In the swamp they chant, “Gator Chomp, Gator Chomp.” At Virginia Tech we holler “Let’s go Hokies” and stomp. But before kickoffs at Kansas they yell “Rip his fucking head off.” In terms of awesomeness this ranks somewhere up there between the first time I saw The Program and watching Jahvid Best puking his brains out.
However, not everyone is so gung-ho about it anymore.
KU senior Matt Erickson, the editor of the University Daily Kansan, is leading a student-driven initiative to stop the chant. Last Friday, Erickson met with KU associate athletic director for external relations Jim Marchiony, KU director of university relations Todd Cohen, KU student body president Adam McGonigle and KU linebacker Mike Rivera, among others, to come up with a fresh game plan.
“Because KU is on a national stage now, that’s not the kind of image we want to put out about who the students are,” Erickson said. “The additional national exposure makes it more embarrassing for me as a student.”
So, what to do? How do you convince thousands of students — some [I hope all] of whom have been drinking alcohol — to not only wave the wheat but also go against the grain
I’m actually embarrassed for the rest of the KU student body that someone would actually try to stop this. It might be vulgar, but it is edgy, cool and most importantly harmless. Five seconds of synchronized cursing is the least crude thing to be experienced at a football game with all of the eye gouging, scratching and ball-sack twisting happening on the field.
Regardless of how you feel its not going stop.
“I just don’t think there’s anything they can do,” said Scanga, a Wichita native. “Just them trying to tell us not to say it, it makes kids want to say it even more.”
That sums it up beautifully. Curse on Kansas.
1Winfield on Oct 9, 2008 at 8:00 am:
I love it. This is a great opportunity to give young children those few times to be able to curse in front of their parents and no one cares!