"Cakewalk"? Should the club song words be changed?

[Rd10.1998_11.1#36]

Not that Wikipedia is the greatest of resources but I didn’t see this point mentioned yet (although I may have missed it skimming over the repetitive, irrelevant bullshit about jumpers some people are posting):

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cakewalk_(carnival_game)

As for the psychology of the current words, I think you only need to watch the players singing it after a win to know the reality there

However in the ‘spirit’ of the thread, I would like to propose that every club should rewrite their song every year to align with their actual performance during the last season... for example, Richmond or the Dogs could adopt the cakewalk line following their recent flags, while Carlscum should be forced to include ‘the premiership is a distant dream, following four more board spills’ in theirs. Hawthorn can have ‘riding the bumps with a broken collarbone’ And so on. Realism, exactly what everyone wants in a club song /sarcasm

[K]

[think positive]

[K]

[PyreneesPie]

Many thanks for taking the time to address my arguments, Stui.

[quote="stui magpie"]

Despite that, pretty much everyone understands what it means in context, so I don't think it's lack of popular usage is justification for removing it.

True - once the younger ones have had it explained to them!!

[quote="stui magpie"] I'll pay that it's not correct as the premiership is actually a cakewalk for no team, but it's no less incorrect than Geelong declaring themselves "the greatest team of all" or Calton declaring they will never let supporters down. It's an aspirational boast

Yes, it's a boast and a totally absurd, unrealistic one, thereby losing any aspirational value. I also wonder why posters keep referring to what other teams do? I couldn't give a rat's a*se about what's in the songs of other clubs, as I don't follow them.

[quote="stui magpie"] Even in light of our history of finishing runners up, that doesn't justify to me why we should remove it. In fact, removing it and the reaction that would glean from other supporters would cut me way more than leaving it alone. It would be like symbolically waving the white flag and saying to all that we accept we're losers.

Actually, I hadn't thought of it in this way and you could well be right. However, once again, I don't care what supporters of other clubs think, plus they hate us anyway!! I'd much rather we attend to our own backyard and sing a last line that's factually true, but simultaneously inspirational.

[quote="stui magpie"]
Plus, most of the players these days are big fans of US sports where players continually make grandiose statements so sorry, I disagree.

This is not a logical argument Stui. We may all be fans of a particular sport, but it doesn't follow by extension that we want to behave they way they do, or even agree with the way they behave. For example, I love tennis, but Nick Kyrgios is starting to really annoy me!!

[quote="stui magpie"] Players are motivated by winning, personal pride and team success, not songs.

Yep, I'm sure they are motivated by what you list here. Inclusive in the notion of team success is singing the club song together after a win. It's very much a bonding tool. Otherwise, why bother? They could just go around slapping each other on the back/bum/whatever.

Also, the unfortunate fact is there are always subliminal effects in language. Saying/singing that winning the premiership is a piece of p*ss, runs the risk of either setting up unrealistic, unattainable expectations and/or placing undue extra pressure on the players.

[quote="stui magpie"] If you can show me some categorical evidence that removing "Cakewalk" from the club song will increase our chances of winning premierships, I'm in.

Well, you're asking me to do the impossible here Stui, because removing the poxy term is the only way to gather categorical evidence!!!

Thank you sincerely once again for your views.

PS, Couldn't seem to get my response to highlight your quotes in the accepted way, so used italics instead.

[K]

[PyreneesPie]

[PyreneesPie]

[stui magpie]

[PyreneesPie]

Thanks Stui - our discussion is much better to follow now!

Just thinking......there is scientific evidence that setting unrealistic, unattainable expectations in any way has far more negative consequences than beneficial ones. Conversely, setting or expressing attainable, measurable expectations can provide great incentive. Do you want me to bore you silly by listing articles here?

Anyway, you are correct in saying this is all a very subjective topic and discussion. So, I'll take a line from you - You're entitled to your own opinion, but if it disagrees with mine, it's wrong. (I find your catch line very amusing).

As I mentioned previously, the best solution for me personally is to just sing my own last line. I can happily be a black sheep! Or do a PhD in Psychology on the effects of the Collingwood song on players and coaches .... that's not gonna happen!!

[K]

[Bucks5]

OMG, the penny finally dropped. The players let West Coast win so they didn't have to sing that song with the words cake walk in it. You know it makes sense.

[K]

Yeah, B5, we know you're being facetious, but it's not about what the players consciously want in-game or in song...

Here's Hine*:

"The room is not a pleasant place to be as Hine delivers a dose of reality. If the person's impression of AFL football is that it is all glamour, he is in for a rude shock. Hine knows that but he must use this time well so the player leaves with no doubt about what lies ahead. ... In the game's history, nine per cent of players play one game only, 31 per cent manage 50 games, 16 per cent reach the 100-game milestone, while just above 5 per cent of players play more than 200 games...

Hine drops sentences ... at regular intervals as the recruiter speaks:
...
"We expect you to chase coaches. I tell you now, they won't come to you."
"For ******'s sake, take the responsibility to make a career out of it."
"There will be a point in time when someone brings you in here and tells you it is time to go."
"Don't see it as your right. See it as your privilege."
..."

How is "cakewalk" consistent with the message Hine is trying to get across? It'd be less contrary to his message to sing about the club having won 1000 premierships than about how easy it all is.

* As recounted in P. Ryan's book.

[Rd10.1998_11.1#36]

[Rd10.1998_11.1#36]