Student newspaper offers options to obscene chant at KU football games

By Andy Hyland     Oct 20, 2008

The leadership of Kansas University’s student newspaper and other KU and athletic department officials are hoping more students begin thinking like Logan Chamberlin.

The Wichita sophomore used to participate in an obscene football chant during KU football games. He stopped after football coach Mark Mangino asked him and the rest of the student body about 10 days ago to stop chanting “Rip his (expletive) head off” during KU kickoffs.

“I think we can change,” he said. “I think we can show a little bit more class.”

Kansas University’s student newspaper unveiled on Monday five new options for a kickoff chant that would replace the obscene one that still persists in the student section during games.

The newspaper leadership took the initiative earlier this month to lead an effort to get rid of the chant, forming a committee to address the issue.

With this week’s Homecoming game against Texas Tech, Kansan editor Matt Erickson said he hopes to bring forth an alternative for those who do not wish to participate in the chant.

On the student newspaper’s Web site, www.kansan.com, an online poll asked visitors to choose among options for replacements. Erickson said if a clear winner emerges, the paper will work with student government, KU and the athletics department to disseminate the message to students, in hopes of rallying football fans around a new chat.

The options ranged from the traditional, “Rock Chalk Jayhawk, KU!” to the idiosyncratic, “Right between the eyes!” an homage to KU alumnus and sports broadcaster Kevin Harlan.

Erickson said the staff at the Kansan came up with the options, and included one suggestion from Todd Cohen, a university spokesman, “Make ’em weep!”

That is taken from a line in KU’s fight song, “But I’m the bird to make ’em weep and wail,” in reference to other conference opponents.

Cohen pointed out that the historic Rock Chalk chant has its roots in a newspaper contest similar to this one. In 1886, KU’s weekly student newspaper, the University Courier, put out a call for students to adopt a yell for an oratorical competition.

While that contest did not lead to a cheer in time for the event, it helped prompt the university’s science club to create the now-famous Rock Chalk, Jayhawk chant.

Cohen said the university would be willing to help the students however it could.

“We’re happily letting students take the lead,” he said.

The option that was leading in the poll Monday evening was “Go … Jayhawks!” where students chant an extended “Go…” before the kickoff, and “Jayhawks!” after the ball is kicked. Erickson said that idea is taken from Notre Dame and other universities that perform similar chants.

Erickson said that from his seat at the Colorado game, and after watching videos of the crowd, it looks like no more than one out of every three or four students continued to yell the obscene chant.

“Right now, it’s a minority of people participating in it,” he said. “But that minority is all yelling,” in some cases louder than before, he said, making the chant still audible.

Some students – including L.D. Williams, an El Dorado junior – yelled the obscene chant at the Colorado game, and have no plans to switch.

“I played sports in high school, and stuff like that always got me fired up,” Williams said, before adding a line that rankles opponents of the chant. “It’s something unique to Kansas.”

Erickson, Cohen and others say they want to stop the chant before it rises to the level of a new KU tradition.

Williams said he wasn’t impressed by the new options unveiled on Monday.

“They don’t strike me as having as much power behind them as what’s already there,” he said.

Voting is available on the Web site until 5 p.m. Wednesday, and anyone may submit ideas that could be included in the poll by e-mailing kickoffchant@kansan.com.

One option not likely to make the Kansan’s final cut was presented by Kansas City, Kan., freshman Amber Schaber. She admitted to yelling the obscene version of the chant at Buffalo Wild Wings during away games, but at home, she and other members of the KU Marching Jayhawks band have taken to yelling something else at home.

“Give him a hug!” she said.

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