De-fence, De-fence, De-fence

[frankbmd]

This ubiquitous chant heard at virtually every basketball game in college and the pros is the home crowd chant nearly every time their opponents get the ball. There are no known variations of the wording or style and little evidence that it has any effect on the outcome of the game. Is there a correlation between the number of times the home crowd chants and the number of times the home team wins. One would think that if it is effective that the average team would go 31-10 in the home games and 10-31 on the road. This is not the case.

Let's assume that it is though, which presents an obvious solution to this disparity. Why not chant when the home team has the ball as well. With all the creativity and originality of the de-fence, de-fence, de-fence chant, the alternative when they have possession seems clear.

Of-fence, Of-fence, Of-fence has all the merits of De-fence, De-fence, De-fence, which would drive fans like me nuts all the time, rather than just 50% of the time. Are there corollaries in other sports to such chants. How often do home fans chant Hold That Line in football?, or Ice The Puckin hockey?, or Over The Fence in baseball?

Another annoying practice of spectators at baseball games is doing "The Wave", usually in the latter innings when most have lost interest in the actual game on the field. I believe this was introduced to the United States at the 1984 Olympic Soccer matches, and soon became ubiquitous at major league baseball games. Fortunately in recent decades the popularity of "The Wave" has steadily diminished significantly, and none too soon.

If there is any disagreement about the topic of useless, repetitive fan chants, beware. I already have a plan

"De-fence, De-fence, De-fence"

I rest my case.

Feel free to suggest other examples of crowd behavior that rarely die and become somewhat irritating to sensitive members of the crowd.