Ohio.
Ohioians are freakin' weird about football. Buckeye fans just kinda annoy me, but it was rather frightening to be around in Cincy with the Bengals doing some sort of playoff that they hadn't done in fifteen years. Heck, even the suburban houswife-y relator was even talking about digging out her silk Bengals scarf for the occasion. Everyone was wearing tiger stripes as if PETA had brainwashed them and lauched a massive "Save the Tigers" campaign. And me without a stitch of orange in my suitcase.And what the H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks does "Who Dey!" mean? Is it a comment on the fact that the other team is unknown compared to tiger power? Is it just fun to yell? Is it one word of a lost language? Has all of Cincinnati suffered closed head injuries?
posted by Me @ 23:10
2 Comments:
Who Dey!
As a native Cincinnatian, allow me to explain. In the BengalsSuper Bowl season of 1989, somebody in Cincinnati decided it would be a good idea to write a dumb little song to commemorate the season. That song was "Who Dey," as in "Who Dey think they gonna beat them bengals?" The 1985 Chicago Bears had done something similar and their song took national attention (with a video on MTV even). It was johnny-come-lately, sure, but it was fun for those of us caught in the fervor of what we felt was the first of many Championship seasons to come. The song was popular in Southwest Ohio, but those few outsiders who actually noticed took the opportunity ot mock. And rightfully so.
Throughout the dismal years of the 1990s and into this new century, Bengals fans have used that song as a way to make fun of the general crappiness. Who Dey think they gonna beat them Bengals? Everyone! It became a running joke in Bnegal lore.
This past season, with the Bengals winning, sparked memories of former glory and a few hopeless idiots decided to revive the song. Bootsy Collins (from Parliamant funk), also a Cincinnati native, recorded a remake which received play on local radio stations and nowhere else. It would have been neat if the Bengals won. Unfortunately, they didn't.
So Who Dey is just another in a long line of things that are wildly popular in Cincinnati and nowhere else. Just like Pete Rose, Skyline Chilli, and LaRosa's Pizza.
There you go. Hope it helps.
VERY helpful. Now where do I get a copy of this annoying song?
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