish, with a bit of Scottish and British), I enjoy a good amount of polka music, live and recorded. There is a strong similarity between polkas and Irish/Celtic music, German "oompah" music (having been a pretty decent tuba player, I know why) and Spanish/Mexican traditional music, and I have enjoyed Darlak's music live, but this Sabres polka song is AWFUL. It sounds like a joke or a cliched polka song written and performed by people who don't like polkas and are making fun of the genre to my ears.
posted by val at 7:53 PM
4 Comments:
Well, we just learn more about Kevin every day! Care to share what the award was for?
The award was based on three submissions or issues, with the standout features being stories I wrote on a high school football and basketball star who was a Division III All-American tight end and got an NFL tryout, as well as a guy who used to enjoy working on cars with his father eventually becoming a national stock car driver. This was in addition to my coverage of high school football and basketball games.
They were fun times, made possible partly because I was single for part of the time and then living with my eight-year sentence the rest of the time, and she seemed fine with me not being home so much some nights.
My theory is that we wouldn't be bombarded with all these songs at once if it hadn't been so long since the last time we were in the running for that thing you drink out of (yes.. superstitious). All those media outlets and local groups wouldn't feel the need to cram it all in a couple weeks time period. Not knocking the Sabres. Just saying.
I think you're right to a certain extent, Julia, but never underestimate the ability for the local media, broadcast and print, to lowball our intelligence and endurance. Part of me thinks that if either the Sabres or Bills had won a championship, we would have heard less of these songs, but another part of me can picture more and more of these monstrosities foisted upon us.
Hey, I haven't heard punk, country, synth pop or hip hop Sabres songs ... yet. Let me say egad in advance of such tomfoolery.
Also, look for a long blog entry soon on the "yuk yuk" state of some Western New Yorkers, especially the media, which I see as part of this area's inferiority complex.
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