I currently work for Boston University’s sports marketing department. Needless to say, I have been to many men’s hockey games since I was a freshman. And like many other students here at BU, I am thoroughly disappointed in what I am seeing this year. But unlike many students at BU, my qualms have absolutely nothing to do with how the team is doing.

I have always loved the pre-game ceremonies — the lights dim, the video comes on the big screen — until now. You see, when I was a freshman, the song played when the teams came out was “Boom” by POD. It is a great song: energizing, fun, great for the crowd and must have pumped up the team. There is no doubt that it was a great choice.

Then comes my sophomore year. “Boom” is replaced by a song by Sum 41. At first I thought it was a courtesy to a Canadian team we happened to have been playing one night, but it came back every game. It still got the job done and had a similar effect to that of POD.

And now what do we have? It wasn’t enough that the Red Sox overplayed the hell out of it, that some mediocre Scorsese movie that didn’t match up to Goodfellas had it, that when it comes to St. Patrick’s Day it’s all anybody talks about. I am speaking of that stupid introduction on that stupid banjo that everybody in the entire New England territory is sick of: Dropkick Murphys’ “I’m Shipping Up To Boston.” What is everybody’s obsession with this band? They have a song about Boston. Whoopie. Do we want something that will make absolutely no sense when we play our archrival Boston College?

Because believe it or not, Boston College has a “Boston” in its name too, and the song works wonderfully for it. So, Boston College students are going to get down here and either think to themselves, “Oh wow, those Boston University guys are pretty nice even though we are supposed to hate each other tonight” or “Oh wow, they really didn’t think this through, did they?”

Our band already plays it and does so quite well. It is enough. If we go entirely by this mode of thinking, then why not use Boston’s “More Than a Feeling?” I mean, they named their band after the city! Wouldn’t it sound awesome for a hockey team to come out onto the ice while listening to that? No, because it shows a lack of creativity. Dropkick Murphys is exactly what everybody expects us to play, and it is annoying and shows no semblance of imagination. End of story.

Ilan Friedman

COM ’09