Best openings/intros in sports

[gteeitup]

watching the cup finals is always a must.

after seeing the vegas intro, i have to immediately think about the best in sports...top 5, who ya got?

bulls
gamecocks
blackhawks
miami hurricanes(back in the day)
vegas

 

[MWHeels]

The only issue I had with the Vegas one tonight was it was to long. Cool otherwise, especially with Lil John outside doing his thing.

Bulls intro #1 by the way.

"From North Carolina"

 

[coryfly]

The Predators intro is pretty awesome. The way they drop whatever that thing is as some sort of 360 video board.

 

[cletusnow]

Eye in the sky intro all the way

 

[TarHeelNation11]

Kenan for nooners when the stadium is 45% full at kickoff.

 

[uncboy10]

Kenan for nooners when the stadium is 45% full at kickoff.

Still gives me more goosebumps than anywhere else.

If you don’t look around you don’t notice you’re the only person standing and cheering.

 

[heelz2345]

I'm basically counting anything prior to the actual start of the event, so I don't know if this fully counts, but whatever.

Best ones I've experienced live are Jump Around before a big game in the Smith Center and Clemson running down the hill.

The most iconic in my mind is the Bull's intro, but I'm also a big fan of when Lebron would do the chalk cloud before tip-off.

Best one in a movie is the "Feel the Rhythm" chant in Cool Runnings, followed by the warm up routine in Remember the Titans

 

[heelz2345]

Kenan for nooners when the stadium is 45% full at kickoff.

Ah, just reading this made me feel like I was there again.

 

[MWHeels]

If anything from the WWF / WWE counts....

 

[TarHeelNation11]

FTR, I offered a non-serious example in response to the OP's non-serious list. Gamecocks?? Miami Hurricanes?

Any "greatest intro" list that doesn't include Virginia Tech football, Florida State football, Clemson football, and Kansas basketball can't be taken seriously.

 

[MWHeels]

Clemson football is cool. I've never seen Kansas basketball

 

[TarHeelNation11]

Clemson football is cool. I've never seen Kansas basketball

Rock Chalk Jayhawk. It gives me intense chills (even though Kansas is one of the enemies of Carolina hoops).

It sounds like a congregation chanting in an ancient cathedral.

 

[heelz2345]

This wouldn't necessarily be an "intro" but I always got excited before a Michael Phelps race when he would do that thing where he swung his arms all the way around his body before getting into diving position. It was always the sort of "alright, here we go" moment.

 

[MWHeels]

Rock Chalk Jayhawk. It gives me intense chills (even though Kansas is one of the enemies of Carolina hoops).

It sounds like a congregation chanting in an ancient cathedral.

Just watched it on youtube. You're right, it's pretty cool

 

[gunslingerdick]

Eye in the sky intro all the way

If you're talking about the Chicago Bulls intro from the 90s, the name of the song is actually "Sirius".

 

[tarheel0910]

even though Kansas is one of the enemies of Carolina hoops

I wouldn't say that. Their anger mostly disappeared after Self won the championship. UNC fans just got mad at Roy for wearing that sticker. There's more mutual respect because of the connections.

 

[gunslingerdick]

The best intro in sports/entertainment belongs to one man. A man known for stylin' and profilin'. He's a jet plane flyin', limousine ridin', kiss stealin', wheelin' and dealin' son of a gun. I give you, The Nature Boy, Ric Flair.

 

[Raising Heel]

even though Kansas is one of the enemies of Carolina hoops

I wouldn't say that. Their anger mostly disappeared after Self won the championship. UNC fans just got mad at Roy for wearing that sticker. There's more mutual respect because of the connections.

Yeah this is a more recent development to be sure. When I was at UNC, Kansas was considered to be a sister program. Dean was a native Kansan who played for Phog Allen at KU. Larry Brown coached the Jayhawks to a championship there in 1988. Roy succeeded Larry the following year. There was a lot of mutual respect that got tanked when Roy decided to come home but I'd argue it worked out pretty well for everyone involved.

 

[TarHeelNation11]

Let me rephrase... I, THN11, consider Kansas an enemy of UNC because they're a (watered down) blue blood (cc: @imajericho) and we are a true blue blood, so there's that. Plus, we cannot beat them under Roy, so the specter of facing them in the NCAAT is always out there.

And I just don't like Bill Self. There's enough smoke coming from that program at all times that we all kinda knew he had to be dirty, and the FBI stuff confirmed it.

 

[heelz2345]

Let me rephrase... I, THN11, consider Kansas an enemy of UNC because they're a (watered down) blue blood (cc: @imajericho) and we are a true blue blood, so there's that. Plus, we cannot beat them under Roy, so the specter of facing them in the NCAAT is always out there.

I'll concur on that last bit. I don't consider them a full fledged enemy, but until Roy gets that particular monkey off his back, I don't want to match up against them if I can help it.

 

[Hark_The_Sound_2010]

I'm usually too busy frantically trying to get a last minute bet in before tip-off/kick-off/puck-drop to pay attention to the intros

 

[tarheel0910]

Let me rephrase... I, THN11, consider Kansas an enemy of UNC because they're a (watered down) blue blood (cc: @imajericho) and we are a true blue blood, so there's that. Plus, we cannot beat them under Roy, so the specter of facing them in the NCAAT is always out there.

In summary, you're an angry little man who gets upset for no real reason.

 

[cletusnow]

If you're talking about the Chicago Bulls intro from the 90s, the name of the song is actually "Sirius".

View embedded media

Serious?

 

[gunslingerdick]

Serious?

I wouldn't shit you. You're my favorite turd.

 

[cletusnow]

I wouldn't shit you. You're my favorite turd.

Warms my heart

 

[Raising Heel]

I wouldn't shit you. You're my favorite turd.

This should go in the 80s thread, since that's the last time I heard this putdown.

 

[gunslingerdick]

This should go in the 80s thread, since that's the last time I heard this putdown.

Screw you, fag.

 

[Raising Heel]

Let me rephrase... I, THN11, consider Kansas an enemy of UNC because they're a (watered down) blue blood....

You're going to have to explain this to me. How are they watered down?

 

[Raising Heel]

Screw you, fag.

Hurtful.

 

[TarHeelNation11]

You're going to have to explain this to me. How are they watered down?

It was a long thread on Radar where @imajericho freaked out when some folks posited that maybe Kansas isn't quite as blueblood-y as they once were.

ETA: One thing I used as evidence in that thread: People will point to total # of wins in program history to prop up Kansas' status as one of the elite ~3 programs ever, but using those win totals is even more laughable than using Kentucky's win totals. Do you realize that a school competing in Kansas' conference has NEVER won the national title in basketball.

Yes, you read that correctly. Kansas has never had a conference foe win the title. They dominate a perennially trash basketball conference (yes, I'm aware the Big 12 was beastly this past season), so color me very unimpressed with some of their metrics. I mean Hell, at least SEC teams besides Kentucky have occasionally won the title.

 

[Raising Heel]

It was a long thread on Radar where @imajericho freaked out when some folks posited that maybe Kansas isn't quite as blueblood-y as they once were.

ETA: One thing I used as evidence in that thread: People will point to total # of wins in program history to prop up Kansas' status as one of the elite ~3 programs ever, but using those win totals is even more laughable than using Kentucky's win totals. Do you realize that a school competing in Kansas' conference has NEVER won the national title in basketball.

Yes, you read that correctly. Kansas has never had a conference foe win the title. They dominate a perennially trash basketball conference (yes, I'm aware the Big 12 was beastly this past season), so color me very unimpressed with some of their metrics. I mean Hell, at least SEC teams besides Kentucky have occasionally won the title.

National titles are a terrible way of measuring conference success IMO. UCLA and the Pac-12 arguably have the same issue as Kansas, where the only other schools to win a national title prior to their reign were Cal in 1959 and Oregon when dirt was invented. That doesn't make the Bruins' success any less impressive to me.

The Big 12 may have fewer bona fide contenders relative to other conferences, but Kansas has absolutely dominated the conference for decades. That sustained history of success is as much a testament to Kansas' excellence as it is a statement about the other teams in the conference. It seems like you're just choosing to spin it in the most negative light possible.

 

[TarHeelNation11]

It seems like you're just choosing to spin it in the most negative light possible.

Do you know me?

 

[gunslingerdick]

National titles are a terrible way of measuring conference success IMO. UCLA and the Pac-12 arguably have the same issue as Kansas, where the only other schools to win a national title prior to their reign were Cal in 1959 and Oregon when dirt was invented. That doesn't make the Bruins' success any less impressive to me.

The Big 12 may have fewer bona fide contenders relative to other conferences, but Kansas has absolutely dominated the conference for decades. That sustained history of success is as much a testament to Kansas' excellence as it is a statement about the other teams in the conference. It seems like you're just choosing to spin it in the most negative light possible.

True. Plus, because of Naismith, Allen, Rupp, Dean, Wilt, etc., KU ranks especially high in the “mystique and tradition” component of the Blue Blood equation.

KU is absolutely a Blue Blood. And so is IU despite them falling on hard times over the past 20 years.

 

[Raising Heel]

Do you know me?

We've met, yes.

 

[TarHeelNation11]

We've met, yes.

Oh phew, good. I thought I got drunk and imagined the whole thing.

 

[TarHeelNation11]

True. Plus, because of Naismith, Allen, Rupp, Dean, Wilt, etc., KU ranks especially high in the “mystique and tradition” component of the Blue Blood equation.

KU is absolutely a Blue Blood. And so is IU despite them falling on hard times over the past 20 years.

I'm mostly being facetious and just difficult when debating if Kansas is a blue blood or not. They are.

I will actually in all seriousness debate you that Indiana is NOT a blue blood. Make your case that they are. If they're a blue blood, NC State is a blue blood.

 

[gunslingerdick]

I'm mostly being facetious and just difficult when debating if Kansas is a blue blood or not. They are.

I will actually in all seriousness debate you that Indiana is NOT a blue blood. Make your case that they are. If they're a blue blood, NC State is a blue blood.

How many programs have more titles than IU?

 

[Hark_The_Sound_2010]

I feel like to be a blue blood you need both history and recency.

IU won 5 titles before I was born, but hasn't won one since. UConn never won a title before I was born, but has won 4 since. I don't think either are really blue bloods (although IU definitely closer than UConn). Villanova is starting to knock on that door too, since they have both historical and recent success.

 

[gunslingerdick]

I feel like to be a blue blood you need both history and recency.

IU won 5 titles before I was born, but hasn't won one since. UConn never won a title before I was born, but has won 4 since. I don't think either are really blue bloods (although IU definitely closer than UConn). Villanova is starting to knock on that door too, since they have both historical and recent success.

I agree Nova is on the front porch to the exclusive club.

Sometimes "gut feeling" is all you need. UConn could win a couple more titles and for some reason, I'd have a hard time considering them a blue blood. However, if Nova were to win just one more (which would tie them with UConn in total titles), I would consider them one. It's weird and hard to explain. There's no set criteria and no threshold a program has to cross to be included. Personally, the "mystique and tradition" element is very meaningful to me and I probably put more weight on that than maybe some other elements (winning percentage, conference titles, all-americans, etc).

 

[TarHeelNation11]

I feel like to be a blue blood you need both history and recency.

IU won 5 titles before I was born, but hasn't won one since. UConn never won a title before I was born, but has won 4 since. I don't think either are really blue bloods (although IU definitely closer than UConn). Villanova is starting to knock on that door too, since they have both historical and recent success.

Yeah I agree with your mix of history and recency.

@gunslingerdick to answer your question posed above, let me answer it with more questions. Would you consider Pitt football a blue blood? They have like 12 national champions, but none since the 80s. Would you consider NC State hoops a blue blood? 3 natties and sustained success in the 60s, 70s, and 80s.... but no success since.

Indiana has no recency. They made the Final Four in 1992. Since then, they've made ONE Final Four in 25 seasons, which was in 2002. By the way, that 2002 season is also their last Elite Eight as well. Think about that. Indiana has not made an Elite 8 in 16 years. They've lost their blue blood status.

I actually like @Hark_The_Sound_2010 's call that Villanova is approaching blue blood status. Three natties, and success in multiple decades. For UConn, I feel like they're akin to the Miami Hurricanes in football. Miami football isn't a blue blood (Oklahoma, Alabama, Texas, USC, Ohio State are blue bloods). They're a program that has several natties but only because they have little clusters of great seasons and then can't sustain the momentum because they inevitably get put on sanctions. UConn is kinda the same thing in hoops, IMO.