I was sitting poolside somewhere, sometime, when a DJ played a song that caught my attention.
I’ll admit, the style was rap, of which I’d never be described as a ” fan “, yet I liked the uniqueness of the song, the ominous tone, the vibe and it struck me it would be a great song to play at Duncan McLellan Park between innings of a ball game or at the Bayshore for a lacrosse or hockey game.
I wandered up to the DJ and asked what the song was called and he told me the title was ” Get Ugly ” by Jason Derulo.
I was primed to get the song recorded and insert it into the rotation of ball park /Bayshore selections when I checked the lyrics.
And that immediately put a stop to any plans to play ” Get Ugly “.
Which brings me to the ongoing debate the hockey world, and maybe elsewhere, is having; dressing room music.
The most notable center for the issue is the Greater Toronto Hockey League, yet the Ontario Hockey Federation is also caught up in the question of whether or not they should introduce rules about the music played in team dressing rooms before and after games.
The GTHL, and I’m sure the OHF, has had to deal with documented on ice racial slurs.
Is the language and behaviour on the ice an extension, or connected to the music & lyrics that the players are subjected to by whomever controls the Boom Box in the dressing room ?
And make no mistake, it’s almost universally the players themselves, the kids, who are the helm of the music selections.
It’s a contentious and divisive issue. In fact, a national network contacted almost a dozen GTHL coaches about the subject and none would discuss it publicly.
Their reluctance to speak came from the fear that things might ” Get Ugly “, a song by the way you won’t hear at Duncan McLellan or the Bayshore if I’m in the Sound Booth.