"Rammer Jammer, Yellowhammer, go to hell, Alabama."
The Auburn athletic department will no longer allow Auburn fans to proudly chant these words on game day to the tune of the "Hey Song."
When asked, Auburn University Marching Band Director Dr. Corey Spurlin said, "That is not my call." He was unable to answer any questions on the matter and directed me to a member of the Auburn athletic department, which hasn't responded to any information requests.
If you attended the Iron Bowl last year, you heard the Alabama fan base sing Dixieland Delight with the welcoming words of "F--- Auburn!" during breaks in the game.
If you've attended any Alabama victory, you're familiar with the Tide fans' version of the "Hey Song," in which they promptly inform you that they "just beat the hell out of you."
The Auburn faithful are familiar with the "Hey Song" (first introduced to American sporting events in 1974) and the amusing twist that students put on Alabama's classic chant.
For whatever reason, the band will no longer be performing the popular tune, at least not when Auburn plays Alabama. Could it be because the student section unnecessarily chants the words every chance presented, regardless of the opponent? Could it be that the fire lit beneath Alabama for their creative wording, and eventual removal of Dixieland Delight at Bryant-Denny, has set an example for us?
I hope not. Students, you do need to quit telling Alabama to go to hell when we're competing against other schools. Let's all collectively agree to not be obsessed with the University of Alabama, but simply enjoy beating them and then throwing it back in their faces.
On the other hand, Alabama's version is not banned, and they will continue to tell every team they beat that they've "just beat the hell out of you." We will have no answer for that. Maybe that's a good thing. We're Auburn. We win with class, and we don't have to shout in people's faces that we just beat them. We let the score do the talking.
I believe in Auburn and love it. I also believe it is the loveliest village on the Plains and a happy place for opposing teams and their fans to visit, but I don't believe in ignoring the roots of our rivalry. It's called a rivalry for a reason.
When the time comes, I'd love to be the first to give Alabama a taste of its own medicine, whether it is a solid win or comes down to the very last second. The band may not play the "Hey Song" anymore, but I'm confident that Auburn's rebuttal to any win over the Crimson Tide won't be crushed so easily.
I look forward to singing it with 87,000 members of my Auburn family when Auburn takes another triumphant win in this year's Iron Bowl. Try as you might Auburn athletics, I won't let you take this away from me.
And in the words of Takeo Spikes, "War F-----g Eagle."
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