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adkindo Retired Number
Joined: 16 Jun 2005 Posts: 40345 Location: Dirty South
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Posted: Thu Jun 06, 2019 7:29 am Post subject: Still do not understand the St. Louis Blues & Country Roads??? |
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Ok, if you have paid any attention to the NHL this season, and the St. Louis Blues remarkable turnaround going from last place during the season to the Stanley Cup Finals, you have probably noticed the Blues fans have began to sing John Denver's Country Roads @ home games. But why? I know the story, but it still makes no sense to me. The story is.....
The Blues game operations director, Jason Pippi, was tasked with increasing fan engagement at home games. Ironically Pippi is a Pitt alumni and former Pitt Panther mascot. I know what you are thinking....when did people start actually hiring Pitt graduates? Anyway, he tried to get the fans to adopt "Sweet Caroline", which Pitt adopted as their crowd song about a decade ago...yes, they just swiped the Boston Red Sox tradition without shame. Remember, this is Pitt we are talking about. The Blues fans were not feeling Sweet Caroline, so the staff suggested some other songs that most people at least know the chorus to, and one suggestion was Country Roads. Although Pippi told the staff he hated Country Roads, he would give it a try with some other suggestions. He tried several songs, and the fans did not bite, then one night he played Country Roads and as the volume was reduced and play resumed something happened.....the entire crowd continued to sing the song in it's entirety without the recording playing. Since then, they play the song and sing along every game....referring to it as their anthem!
https://twitter.com/101espn/status/1131022842605318150
https://twitter.com/YoungPageviews/status/1131023138362470400
Some of my fellow WVU fans and almuni have different feelings about this Blues decision.....some are happy and enjoy it, while others are not pleased that the Blues have somewhat co-opted a long time Mountaineer tradition. Country Roads has been played at and sung along by WVU fans at every home game since 1972. The day Mountaineer Field (now known as Mountaineer Field @ Milan Puskar Stadium) opened in 1980, John Denver led the crowd singing his song from the 50 yard line. It is literally the official song of the state of WV. So I am not happy or unhappy....I just do not understand why an arena full of people in Missouri are singing a song that is clearly about West Virginia....or why they would be proud of copying someone else's tradition....especially one that is specifically talking about a place that is not St. Louis. It would be like the Lakers playing Sweet Home Alabama at every game as a tradition!
Am I the only one that simply does not understand why?
I do not want to say we "own" it......but we break out in song at
football games....
https://twitter.com/WVUfootball/status/926965458942783492
basketball games....
https://twitter.com/CJacksonSports/status/824089670921371650
at away stadiums....
https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1036064287167406080
baseball games....
https://twitter.com/JohnEverett24/status/1134663745177903105
swim meets....
https://twitter.com/DailyAthenaeum/status/1084205014023839744
graduations....
https://twitter.com/DailyAthenaeum/status/1126856501878980608
just hanging out...
https://twitter.com/DailyAthenaeum/status/1029187505025949698
and even when Brad stops by....
https://twitter.com/WVUSports/status/765362299997523968
it is kind of our thing.... |
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venturalakersfan Retired Number
Joined: 14 Apr 2001 Posts: 144432 Location: The Gold Coast
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Posted: Thu Jun 06, 2019 8:08 am Post subject: |
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There are a lot of country roads in Blues country. _________________ RIP mom. 11-21-1933 to 6-14-2023. |
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Chronicle Retired Number
Joined: 21 Jul 2012 Posts: 31930 Location: Manhattan
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Posted: Thu Jun 06, 2019 8:54 am Post subject: |
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I prefer the hawaiian version by israel kamakawawio'ole (sp) _________________ Kobe |
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Omar Little Moderator
Joined: 02 May 2005 Posts: 90299 Location: Formerly Known As 24
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Posted: Thu Jun 06, 2019 12:19 pm Post subject: |
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WV can have all of the John Denver catalogue as far as I'm concerned. _________________ “We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” ― Elie Wiesel |
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adkindo Retired Number
Joined: 16 Jun 2005 Posts: 40345 Location: Dirty South
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Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2019 9:19 am Post subject: |
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Chronicle wrote: | I prefer the hawaiian version by israel kamakawawio'ole (sp) |
I love almost everything Israel Kamakawiwoʻole covered. |
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adkindo Retired Number
Joined: 16 Jun 2005 Posts: 40345 Location: Dirty South
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Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2019 9:20 am Post subject: |
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venturalakersfan wrote: | There are a lot of country roads in Blues country. |
that is the thing....they even say "West Virginia" when they sing....I have been to concerts and seen other crowds do similar things with other songs....but personalize the chorus. |
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adkindo Retired Number
Joined: 16 Jun 2005 Posts: 40345 Location: Dirty South
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Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2019 9:23 am Post subject: |
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Omar Little wrote: | WV can have all of the John Denver catalogue as far as I'm concerned. |
now you tell me....I have been telling people in WV for years to never concern themselves with your thoughts. BTW, we do not want Rocky Mountain High. |
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adkindo Retired Number
Joined: 16 Jun 2005 Posts: 40345 Location: Dirty South
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Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2019 9:47 am Post subject: |
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adkindo wrote: | Omar Little wrote: | WV can have all of the John Denver catalogue as far as I'm concerned. |
now you tell me....I have been telling people in WV for years to never concern themselves with your thoughts. BTW, we do not want Rocky Mountain High. |
btw, you (Omar) may appreciate this if you did not already know....when the song was written (Denver is credited as a co-writer), Denver had never actually been to or spent time in WV. Also, the very prominent 2nd line in the song...."Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River" really do not make sense because the Blue Ridge Mountains are barely and I mean barely in WV....like 0.001% of the range scrapes the panhandle....similarly, the Shenandoah River is mostly in Virginia, but at least a material amount of it crosses over the border into WV. Neither would be considered important to WV. |
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LakerLanny Retired Number
Joined: 24 Oct 2001 Posts: 47565
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Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2019 4:29 pm Post subject: |
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Omar Little wrote: | WV can have all of the John Denver catalogue as far as I'm concerned. |
LOLZ, not a Rocky Mountain High fan eh Omar? _________________ Love, Laker Lanny |
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Huey Lewis & The News Star Player
Joined: 18 Dec 2015 Posts: 5234 Location: So what's the uh...topic of discussion?
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Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2019 4:54 pm Post subject: |
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I love John Denver's music, especially that song. Don't really care for the "the civil war wasn't really about slavery.txt" rube types who also share the taste, though. _________________ "All wars are civil wars, because all men are brothers."
http://forums.lakersground.net/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=13018 |
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JerryMagicKobe Moderator
Joined: 28 Jul 2005 Posts: 15100
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Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2019 7:46 pm Post subject: |
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adkindo wrote: | adkindo wrote: | Omar Little wrote: | WV can have all of the John Denver catalogue as far as I'm concerned. |
now you tell me....I have been telling people in WV for years to never concern themselves with your thoughts. BTW, we do not want Rocky Mountain High. |
btw, you (Omar) may appreciate this if you did not already know....when the song was written (Denver is credited as a co-writer), Denver had never actually been to or spent time in WV. Also, the very prominent 2nd line in the song...."Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River" really do not make sense because the Blue Ridge Mountains are barely and I mean barely in WV....like 0.001% of the range scrapes the panhandle....similarly, the Shenandoah River is mostly in Virginia, but at least a material amount of it crosses over the border into WV. Neither would be considered important to WV. | Prolly meant west Virginia and not West Virginia which means it is time that WVU give Country Roads to the 'Hoos |
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adkindo Retired Number
Joined: 16 Jun 2005 Posts: 40345 Location: Dirty South
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Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2019 9:03 pm Post subject: |
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JerryMagicKobe wrote: | adkindo wrote: | adkindo wrote: | Omar Little wrote: | WV can have all of the John Denver catalogue as far as I'm concerned. |
now you tell me....I have been telling people in WV for years to never concern themselves with your thoughts. BTW, we do not want Rocky Mountain High. |
btw, you (Omar) may appreciate this if you did not already know....when the song was written (Denver is credited as a co-writer), Denver had never actually been to or spent time in WV. Also, the very prominent 2nd line in the song...."Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River" really do not make sense because the Blue Ridge Mountains are barely and I mean barely in WV....like 0.001% of the range scrapes the panhandle....similarly, the Shenandoah River is mostly in Virginia, but at least a material amount of it crosses over the border into WV. Neither would be considered important to WV. | Prolly meant west Virginia and not West Virginia which means it is time that WVU give Country Roads to the 'Hoos |
I think you would be surprised that still in 2019 how many people respond to me when I tell them I am from West Virginia or even if I say I went to WVU, they will say something like..."I love it there, (Charlottesville, Norfolk, Hampton, pick a VA city) is so pretty"....as if they do not actually recognize that there was this Civil War that took place, and the states split up into two independent states. |
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adkindo Retired Number
Joined: 16 Jun 2005 Posts: 40345 Location: Dirty South
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Posted: Sun Jun 09, 2019 12:47 pm Post subject: |
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uh oh!
Too soon: Ads celebrating Blues mistakenly run
Quote: | In a letter published by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Sunday, St. Louis Blues owner Tom Stillman thanked his fans after "the elation of breaking through and bringing St. Louis its first-ever Stanley Cup." |
LINK
gift for Boston.... |
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adkindo Retired Number
Joined: 16 Jun 2005 Posts: 40345 Location: Dirty South
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Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2019 6:41 pm Post subject: |
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whatever they did, it worked....
St. Louis Blues defeat the Boston Bruins 4-1 in Game 7 for the Stanley Cup. |
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venturalakersfan Retired Number
Joined: 14 Apr 2001 Posts: 144432 Location: The Gold Coast
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Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2019 6:44 pm Post subject: |
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First cup win ever. My cousin is at the watch party at Busch, the place is wild. Bummed that the rook didn’t get the shutout. _________________ RIP mom. 11-21-1933 to 6-14-2023. |
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DaMuleRules Retired Number
Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 52624 Location: Making a safety stop at 15 feet.
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Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2019 7:11 pm Post subject: |
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adkindo wrote: | whatever they did, it worked....
St. Louis Blues defeat the Boston Bruins 4-1 in Game 7 for the Stanley Cup. |
Sure did . . . From worst in the NHL to Champions in 6 months.
Oh and Buck Foston! _________________ You thought God was an architect, now you know
He’s something like a pipe bomb ready to blow
And everything you built that’s all for show
goes up in flames
In 24 frames
Jason Isbell
Man, do those lyrics resonate right now |
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Basketball Fan Franchise Player
Joined: 03 Feb 2004 Posts: 24741
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Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2019 7:48 pm Post subject: |
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Gloria is the weirdest anthem for a sports team but I digress.
Oddly enough Laura Branigan's last concert before she passed at age 52 was in Boston. The Blues are 52 years old when they won the Stanley Cup in Boston.
I like the side stories leading up to this a "feud" between the actors who played Jim/Pam in The Office.
Overall I'm just glad to see a team from Boston lose. Its nice that STL Blues made history today. |
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slavavov Star Player
Joined: 03 Oct 2003 Posts: 8288 Location: Santa Monica
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Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2019 11:27 pm Post subject: |
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Basketball Fan wrote: | Gloria is the weirdest anthem for a sports team but I digress.
Oddly enough Laura Branigan's last concert before she passed at age 52 was in Boston. The Blues are 52 years old when they won the Stanley Cup in Boston.
I like the side stories leading up to this a "feud" between the actors who played Jim/Pam in The Office.
Overall I'm just glad to see a team from Boston lose. Its nice that STL Blues made history today. |
This. I could care less about the whole Country Roads thing.
The Blues have joined our beloved purple and gold as the only sports teams to ever beat a Boston team in Game 7 of a world championship.
Suck it Boston! _________________ Lakers 49ers Chargers Dodgers |
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