The "Overrated" Chant, et. al.

[bubbrubbhoya]

I've been thinking about a few fan related activities for a while, and I guess now is as good a time as any to post my thoughts.

First, is anyone else bothered with the "Overrated" chant? I understand that we want to insult the opposing school's fans, but we are accomplishing this only at the expense of our own team. When we chant "Overrated," we tell the world that we think that our win isn't as good as the pollsters/public would think. Would it not be better to chant "Underrated," thus notifying the world that we just accomplished a really good win? The better the teams we play and beat, the better we are...right? In addition to the fact that the cheer makes more sense, there are a few other reasons to add it to the repertoire. At first it would confuse opposing fans, but as they caught on to why we are chanting it, they would realize how clever Hoyas fans are. Gaining a reputation as a clever student section is never a bad thing. Also, it could put Hoyas fans at the cutting edge of a new chant that could spread. Then we could rip on other fans for stealing what would undeniably be our chant. I say we prove how smart the Hoyas are, and yell "Underrated" whenever we beat a ranked team.

Second, I've been thinking about our poor foul shot defense, and I've decided that if the team is going to be too lazy to fix the problem, then the fans ought to step up and figure something out. I think we can go two ways on this. First, the addition of props could help us out...either the noisemaking blow-up sticks that socccer fans/Angels fans in the playoffs use, or the big foam pool noodles that the students could wave around like crazy. It seems to me, though, that at least the pool noodles could lead to unacceptable levels of tomfoolery in the stands, and thus would probably be rejected by the powers that be. Another way to go, though, would be to maintain absolute silence when opposing players are about to take foul shots. Then when the shot is taken, one person (probably in HB, but who cares as long as this person is designated before) yells something out extremely loud/shrill. Whatever he/she yells can be random, vulgar, or maybe even have something to do with the player taking the shot (e.g. for JJ Reddick, "Fly like an eagle!" or, "Your poetry sucks!"). I think this would really throw shooters off their rhythm. It would be difficult to get everyone to be quiet, but we'd have to start by getting the students/YA on board, then the rest of the stadium would figure it out. Opposing fans probably wouldn't be a big deal here because they shut up anyway to encourage concentration on their player's part...we would make this work against them. Not only would we be able to improve FT defense, but also we'd show our incredible mastery of strategy as a fan-base, and we'd probably be creating another trend.

Sorry for the length of the thread, but I think these merit some discussion. Anyone who's bothered to get to the end of the post, what do you think? Can it be done?

[Loyal Hoya]

My wife and I have always complained at the stupidity of the "overrated" chant. I don't know if "underrated" is the answer, but "overrated" should definitely be banned from our repertoire.

[1984alloveragain]

I agree in principle with you Bubrub. I wince when I hear the students chant that while we are beating a ranked team THIS year, and I like the idea of the "underated" chant for THIS year. But, next year, I believe the team will be ranked in the 1 - 3 range for most or all year, so this "underated" chant won't work then, at least I can't see it working.

Incidently, I think if the Student section, and the Fans in general got the "LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT, RIGHT.......SIT DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!" chant right when an opposing player fouled out - AND, the "NA NA NA NA...HEY HEY HEY...GOODBYE" chant for the end of the game of a home win, I'd be VERY SATSFIED myself.

[RockawayHoya]

I would totally be for being the first crowd to ever bust out an "underrated" chant while pointing at our own guys. Saturday would be a nice time to do it. Maybe this is something that should make the cheer sheet?

[TBird41]

Thundersticks, or whatever you want to call them, are not allowed in Big East games, nor are any other noisemakers.

And Hoya Blue has done a great job coordinating the student sections, but I think silence then screaming is probably well past what they'd be able to do without importing the Reston Gestapo to enforce order.

[bubbrubbhoya]

tbird41 said:

And Hoya Blue has done a great job coordinating the student sections, but I think silence then screaming is probably well past what they'd be able to do without importing the Reston Gestapo to enforce order.

Haha, you're probably right, but this would have to be a concerted effort that would take some time to make work. I think if the cheer sheet continued to have the silence thing in it, and the HB section turned around or even moved into the aisles to quiet the students, then it could work over time. Maybe it's too late this year, but perhaps this is something that could begin next year. In fact, it might be easy to institute this at the beginning of the year, when the patsy OOC games don't draw too many fans (might not be the case with the team next year, though, oh well). If it could get entrenched at the lowly attended games at the beginning of the year, it could roll easily into the big attendance BE games...perhaps. Might be worth a try, but yeah, definitely tough to do.

[Cambridge]

I hate the overrated chant. I especially hated it at the end of the Marquette game.

A simple "We Are Better" is all you need.

[hoyaboy1]

It's a very stupid chant. Hopefully it suffers the same fate as "he's a freshman."

[dajuan]

I'm okay with the overrated chant as long as it is used appropriately.
1) It can only be used when the game is clearly in hand. Also, it shouldn't be used in the last seconds of a game that was close throughout, but the Hoyas pulled away at the end.
2) It should only be used when a team is, in fact, overrated. So only for Notre Dame and Duke games, I guess.
3) It should only be used if the Hoyas are ranked at least 5 spots behind the opposing team in the major polls.

I like the idea of an underrated chant, but I have a feeling no one would get it, and people in the upper levels would just start chanting overrated, so that might backfire.

With regard to props, I think you're onto something. Have you seen what the Marquette students bring to games? It doesn't make noise, but they have a big orange and black spinning wheel that makes you dizzy when you look at it.

As for being silent and then shouting something, I think that would be great. Although if I were the one shouting, I'd probably offend some people. At the WVU game I kept shouting "Fist Yourself!" and apparently some people didn't care for it.

[hoyatables]

"Overrated" rarely sounds right. I wouldn't mind it for the likes of Syracuse or Villanova (as a taunting move) but really, it just doesn't make sense against most teams for the reasons outlined above. I definitely thought it was silly when we knocked off Duke last year -- they were not overrated, we were just better than No. 1 -- and I thought it was silly when we beat Marquette this year.

[JimmyHoya]

It's one thing if a shoddy team upsets another school and we say overrated, but it takes away from us when we, thinking we are a good team, say it. Either our win is less impressive now, or they stink for losing to us. Not exactly laudatory scenerios for the blue and grey. Don't we wish all of our wins are against great teams? That way we look the best.

[VictorSkyPage]

I have never participated in the "overrated" chant, always thought it was flat out dumb (I also agree that the principle of it would take away from the win for one reason or another)...
what does it really accomplish?.. looks even worse when a traditional power like MSU does it against Sconsin, comes off as fickle (not as bad as MSU charging the court, but not a good look either way)


I wouldnt mind an "underrated" chant, but I prefer clever taunt chants and things of that nature

[ExcitableBoy]

Speaking from personal experience, 50% of the time, the 'whole arena silent, one fan yell something' thing works every time.

This works especially well in McDonough and at the end of blowout games, when everyone else in the arena is already quiet anyways. Even something simple like "Noonan!" can do the trick.

[CTHoya08]

I am probably going to get skewered for this, but I like both the overrated chant (although for the rest of this season, and hopefully for the next few, we won't be ranked far enough below opponents for it to be appropriate) and the "he's a freshman" chant. There, I said it.

[TigerHoya]

tbird41 said:

Thundersticks, or whatever you want to call them, are not allowed in Big East games, nor are any other noisemakers.

And Hoya Blue has done a great job coordinating the student sections, but I think silence then screaming is probably well past what they'd be able to do without importing the Reston Gestapo to enforce order.

Thundersticks are extremely lame.

[HoyaSinceBirth]

I understand the arguments against the Overrated chant, but honestly i'm not sure i agree a hundred percent. Just because a team is overrated doesn't mena they're not a good game. If they're ranked higher when they should be and we expose that fact by mopping the floor with them i don't have a problem with the cheer. I think Marquette was overrated when we beat them. I don't think it lessens the win in anyway. That being said I would totally support an undrrated cheer at this point. But like it's been said it probably wouldn't work next year. Oh well that'd be a good problem to have.

[hoyatmf]

Dajuan and Cambridge are right on the money. The "overrated" chant is ridiculous for a team that, like ours, is this good, this late in the year. I think employing an "underrated" chant, while clever, would be lost because it would take alot of the crowd too long to get what we were saying anyway.

"We are better" works in all situations because there is no real thought necessary and conveys exactly what we mean to say. We could also use the "You guys are not overrated because you are a pretty good team, but we just happen to be better and slightly underrated, as demonstrated by our current beatdown of your team" chant, but that may be asking a bit too much.

"Overrated" chants are for upsets. A Georgetown team this good, playing at home doesn't "upset" anyone-we just win. As many people on this board, myself included, believe, there isn't anyone we can't beat right now if we play our best. Thus, the "overrated" chant is officially dead and buried for the rest of this year and depending on who comes back, the whole of next year.

Let's Go Hoyas!!!! Skin the Bearcats!

[IlladelpHoya]

tigerhoya said:

tbird41 said:

Thundersticks, or whatever you want to call them, are not allowed in Big East games, nor are any other noisemakers.

And Hoya Blue has done a great job coordinating the student sections, but I think silence then screaming is probably well past what they'd be able to do without importing the Reston Gestapo to enforce order.

Thundersticks are extremely lame.

Weird, considering how awesome Thunderdome, Thunderlips and Thundercats are.

[Deleted]

tigerhoya said:

Thundersticks are extremely lame.

As someone who's sat in a crowd full of thundersticks can attest, we - as true Hoya fans - should do everything within our power to keep thundersticks out of Verizon / McD forever. They are, without a doubt, the most annoying, lame, weak sauce excuses for noise makers ever created.

That teams push them as some sort of camaraderie builder and worth the couple of bucks fans plop down on them is the biggest scam perpetrated on the American public since one-hour martinizing.

[Cambridge]

hoyatmf said:

Dajuan and Cambridge are right on the money. The "overrated" chant is ridiculous for a team that, like ours, is this good, this late in the year. I think employing an "underrated" chant, while clever, would be lost because it would take alot of the crowd too long to get what we were saying anyway.

"We are better" works in all situations because there is no real thought necessary and conveys exactly what we mean to say. We could also use the "You guys are not overrated because you are a pretty good team, but we just happen to be better and slightly underrated, as demonstrated by our current beatdown of your team" chant, but that may be asking a bit too much.

"Overrated" chants are for upsets. A Georgetown team this good, playing at home doesn't "upset" anyone-we just win. As many people on this board, myself included, believe, there isn't anyone we can't beat right now if we play our best. Thus, the "overrated" chant is officially dead and buried for the rest of this year and depending on who comes back, the whole of next year.

Let's Go Hoyas!!!! Skin the Bearcats!

I concur wholeheatedly.

In fact, I think the complete cheer should be two lines:

CALL: WE ARE
RESPONSE: GEORGETOWN
CALL: WE ARE
RESPONSE: BETTER/WINNERS/CHAMPIONS (whatever you prefer)


Oh, and there is absolutely no doubt that thundersticks are reserved for automotons and other low-level bandwagon fans (see Southern CA-LA Metro-Anaheim-Orange County Angels fans, Dallas Mavericks, etc)...I'm still getting over the fact we have a jumbotron, let's not allow our arena to sink further into crapdom.