18A - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, September 16, 2004 'Victors'1i SCHICK Continued from page 12A No. 7: Iowa The Hawkeyes definitely have the "Boy Scout-approved" fight song of the Big Ten. "On Iowa" not only cheers the team, but also declares why they are the best citizens as well ("Love of family, love of friend / Love of country, too"). Why stop there? Why not pledge alle- giance to the flag? Iowa also has the best fight song for New Year's, too ("Ev'ry loyal son will give / A Rousing toast to you"). No. 6: Wisconsin "On Wisconsin" is a great fight song for foot- ball, but, for any other sport, Badger fans have to feel pretty stupid ("Run the ball clear down the field / Touchdown sure this time"). "Woo- hoo! We just hit a three-pointer! On Wisconsin! Touchdown ... jump shot ... umm ... " However, their stupidity aside, no line better captures the drama of football like "plunge right through that line." No. 5: Northwestern People in Evanston are really smart, and their fight song reflects the lack of athletic prowess. "Go U Northwestern" copies Wisconsin with the weaker version of "plunge right through that line" with "break right through that line." North- western always needs to remind fans that they're still a Big Ten school by encouraging their fans to "spread far the fame of our fair name." No. 4: Indiana Hoosier faithful are one of the seven schools in the Big Ten to. declare their allegiance to colors "we will fight for the cream and crimson" ("Yeah, I cheer for Indi- ana - not for the players, but the COLORS!"). "Our Indiana"shows that Hoosiers all have served their tour of duty in the army ("In a battle, we're tried and true"). But while they have the record for the s class of Big Ten most references to their school name (eight times), they get points for using solid SAT words ("Never daunted, we never falter"). No. 3: Purdue Michigan isn't the only school to use "Hail" in their fight song "Hail Purdue" reminds stu- dents that they've been in West Lafayette too long ("Thus we raise our song anew / of the days we've spent with you"). Pur- due students don't love their school, but just like it ("our friendship may she never lack"). But the pace of the song creates a feeling of emotion, but not near the use of Michigan's "hails." No. 2: Ohio State As much as it \ pains me to say it, Ohio State does have catchy fight songs. The Buck- eyes use two different songs dur- ing games, one after a touchdown ("Fight the Team") and one after an extra point ("Buckeye Battle Cry"). I've always had a problem with Ohio State referring to itself as just "Ohio" when that school exists in Athens, Ohio. When the Horseshoe gets rocking, Buckeye fans can nearly "send the Earth reverberat- ing." The tempo evokes big-time emotion as "the gang's all here" and might be enough to help the Buck- eyes "win that old conference now." No. 1: Michigan C'mon. Did you expect anything less? I mean, I'm from Saline and I was born at University of Michi- gan hospital. School loyalty aside, "The Victors" is usually battling Notre Dame's "Victory March" as the best fight song in all the land. It's catchy, it's easy to learn and it really gets the blood flowing; the fist punch is the cherry on the top. "Champions of the West" seems a little outdated since Michigan has left the northwest territory. "The Victors" also has the most quotable phrases of any fight song I know: "Victors valiant," "conqu'ring heroes" and "leaders and the best." Despite what it might seem, I have respect for all fight songs, as they all have certain meaning for college fans. But as VH1 has shown us, you can make any- thing into a list. Brian Schick will gladly sing any of the above fight songs for you, off tune of course. He can be reached at bschick@umich. edu. Fight! Fight! Go team go! Decide for yourself what's your second-favorite Big Ten fight song from the conference's other 10 school songs below. Selections below are the chorus of each song. Os-kee Wow-Wow Illinois, Our eyes Irall on you. Oskeoe'w-W *41linois. Wave yotr Ombah~ndgour Blue. When the atn utbefore you, Every n n apind yell. Back the dt6 victory, Back the team to gain a victory, Os-kee Wow-Wow Illinois! On Iowa, proudly at the fore, On Iowa, on for evermore. Ev'ry loyal son will give A Rousing toast to you, Ev'ry loyal daughter loves you true. On Iowa, with your wealth untold, A heritage to us you did unfold. Love of family, love of friend, Love of country, too, Makes us proud for what you stand Our Dear Old Gold. Minnesota, hats off to thee, To thy colors true we shall ever be, Firm and strong, united are we. Rahl Rah! Rahl for Ski-U-Mah, RAHI RAH! RAH Rah for the U. of M. M-1-N-N-E-S-0-T-A! Minnesota! Minnesota! Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah GOPHERSI Fight the team across the field, Show them tOhio's here. Set the Earth reverberating, With(,a mighty cheer. RA H RAHI AH! Hit them hardbnd see how they fall, Never let that team get the ball. Haill Hail! The gang's all here, So let's win that old conference now! Fight on State, Fight on State, Strike your and win, Victory pre d thee, We're ever true t ite and Blue. OnaSae, O nwrdSate We'll hit tha p the score, Fight on to victory evermore, Fight on, on, Fight on, on Penn State! Indiana, our Indiana Indiana, we're all for you. theCeam'And Crir n, Frthe glor f fd'W, Never ddctd, ;+ ~ot falter, in a battle, we're tried and true. Indiana, our Indiana, Indiana, we're all for you. Indiana, we're all for you! On the banks of the Red Cedar, is a school that's known to all, Its specialty is winning, And those Spartans play good ball. Spartan Teams are never beaten, All through the game they fight, Fight for the only colors, Green and White. Go right through for M.S.U., Watch the points keep growing, Spartan teams are bound to win, they're fighting with a vim, Rahl Rahl Rahl See their team is weakening, We're going to win the game, Fight! Fight! Rahl Team Fight! Victory for M.S.U.! Go U Northwestern, break right throu that line, With outr coldrs flying we will cheer you all the time, ?U Rah, Rah, Go U Northwestern, fight for victory Spread far the fame of our fair name, Go Northwestern win that game. Hall, hal to old Purduel All hail to our o Gold and Black! Hail, hall d Purdue! Our friendshe never lack. Ever otrue, Thus we ra ong anew; Of the days we'v pent with you, All hall our own Purduel ', ' , t 4 TONY DING/Daily Minnesota's mascot Goldy the Gopher, top, and Michigan State's mascot Sparty, left, may know their own school's fight songs, but probably don't know all 11 Big \ Ten fight songs. On Wisc Plunge nj Run the balfic sconsin ;hat line, e field, boys time.. On Wis nsi Wisconsin Figh n for her fame, Fight, fellows, fight, fight, fight We'll win this game! ;1 .. ell EOR ApR #Il .. ' E I................- MANUFACTURER'S COUPON EXPIRES 10131/04 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - SAVE 1. 0. $10 off1__ GOOD ON ANY 18 OZ OR LARGER CAN VARIETY ".) THE OFFICIAL t_ _._ SOUP SPONSOR__ _ ___I OF THE NFL .Co ICM O neNUOs op oso B.10 4 mGudn o rd Iindiated. Cossowpaian, silth. Voidisowd, xiaap4, bIIEsev 1o usod I cidi lieIssk, __ _ __ _ phCOraphic,igjaloot en[a ihal. RTILR edteaeMM: UttlSmeeotpr- cpoecl~ te.i{]N EFA blubmhbtesompacewlmhC ~m pa op sr nsRde irel)s pcopViessa lhonureqoost, youwill trulmmhredtiga'uesobs. l t.Mollib _ __ _ _ __ _ I SELSU OPAY M l Nd5S1 N U T DIE ~ PTX190Flo o rdc nrqes u ttP i wct tsoctam opt iz