They need some sense slapped into them!
Dagnabbit! Rackemfrackemgarbleygoop! I used to walk uphill both ways to school! Get off my lawn!!! Other older person sayings!!!
This kid needs some serious edumacation. Since when do Notre Dame students (and DILLON GUYS in particular) write in to the Observer to defend other institutions??? And especially institutions as hated as Penn State????
I am writing to make evident another cheer performed at our football games that is clearly a signature cheer at a different school. I’m talking about the different parts of the stadium shouting, “We–Are–N–D” in response to cheerleaders holding up the respective signs. To anyone like me who has been an avid Penn State fan for most of his life, this cheer completely infringes upon Penn State’s trademark “We Are Penn State.” For those oblivious to Penn State’s cheer, the song officially called “Kernkraft 400” by Zombie Nation is sometimes played in Beaver Stadium after a good play, and there is a point in the song when the entire stadium (100,000+) chants in unison, “We Are Penn State” If you are still skeptical, a quick Youtube search for ‘Penn State Zombie Nation’ might be worthwhile. Now don’t get me wrong – I would pick ND above Penn State any day, and so I have no complaints about just the student section doing the “We Are (clap clap) N.D. (clap clap)” at appropriate times, but the official cheerleader cheer that gets the whole stadium saying it needs to be eliminated. The concept of the entire stadium chanting “We Are…” is, I believe a Penn State tradition.
Kid, you’re killing me. First of all, your argument is flawed because you grew up a PSU fan. We already know this makes you 90% moron. Second, the PSU cheer you reference, linked below, is NOTHING LIKE THE ND CHEER! Compare yourselves…
Lame PSU Cheer  (embedded video not working today, sorry for forcing you to click on a link – the horror!)
Yes, both have the words “We are INSERT SCHOOL” in them. Okay, so they share two words. Two words that are shared by EVERY OTHER SCHOOL IN THE FREAKING COUNTRY THAT HAS A “We are INSERT SCHOOL” cheer – which is EVERY OTHER SCHOOL IN THE FREAKING COUNTRY.
The difference is in presentation. Notre Dame’s chant is a once-a-game ritual telling the world that “We Are Notre Dame.” Penn State’s cheer is a raucous mad-house of a cheer with a cheesy pseudo-techno chant song in the background. PSU students yell it quickly and jump up and down. And they do it over and over and over.  ND fans say it slowly and the rest of the stadium is silent waiting for their letter. The PSU song is led by whoever controls the sound system, ND’s by the cheerleaders. This isn’t even nuance, this is night and day people. What is happening to the Notre Dame education that this kid can’t get this?Â
And you know what the worst part is????? The ND chant was created BEFORE this PSU crap. How do I know? Well, let’s check out the history:
I went to my first ND home game in 1996. In that game, we did the “We Are N D” chant. The freaking lame-ass KernKraft Zombie Nation song this kid loves so much came out…you guessed it, AFTER THAT. In 2000 to be exact. So ND was doing this cheer FIRST. Kid, just because you heard that version first because you grew up a PSU fan, doesn’t mean it CAME first. I mean, I’m sure you think an iPod came before a Walkman too. Sheesh.
This kid is just saying random things with no logic or facts to back them up. I don’t rely on the argument about ND doing it first though, bc ND didn’t invent a cheer with “We are INSERT SCHOOL”…Yes, I know, shocking!!!! Unbelievable!!!! There are a ton of schools that used it before ND. But not in the same way. Not in the ND way.Â
The kid’s right in that ND shouldn’t copy the Trojan War Chant. We shouldn’t have the leprechaun running out with a buffalo ala the Colorado Buffaloes. But this letter to the editor is absurd in its defense of PSU and in the way that defense is made.
Pretty soon he’ll say that ‘yay’ or ‘whoopee’ are copyrighted. Give me a break, kid.Â
Some may say this is minor. Why are you spending so much time on this Biscuit? There are more important things – like the Bailout, ND-Stanford, Cops being Gestapo on ND’s campus, discussions of Hot Pockets and such.  Well, I say it IS important. Because if this is what ND students call ‘logic’, and this is what they think is important we have failed in 2 major ways as an institution: 1) We’ve failed to help kids use their brains, at all  2) We’ve failed at brainwashing kids to love ND over any other school they ever even thought to like a tiny little bit. It’s ND or nothing baby.
Go Irish.Â
Wait, no…I can’t say “Go INSERT TEAM” cuz other people use that. Hmmmm…
Let’s go…nope
Here we go…nope.
Shit.
Irish be Good!
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Michael Desrosiers
I’m an ’81 alumnus. We did that cheer the whole time I was there starting in 1977. I suspect it goes back further than that. Only one school that matters and it isn’t in PA!!
undnut
I am writing to make evident something occurring at ND games that is clearly a signature of a different institution. I’m talking about Charlie Weiss deciding to shred his MCL and ACL in week 2 vs. Michigan. To anyone like me who has been an avid Penn State fan for most of his life, this move was obviously perfected by Joe Pa and Penn State a few seasons back and infringes upon Joe Pa’s trademark knee shredding. If you are still skeptical, a quick Youtube search for ‘Senile Senior in Horn-Rims Shreds Major Knee Ligaments’ might be worthwhile.
The Biscuit
HA. undnut = comedy. well done. Michael, thanks for that history. Appreciate it. I sent a summary of this post and an HLS.com plug into the Observer. We’ll see if I get some air time.
DeepTeaKup
Biscuit,
First of all, agree wholeheartedly that the letter is very lame.
Secondly, since a lot of my-inlaws are PSU alum and I’ve been to 5 games there thought I would add some additonal perspective here.
The “zombie nation” thing is very lame and is not what any self respecting PSU alum would think of when they think of We Are … Penn State”. First, “We Are Penn State” is beyond a football cheer, more of a way of expressing pride in the University as a whole. To the best of my knowledge, it is not trademarked. During games, the PSU cheerleaders will get the sutdent section to start with “We Are” and have the alumni respond “Penn State”, and is actually quite impressive if you are sitting in the stadium. This has gone on for decades (I believe Marshall does something similar, if crappy movies have taught me anything).
Bottom line, they may be somewhat similar but are in their own way unique traditions for the respective schools.
The Biscuit
DTK, I’ve seen that cheer too. I’m from PA as well, as you know, so I’m pretty familiar with PSU in general. That one’s more similar, but still different as you say. More than anything, I just take issue with the writer’s complete lack of data/rational POV/brains/etc.
Irish_Wertzy
This is Chuck Berry’s lawyer, and I hereby demand that you cease and desist your use of the phrase “Irish Be Good!” which is a copyright homophone (that means sounds alike for you Penn State lurkers) infringement upon my client’s famous song “Johnny B. Goode.” Furthermore, after serious consultation with the Office of Student Affairs and the Indiana State Excise Police Task Force Group Organization for the De-funning of Notre Dame home games, we demand that you change the title of your blog, as it appears to be infringing upon Notre Dame (TM) Fight Song lyrics, as copyrighted in 1908 by the Shea brothers.
And finally, I have contacted the CIA, FBI, SVU, and NCIS, and you have been placed on double secret probation for your use of the copyrighted term “copyright” as set forth in the first Copyright Act of 1790, signed by George Washington. You will now be sacked.
Have a fun day, just don’t stumble, trip, etc.
(and Dillon Sucks!)
C Hoffman '03
I know this was far from your intention with the sarcastic send off, but “Irish Be Good” (when spoken with a “Johnny Be Goode” cadence) actually has a good ring to it. Maybe we could begin chanting it, then claim infringement by any other school who bogarts said “copywrighted” cheer.
Go Irish
HLS be good
The Biscuit
Way up in Indiana up in ole South Bend,
There was a little football team setting up for the mend.
A little catholic school made of earth and wood, there lived a midwest power named a’ Irish Be Good.
They never ever learned to quit but so well, and they could play the football just like a ringing a bell.
Go go! Go Irish Go Go! Go Irish Go Go!
Irish Be Good.
Reggie Bush's Impala
This is Marty McFly’s attorney, please cease and desist all references to “Johnny be Goode” being written by Chuck Berry. It is common knowledge that this song was originally performed at the Enchantment Under the Sea dance, Hill Valley High School, Hill Valley, California on November 12, 1955 by my client.
Thank you for your cooperation
-RBI
Mark
Dateline: State College, PA.
Pennsylvania State University has decided to take legal action against deceased members of the Marshall University football team. A school spokesperson insisted “WE are Penn State.”
trey
Attention HLS posters, this is an official notice from the office of the Grim Reaper. Your continued reference to the Penn State football team clearly infringes on the trademark, copyright, and reserved trademarks of the office of “Death.” Alluding to the PSU institution implicitly references coach Joe Paterno who is clearly a posession of Death and should you wish to continue referring to any of the above named, you must register for use with the office of the Reaper. Cease and desist lest royalty sums are demanded and a court summons be issued.
Dictated, not read,
Grim Reaper
Angela
Ha ha ha that was the funniest story I’ve read today! In summer cheer camp, like 3rd/4th grade, most of the aspiring cheerleaders across the nation are taught how to hold a sign, low with words facing crowd then up high tilted slightly back, bounce, smile, make sure it doesn’t cover your face and yell the word on your sign. When it all comes together it looks like this “We R (clap clap) Team Name (clap clap) repeat. I did it elementary school, Jr. High, High School, and fell down in the bleachers doing it drunk in college (I didn’t cheer those years). So I guess I should get in trouble because I totally jacked Penn State’s cheers huh…Now is a good time to admit that I’ve occasionally downloaded free music, and I sometimes take a penny when I didn’t give one. I have a good idea, how about you sue me, and instead of worrying about something so trite I will go to confession and years from now on your deathbed when you see the light you will hear the voice of God…”We are (clap clap) Hea-ven (clap clap) You are (clap clap) Hell-bound (clap clap).
I hope someone finds comedy in this post. It is pretty dumb how much attention this is getting, but its like the Stupid Criminals on TV, you just can’t help but watch…and my toddler is napping but I really don’t feel like folding the laundry! 🙂
The Biscuit
i hope somebody finds comedy in this post too Angela (Monaaaa, Jonathan) – if not, I suck worse than I thought.
JB8310
As an Irish faithful living in the hellish Central PA area not far from pSU, I am not surprised that someone who loves pSU would make this moronic complaint. It’s shocking it’s from a ND student, however. Perhaps pSU should change their chant to “We are State Penn” after their bouts of players run-ins with the law. State Penn fans are so obnoxious around here. I would love to be able to live in Indiana, so I didn’t have to see the constant pSU paraphanelia every time I leave my home. If you want a good laugh, go to you tube and check out the video “Penn State Bounce”. It’s hysterical, especially the part when the concession stand workers look insane jumping and banging on the counter. Even worse is the adult holding a child who is being “bounced” around — might cause some brain damage. Zombie nation is the perfect title for their idiotic chant, as they’re a bunch of weird people that won’t shut up.
WE ARE N D — GO IRISH!
Weird Al Yankovic
Biscuit, please don’t ever write a parody song again.
ILDomer17
Biscuit,
What do you think of Dan Murphy’s idea in the Observer to create an Irish flag in the student section? I think it would be a great visual effect and would get the team, and more importantly, the other 70,000 fans in the stadium really pumped up. Maybe you could write a post encouraging the students to do this?
gwzimm
DePaul used to chant “We are DE PAUL” in basketball games back in the 70’s when they had Mark Aguirre and that dipshit coach Joey Meyer.
It’s been around a long time. PSU fans are obnoxious. Let the bastards try and copyright it.
Angela
“We are State Pennâ€
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA *giggle* HA HA HA *catching my breath* ha ha ha he he he *snicker* *sigh* ha he he….
Oh when the ND Nazi Cops arrest an old man for a PI its terrible. Watching them bust people for slipping on a dumped hotdog is just a shame.
But somehow when other teams players get in trouble its freakin hilarious! It does help that the few friends of mine that have gotten into trouble at games all got the charges dropped when they lawyered up and went to court.
Ok I really am going to fold the laundry now. I killed almost two hours at Hammes buying more ND paraphernalia than one person needs. I really only needed a new strand of blue/gold beads cause some idiot broke mine at the Purdue game and some how spent 77$!! GO ND<<<MAKE THEM BLEED CARDINAL! Goodnight to my new fav. ND blog!
trey
Uh oh, we have a new groupie.
*points upwards*
The Biscuit
ILDomer – I haven’t seen the article on the ND Flag in the student section. I’m all for shenanigans, hooplin’ and hollerin’ and whatnot, but I’m not the flag-in-the-student-section leading type. Don’t get me wrong, sounds cool and maybe a student can pull it off. But I don’t think I can be the cheerleader to get it off the ground beyond this – HEY STUDENTS, GO DO WHAT ILDOMER SAYS! MAKE A FLAG OR SOMETHING SPIRIT-Y.
gwzimm
Reminds me of when back in 1960, they tried to start a card section. They made the mistake of having just the freshmen do the card thing.
First card trick they called for, the students just flung all their cards into the air.
There was no card section thereafter.
ILDomer17
The Observer printed my letter supporting the flag idea. From there you can probably find Dan Murphy’s article. He’s got a good idea but short of actually buying 10,000 t-shirts and handing them out to the students myself, the best I can do is voice my support.
http://media.www.ndsmcobserver.com/media/storage/paper660/news/2008/10/02/Viewpoint/Proud.To.Be.Irish-3464874.shtml
The Biscuit
I hate the fact that The Shirt changes color every year. It results in a rag tag look among fans. We really need to have that Sea of Green, but ND fans just don’t get it. Frustrating.
Angela
At October 1st, 2008 at 10:40 pm, trey said…
Uh oh, we have a new groupie.
*points upwards*
_______________________________________________
Sweet…I thought being almost 30 made me too old to be a groupie for anything but maybe a Poison cover band!! Makes me feel young, thanks!
Molly
Just so you all know, the “We Are Penn State” cheer originated in 1948 when Penn State was invited to the Cotton Bowl to play Southern Methodist University; where no African-American player had ever played. SMU wanted to meet with Penn State to discuss the team not bringing its black players. To which Penn State replied; “We’re Penn State. There will be no meetings.” Which is where our chant originally came from.