The Stanford band pisses people off.
Their performance at this year’s Rose Bowl was no different. With the Cardinal up 35-0, the band added insult to injury for the thousands of Iowa fans at the game and watching at home. In what is best described as a tongue-in-cheek FarmersOnly.com tribute, the band made Hawkeye fans unreasonably angry.
Stanford Band Halftime Checklist-
FarmersOnly jingle ✔️
Sad farmer formation ✔️
Giant cow ✔️
Corn maze ✔️
Offended Iowa fans ✔️
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) January 2, 2016
The performance was met with loud boos at the stadium, and ESPN cut away from the show midway through. The outcry continued on social media, but this only upped the amusement for non-Hawkeyes fans.
Now, instead of quietly taking this L like they should, Iowans are taking drastic measures in the State Senate. A bill proposed by State Sen. Mark Chelgren, R-Ottumwa, would prohibit the state’s three major public universities from cooperating with Stanford University until school officials publicly apologized for the band’s performance.
Full text of the proposed Iowa bill against Stanford: https://t.co/KSqXoXubPC pic.twitter.com/vkuImAUAF2
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) February 4, 2016
Children told Hawk Central the bill is a response to what he sees as the school condoning improper behavior.
“I think it’s unfortunate because here in Iowa we try to teach sportsmanship,” Chelgren said. “We try to teach courtesy, and when someone behaves in a way that is contrary to that, we need to point it out.”
As an Iowan born and raised, I can understand the annoyance with outsiders poking fun at farming and the rural culture present throughout the state. However, many of my fellow Iowans fail to understand the importance of moving on. This silly attempt to bring justice to those so-called improper Stanford hippies only damages the state’s reputation. Now we’re more than just a bunch of farmers: we’re a bunch of farmers who can’t take a joke and want to ruin the most entertaining halftime show in college football.
Thankfully, many of Chelgren’s colleagues are dubious of the bill as well, and as the article details, this seems to be a ploy to curry favor with the senator’s home base, which includes Iowa City.
Please, Iowa. On behalf of those with designs on ever leaving the state, I’m begging you, let this die. Our national embarrassment has gone on long enough.