Did anyone else notice Ashlee Simpson being booed during the Orange Bowl pop star and cheerleader extravagansa halftime show? While it probably had more to do with her SNL snafu, I'd like to think that it's an indication of college footballs fans unhappiness with the ongoing selling out of a favorite pastime.
Where were the Marching bands? What happened to the pagentry?
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Not that I really wanted to hear the USC band play that damn song over and over again some more, but there is something special about the pagentry of college football, and Marching Band shows.
College football is one of the few areas where corporate advertising hasn't taken complete control of the game. Sure corporate logos have made their way in the stadium, onto the fields, and even onto the uniforms of college teams, but the game is still the game, and until recently, it appeared that schools still had control of the game.
But bowl committees and university markets departments have started an assault on Marching Bands. Canned music is taking the place of band tunes and marketing and sales promotions are cutting away at halftime shows.
Yet the players see none of the revenue generated. Now, I'm not advocating paying college players, but it is really appropriate for a school to make millions on the backs of these kids? Playing college sports is a huge time commitment combined with classes, and it's often impossible for these people to work a part time job during a season. Many of these people are on full ride scholarships, come from poor urban schools, and often don't have any family finacial support, yet if they accept something as small as a bus ticket to travel home to visit a sick family member, their career can be ended.
Either way, college football isn't college football without the passion, the fans, and the bands. This years Orange bowl halftime was more of a cross between a fedex commercial and a clear channel radio program than a traditional college football halftime.
At least the oldest, and most traditional bowl game, the Rose Bowl, hasn't completely sold out yet, and still respects the tradition of Marching Bands.