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“Yankees closer Mariano Rivera uses “Enter Sandman” by Metallica.”
When I say sounds of the game, I’m not talking about that thing Fox does when they play back the sounds of a horrible collision when an outfielder smacks into the wall catching a near-home run, or when a safety crushes a receiver on a deep crossing route. No—what I’m thinking of is a little different. I’m talking about the music of the game.
Now just what does that mean? Well, have you ever seen Major League? You know that part at the end when Rick Vaughn comes into the game, and he makes that slow, menacing walk from the bullpen while “Wild Thing” blares over the loudspeakers? I don’t know about you, but that scene (and when pretty much the same thing happens again in Major League 2) never fails to send anxious chills down my spine, no matter how many times I’ve seen it. Obviously these fictional scenes are pumped up, cinematic dramatizations, but it turns out I get those same chills when music plays the same role in real sports. When I think about it, it seems like music should be nothing more than a subtle nuance when compared to the actual games. But from the fan’s perspective, it is so much more. I don’t know how other people feel about it, but for me, so long as it doesn’t taint or sour the tradition or focus of the game, music adds an additional flair and electricity to athletic confrontations.
It turns out my love of music in sports—particularly entrance music—all started while watching professional wrestling growing up. Some lumbering bad guy like King Kong Bundy or Andre the Giant would amble to the ring, sneering and hurling insults at jeering fans (”humanoids,” as Bobby “The Brain” Heenan would call them) amidst a chorus of boos. Then the opening riff of Rick Derringer’s “Real American” would blast from bad 80s sound systems and fill the arena as the immortal Hulk Hogan marched down that aisle, his unmatched charisma permeating through the seats and whipping the fans into a flurried frenzy. The stark contrast in entrances and fan reaction was something to behold—the WWF certainly knew how to make you love one guy and hate another. And if Hulk Hogan’s powerful ring entrance didn’t get a 5-year-old like me excited, then nothing would. But it wasn’t just that—Hogan’s and other similar entrances taught me to appreciate the importance and impact of music in entertainment, wherever it may come up—movies, video games, sports, what have you.
One of my favorite instances of music in sports is the closer theme song. Trevor Hoffman of the Padres is known for entering play to the tune of “Hell’s Bells” by AC/DC. Yankees closer Mariano Rivera uses “Enter Sandman” by Metallica. And while former Braves closer John Rocker certainly wasn’t the most likeable guy in baseball (or really wasn’t likeable at all, to be fair), you have to admit that his sprint to the pitcher’s mound to the sounds of the appropriate “Rock You Like a Hurricane” by the Scorpions was pretty cool. When I hear an ominous and menacing song kick in as one of these guys makes the long trot to the mound, I get goosebumps all over. The mere addition of the theme song makes a simple save situation feel like an all-important, earth-shattering climax in which the fate of the entire universe is at stake.
Or that’s how I tend to feel, anyway. Am I over-thinking this?
Similar to closer themes are the kickoff themes we hear in football. Some typical and fitting songs that really get the adrenaline pumping during these anxious moments include “Start Me Up” by The Rolling Stones and “Kickstart My Heart” by Motley Crue. Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia takes the cake, however, for their use of Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” during every opening kickoff of Eagles’ home games. And I’m not just saying that because I’m an Eagles (and a Rocky) fan—come on, you just can’t beat “Eye of the Tiger.” For the record, it was also Hulk Hogan’s theme song before he started using “Real American,” so it’s got that going for it, as well.
Sometimes entire teams will adopt a theme song. The 1985 Chicago Bears are not only well known for their complete fustigation of the Patriots in Super Bowl XX, but also for their smash hit, “The Super Bowl Shuffle.” While we’re focusing on Chicago, the White Sox adopted Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” as their theme song during the 2005 World Series versus the Houston Astros.
Lastly, music can also add a little humor to the game. Pay close attention to the little things that happen all the time, and notice the music that accompanies them. Depending on the stadium, a walk in baseball is often followed by a short snippet of “Walk Like a Man” by The Four Seasons. “Jump” by Van Halen may precede a jump ball in an NBA basketball game. “Freeze-Frame” by the J. Geils Band might keep fans from falling asleep during a coach’s challenge or booth review in an NFL game. My personal favorite is when Busch Stadium plays the funny and frantic theme songs from Sanford & Son or The Benny Hill Show during a visit to the mound by the opponent’s pitching coach.
Disappointingly, Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Corey Hart’s theme music is not “Sunglasses at Night” by the other Corey Hart. -semissourian.com
