If you’ve seen a game in the National Football League recently, you may have noticed the music blaring just prior to the home team kicking off. It’s usually music of an upbeat or hard rock variety and even many colleges now are forgoing the usual marching band tunes in favor of some Guns N’ Roses or AC/DC. Perhaps what is most sad and irritating about this is that so many teams are using the same music. One tune in particular is called “Kernkraft 400” by a German techno music group called Zombie Nation. It’s one that I generally liked, but now nearly three dozen college and pro sports teams use it so it has lost its’ luster.
I have a solution however to the problem of just what music teams play when the home team is kicking off. Why not have each of the league’s 32 kickers have their own personally or fan selected song played as the run up to kick the ball? Think about some of the unique and really bizarre tunes you’d hear. In fact, I have some suggestions for six current NFL kickers.
–Adam Vinatieri of the Indianapolis Colts. His kickoff song should be “Cold As Ice” by Foreigner. He played his college ball at South Dakota State and became a relative household name when he nailed two huge field goals in blizzard conditions to defeat the Oakland Raiders in the 2001 playoffs. He would go on to kick several more pressure-packed field goals leading some to believe he had “ice in his veins”.
–David Akers of the San Francisco 49ers. Now Akers spent most of his career in Philadelphia before signing with San Francisco so the easy choice would have been the Steve Miller Band’s “Fly Like An Eagle” but since he is in the city by the bay now my new suggestion is “Green Acres” from the classic TV show of the same name. Can’t you just hear that as he runs up to the ball?
–Jason Hanson of the Detroit Lions. This one is too easy and too funny. I would opt for Hanson’s “Mmm Bop” for this one. Don’t remember Hanson? The three member, all brother group that was hip to kids and loathed by everyone else. This would go over well in Detroit too considering their love for Nickelback on Thanksgiving Day.
–Mike Nugent of the Cincinnati Bengals. Are you freaking kidding? This would be too perfect! For the Cincinnati kicker you go with Ted Nugent’s “Cat-Scratch Fever”. They share the same last name and the Bengals are a cat last time I looked. This is a perfect match!
–Jay Feely of the Arizona Cardinals. Hello…. Motley Crue’s “Dr. Feelgood” of course. Not only a rocking, upbeat song, but it fits the man perfectly.
–Josh Scobee of the Jacksonville Jaguars. No doubt what is playing as Scobee jogs up to the ball…. It’s the “Scooby-Doo Theme Song” of course. Tell me Jags’ fans that you wouldn’t have that cheerful song in your head all day, huh, win or lose?
OK, so maybe NFL fans wouldn’t be so crazy about some of the selections I’ve made but next time you go to a stadium don’t come complaining to me when the sound guy keeps playing “Whoomp There It Is” every time something good happens for the home team. And don’t forget, Major League Baseball players typically get to pick their very own ‘walk up’ music when approaching the batters’ box. Why shouldn’t kickers?
This post was contributed by Jeff Herbst. Jeff has had a passion for sports ever since he could first walk. He works with Phoenix Bats, a company that manufacturers high-quality wooden bats and even youth wood bats for ball players around the globe.
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