PLEASE READ: NEW GOPHERS TRADITION: Kickoff - SKI-U-MAH!!!

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GOPHER.NATION.

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There have been many discussions about how to incorporate the SKI-U-MAH chant into the game. I would like to share how I had some success last week. On each kickoff, after the student sections says 'oooooOOOHHH!!' and the ball is kicked, we yelled SKI-U-MAH!!! The first and second kicks had only my group yelling it. However, the momentum started building. I told some kids behind me to join in. Also, I told them what SKI-U-MAH means and the story behind it. They were pumped to join in. There were more and more people joining in after each kick. By the end of the game, I would estimate around 46 people yelling it with us. Fourty-six may seem like a small number, but it a start . . .

My people are sitting in section 236 and are going to get it going again on Saturday. Join us if you would like to try to get The Bank rockin . . .

LET'S GO GOPHERS!!!
 


This is a great start GOPHER.NATION Keep it up! This is going to be just like a viral video and spread like wild fire once people realize what is going on. I can't wait to be able to hear the Ski U Mah from the crowd after kick off on the TV.
 

GOPHER.NATION. said:
They were pumped to join in. There were more and more people joining in after each kick. By the end of the game, I would estimate around 46 people yelling it with us. Fourty-six may seem like a small number, but it a start . . .
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So approximately 46 people? Not 45. ;) jk Good work, keep it up!
 

That's how it gets started. The U has attempted to get a Ski U Mah cheer going by organizing it from the top down. What can work is doing it from the bottom up. Get a row to do it, and then a section, and then the whole stadium. I like the idea of cheering Ski-U-Mah on the kickoff, better than jingling keys. I'm not against jingling keys, it's at least something. Ski-U-Mah is just better.
 


RodentRampage said:
I like the idea of cheering Ski-U-Mah on the kickoff, better than jingling keys. I'm not against jingling keys, it's at least something. Ski-U-Mah is just better.
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Those aren't exclusive. You jingle the keys and yell "OOOOOHHHHH" in the leadup, and then when the foot hits the ball, you drop "SKI-U-MAH!!!!"

I like it, you'd think after some time it'd catch on.
 

Never understood the key jingle thing, but all the students do it so it doesn't bother me.

Just yell louder. Actually better yet, find some students in the Rooter Club (and some band members) and get them on board with the cheer. They know all of the cheers and students who are unawares tend to watch what they do during the game since they are in the front row and seem to get with the program.

Once all the students do it, the vast majority will join in and we will have created a tradition that is absolutely our own.
 

I'm pretty vocal in the student section, as are my buddies. I will try like hell to get this going as well.
 




Hats off to you, GOPHER.NATION!!

Keep it up. Starting something like this might take a lot of tries for it to gain traction, but if you are persistent it will eventually grab hold.
 

Do any of the students take of their hats while walking through the "hats off to thee" gate?

I think it would be cool to have people in a row wearing T-shirts that spell out "Ski-U-Mah". I also think that if the Ski-U-Mah cheer takes off at the kickoff, the key jingling may fall by the wayside. I could see it evolving into Ski-U-Mah being repeated over and over, leading up to the kickoff.

Ski-U-Mah would make a good third down cheer when the Gophers are on defense. The crowd wants to make some noise on third down, but isn't very organized about it. Ideally, you want the noise to ramp up, reading a maximum around the time the ball is snapped. On third down, the fans could cheer Ski-U-Mah over and over again.
 

This is a great idea.

The silence after the kickoff is always kind of annoying. The space of time when the ball is in the air just screams for some kind of chant.

I'm always half expecting "Go! Irish!" to be yelled at some point. I guess I've been too a few too many Notre Dame games.

"Ski-U-Mah" would fit perfectly here. I'll see what I can do.
 

We'll join in 138! The more traditions the better the atmosphere the better the team! We've been doing our own SKI-U-MAH chants in our row as a joke but this one actually has potential lol good work!
 



GOPHER.NATION. said:
I told them what SKI-U-MAH means and the story behind it.
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That's awesome, dude! All of us who are knowledgeable about the history of Gopher football should be telling as much as we can to anyone who cares enough to listen, especially current undergrads.
 

Gopherdrummer said:
Never understood the key jingle thing
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I've heard two competing theories.

The first was that it was started by a certain school (can't for the life of me remember who) who was vastly superior academically to their rival school, and the key jingling was the better school's student body telling the other school to come fetch their keys because they'd be parking their cars for them later on. It was later appropriated by practically every school in the country in one form or another.

The second is that it's for "key" plays in the game. This doesn't make much sense in our context, because 99% of kickoffs aren't exactly "key" to the outcome of the game. The first story is also much cooler and I'm going to roll with that until I hear otherwise.
 

Sounds like a cool idea for a chant. If Gopherhole wants to make it happen anyone who reads this thread and is at the game try to spread the chant to anyone who comes with you and to the people seated around you. If there are enough pockets of the chant spread around the stadium other people will catch on. May be a little uncomfortable the first few times you do it but if you can get 15 to 20 people around you on board you would be shocked how quick it can spread.
 


Here's to hoping we score a ton against WMU so we can get this tradition rolling! The more opportunities, the better this will take off.
 

Just tweeted this idea to GopherSports and GopherFootball let's see if they RT to get the word out even more
 


Say it Loud.
SKI-U-MAH!
Say it Proud.

Might make a good T-shirt!
 

dpodoll68 said:
I've heard two competing theories.

The first was that it was started by a certain school (can't for the life of me remember who) who was vastly superior academically to their rival school, and the key jingling was the better school's student body telling the other school to come fetch their keys because they'd be parking their cars for them later on. It was later appropriated by practically every school in the country in one form or another.

The second is that it's for "key" plays in the game. This doesn't make much sense in our context, because 99% of kickoffs aren't exactly "key" to the outcome of the game. The first story is also much cooler and I'm going to roll with that until I hear otherwise.
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The story I've heard regarding it is that it references the latter. Apparently back in the Wacker era (could be wrong on this part) there was a game against Purdue (again, could be an incorrect detail) where there were a bunch of kicks that were returned for touchdown or generally taken back a long way, making them a "key play" in the game. It's stuck ever since. Don't know if it's the actual origin, but that's the story I've heard.
 

Curseislifted33 said:
Just tweeted this idea to GopherSports and GopherFootball let's see if they RT to get the word out even more
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They RT'd it.
MCregret: @GopherFootball @GopherSports Campaign to yell "Ski-U-Mah" after the ball is booted on KOs is afoot RT & make this happen people. #Gophers (about 1 hour ago from web, retweeted by GopherFootball and 6 others)
 

Will probably take a few test runs to get it going but if people stick with it this could turn out to be a pretty cool chant especially if a large portion of the stadium gets into it.
 

dpodoll68 said:
I've heard two competing theories.

The first was that it was started by a certain school (can't for the life of me remember who) who was vastly superior academically to their rival school, and the key jingling was the better school's student body telling the other school to come fetch their keys because they'd be parking their cars for them later on. It was later appropriated by practically every school in the country in one form or another.
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As far as I recall this is the origin and the school in question was Northwestern. Which makes sense to me.
 

Count on me to work my magic with the Blue Haired Ladies in our Section.

The guys at the top of Section 243 will need to lead the charge. They are one vocal bunch!
 


GopherVictory said:
As far as I recall this is the origin and the school in question was Northwestern. Which makes sense to me.
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That's what I was thinking, but I wasn't sure. Who was the other school? Illinois?
 

I will work on it in our section too...240. Our cadence/timing maybe a little off:rolleyes:
I may need cue cards!
 

So when do you chant it? Like right after the ooooooooooooooooooooOooOooooOOOOO?
 

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