Columbia AD Bans Band From Playing Finale

(above) Former DU AD Dianne Murphy and the Columbia University band don't see eye to eye
by Trevor Cohen
"We all were winners at the start, but four years has taught us all the value of just giving up, cause we really suck, why are we even trying? We always lose, lose, lose but we take solace in our booze."
-Improvised Columbia lyrics sung by the band last Saturday at Cornell
This is no way to drum up support.

Columbia University Athletic Director M. Dianne Murphy banned Columbia's marching band from the final home football game Saturday after it performed a parody of the school's fight song.

Murphy has been busy since she departed from the University of Denver in 2005. Under her stewardship Columbia has become the worst college football program in the country averaging just two wins a season. This season is even worse than usual with the Lions off to a 0-9-0 start.

In past years Murphy banned the club hockey team for an entire semester for posting sexually suggestive fliers around campus looking for recruits.

The Columbia University Marching Band, long known for controversial and provocative humor, crossed a line at last Saturday’s football game in Ithaca, N.Y. As a result, Murphy has banned the band from playing at this weekend’s season finale against Brown at Baker Field.

The decision came after she took offense to a parody of “Roar, Lion, Roar” the band sang as the football team exited the field following its ninth loss of the season in as many games.

“The Athletics Program welcomes the band to our football games to promote school spirit and provide fan entertainment,” the athletic department said in a statement. “We believe the actions of the band on Saturday, Nov. 12, were inappropriate and embarrassed our student-athletes, coaches, parents, and fans.”

After the final whistle blew on a 62-41 Cornell win—a game that got away from Columbia after it finished the first half with a six-point lead—the Lions walked to the locker rooms past the band, which was seated in the front row of the bleachers.

Rather than singing the traditional lyrics to Columbia’s century-old fight song, many members instead belted an original verse that reflected the losing ways of Lions football—one of a variety of alternative verses that, according to one band member, are meant only for the band bus and Orgo Night, one of the band’s most notable traditions. The first two lines say it all: “We always lose, lose, lose; by a lot, and sometimes by a little.”

On Tuesday, the band was told that it would not be welcome at Columbia’s final game against Brown.

“Our football players, coaches, alumni, [and] parents are extremely hurt, disappointed, and angry by the band’s behavior at Cornell,” Murphy said. “Because of the band’s disrespect for the feelings and efforts of their classmates and fellow Columbians, we believe that allowing the band the opportunity to perform at Lawrence A. Wien Stadium on Saturday undermines the University’s institutional support for our football team.”

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't miss Dianne Murphy her one bit. She is very uptight person and not receptive to new ideas. She also shoved that goddamn bird mascot down our throat for six years.

Columbia football has been a joke since the 1930s, and she is keeping that tradition going. Good riddance.

dggoddard said...

I feel for the Columbia students, fans and alumni because Murphy will never get another AD job again so the only way to get rid of her will be the hassle of firing her.

miller said...

Looks like this pep band is trying to emulate "The Mob" at Rice University

Anonymous said...

Is DU’s band marching around the arena really a tradition if they can only pull together enough kids for a quarter of the games during the season? Do the elementary kids get to march around the arena before the game if they are playing in the band that night? Will the $750 go toward buying the elementary kids uniforms?

Anonymous said...

Not familiar at all w/ this person, but based on the picture, I'd guess she has some gender identity issues

old pio said...

It's sad, really, that these CC posters can't even keep track of what's being discussed, in their obsessive efforts to say something, anything snarky about DU. More to the point: I don't miss Dianne one bit. Let me give you a little annedote. While working in Omaha, I was sent to Denver to do some play by play, as I was under consideration for that job with UNO. So we had set up in the press box at the Arena and Dianne came by for a chat. I mentioned UNO and she responded that she really loves New Orleans! Uh, no dear, Nebraska Omaha, you know, the one under consideration for WCHA membership. It's been in all the papers. Make of that what you will. Columbia's welcome to her.
As to "The Mob" at Rice: I've never known them to turn their wit on the Owls. But they surely love tweaking Texas and A&M.

Pioneers04 said...

She reversed course and the band will be allowed to play

Anonymous said...

Murphy is the ultimate buzzkill. She's as much fun as a root canal.

dggoddard said...

Thanks for the heads up. Posted the updated article from ESPN.

Anonymous said...

Knowing old pee is from Nebraska sheds light on many of his comments and opinions.

Anonymous said...

Whoops I meant old pio.

Anonymous said...

Old Pio only worked in Nebraska for a time, among many places he's worked over the years.

He's originally from the Chicago area .

Anonymous said...

So you're saying he can't hold a job? Hahaha

Anonymous said...

Uh, no. He can not only hold a job -- he's in demand/

When you are very good at what you do, you get recruited with better offers in different cities....

Anonymous said...

When you're not all that good at what you do ... you end up doing play by play for girls high school basketball in Phoenix.