It might be nice to have something to talk (complain) about besides the quality of our wrestling so I have a question for those at the match, and I guess if you watched it at home. What do you think of the Arena Football atmosphere (although somewhat subdued) at the matches these days.
I don't mind the music during the Duel intros but I would be happier if it were turned down after that. Why would they play blaring music over the individual match intros and right up to (and sometimes over) the starting whistle.
Why do they have to play some kind of music during every break in the action? Are we so brainless that we have to have something to occupy our minds during a ten second break? During one such break I look over into the next section and there were three male students setting side-by-side calmly staring (as if in a trance) at the mat and bobbing their heads to the music (I’m glad they were there). I guess they had nothing to talk about
And it’s not that I don’t like loud music; on our trip from Tulsa I remember listening to Pick Floyd, Ted Nugent, Lynyrd Skynyrd (turn it up) and Stevie Ray with my wife continually reminding me to turn it down when the volume crept up a little.
Besides this, the band was kind enough to attend the match to help lead us in our team support, I remember them playing “Oklahoma” and the school song at the end. That’s not as bad as their playing PA music over the full band at football games but if I was in charge of the Pep Band, I wouldn't waste my time. It’s disgraceful.
I understand our announcer (I've forgotten his name) has to be heard over the music, but he screams all the time. If he ever screams, “Are you ready to Rumble”, I’ll probably gag. I know I'm old, but give me Bob Dillinger.
As I said, I know I’m old but certainly not the oldest there but I remember when I saw my first match (Bedlam Feb. 1978; Lee Roy Smith, Dave Schultz, Eric Wais and Jimmy Jackson all helped in the win) and the atmosphere absolutely sucked me in. This was what brought me to the ’78 Big 8 Tournament which changed my life.
These kind of crowds persisted (at least for big matches) through the 90’s and it’s just sad that today’s fans probably will never get experience the thrill of an arena built to safely hold 6000+ with over 7000 fans cheering as loud as they can; forget about the 10,000 at the ’78 Big 12.
I know those days are long gone but that kind of atmosphere cannot be recreated by blaring music and screaming announcers. Let the Band and the Cheer Leaders lead the cheering, if there is no band, go ahead and play some music between matches, play the wrestler’s choice of intro song.