All Mixed Up 02.02.09: Sports and Music

Posted by Tom Santoro on 02.02.2009

The Big Game is over. Here is a play list to get you through to next season.

Athletes and musicians have always had a weird relationship. In high school the alpha males blessed with athletic abilities often, but not always would pick on the kids who were nerdy or underdeveloped. Those nerdy kids would often turn their abilities into playing instruments which would lead to being in a band. Either way the final destination is to get girls so both paths are righteous in the end.

A phenomenon over the past thirty years has seen more and more athletes want to become musicians and more musicians want to try out in sports. Of the athletes who have tried to put out albums are Deion Sanders, Shaquille O'Neal, Roy Jones Jr. and Bronson Arroyo (pitcher). Terry Bradshaw had a country single and Allen Iverson released a rap cd. Let's not forget certain things like the 1985 Chicago Bears' memorable "Super Bowl Shuffle."



On the flip side musicians have tried to become athletes. Alice Cooper is an avid golfer who gets better and better. Who would have thought that the shock master of the 1970s would be golfing side by side with the country clubbers who were protesting his stage act 30 years ago? Ted Nugent is an avid hunter, which is cool and counts as a sport. Garth Brooks tried out during spring training a few times. Heck, Tim McGraw is the son of a former major league pitcher.



Now granted most of these are novelties as no one expects crossover success or appeal. Nobody but real fans think anything that the athletes do are anything more than a pet project which is why they fail miserably. Likewise I do not expect to see Alice Cooper on the links with Arnold Palmer in anything but a Pro Am. However I do expect that Ted Nugent will kill anything that walks if he has the license to do so.

So here is a play list of athletes and musicians who have tried to have crossover appeal and some common songs heard at sporting events to psyche you up.

1. Hank Williams Jr. – "All My Rowdy Friends are Coming Over Tonight": The theme song to Monday Night Football for a really long time, Bocephus has embraced being the face of the NFL for this game and I am sure most folks would be lost with out him. (Sorry this is the only version youtube.com had.)



2. Black Eyed Peas – "Let's Get it Started": This song seems like it was written for sports. This song is played before every game from pee wee to pro to get the crowd psyched up.



3. Blur – "Song 2": Damon Albarn wrote fun little pop song that whether intentional or not is 2 minutes and 2 seconds long. The song is played at all sorts of sporting events around the world usually when the home team scores.



4. Ozzy Osbourne – "Crazy Train":This song is played before every kick off. What better song to get things started other than the Black Eyed Peas song that goes by that title?



5. Gary Glitter – "Rock and Roll Part 2":I do not know how this song became the anthem for every fan in America to rally their team or celebrate a score but here it is in all its glory. Orchestrated by a guy named Gary Glitter. You know the guy that went to jail in Vietnam for being a pedophile. Think about that the next time your team scores a touchdown.



6. 1985 Chicago Bears – "Super Bowl Shuffle":This was truly a great idea. It would only work in the 1980s. Get a pro football team together and have all of them rap about how awesome they are. They backed it up by beating the tar out of the Patriots in the Super Bowl. I wonder how many penalty yards they would receive if they performed this together after a touchdown.



7. Fu Schnickens – "What Up Doc? (Can We Rock?): Is there anything Shaq can't do? He won a Gold Medal, numerous NBA championships. He conquered the world of film with gems like Kazaam and Steel. Here he made the Fu Schickens a household name right up there with band aid and Vaseline.



8. Deion Sanders – "Must Be The Money":The ultimate tale of what today's athlete is like. Could not be done by any person better than "Prime Time." Though it is a bit ironic that Hammer helped him with project before losing all his cash.



9. M.C, Hammer – "Too Legit To Quit": Hammer started out dancing in front of the Oakland A's ball park. From there catch phrases and oversized pants and entourages were born.



10. Tim McGraw – "I Like it, I Love it": Tim McGraw's dad was Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Tug McGraw. He was also a good baseball player as he went to college on a baseball scholarship before finally taking up music in 1990. I think that was a good career choice. I



11. Garth Brooks – "Friends in Low Places": Since retiring, Garth Brooks has tried out for a few baseball teams during Spring Training. He never had a chance to make the teams he just tried out presumably to help ticket sales for those teams while he got to live out his fantasy to play baseball. Surprisingly he the team cut him every time.



12. Ted Nugent – "Stranglehold": I do not know who replaced Charlton Heston as spokeman for the NRA, but he should be replaced by the Motor City Madman. When Sweaty Teddy is not rocking his guitar, he is shooting at animals for sport. I think he would hunt people if it were legal. Here is ten minutes of Ted doing what he does best, playing music.



13. Alice Cooper – "No More Mr. Nice Guy": Next time you are in Arizona and you join a foursome on the golf course, you just might be playing with the former shock master. The first time he stepped on the golf course must have been like Rodney Dangerfield in Caddyshack.




14. Queen – "We Are the Champions": This one is the first song played during every championship win for any team ever since it was released, even for the Tri Lambs when they beat the crap out of the Alpha Betas.



Bonus – Hulk Hogan and The Wrestling Boot Band – "Hulkster Goes Heaven": Hulk sings and plays bass on this album. This is just one of most tender songs by an incredible talent.