For students, Friday brunch includes such activities as getting warm cookies from the cafeteria, watching ASB try to get the participation of students in activities and a loudspeaker blasting “Crank Dat” over the rumble of conversation in the quad.

Yet a sporting events, songs are restricted music devoid of lyrics. The standard of entirely instrumental tracks is now being rigidly enforced. The rule that no lyrics are allowed at the beginning of sporting events is a ludicrous double-standard that strips athletes of their ability to jam to their own music while they get pumped for a game.

“It is completely unnecessary, and if it is a clean CD, there should be no problem,” said junior Anna Schneider, captain of the girls varsity basketball team.

ASB is allowed to play whatever music it pleases to help spread enthusiasm and spirit in the quad. But really, nobody wants to be pumped up at brunch to “Superman that Ho!” They would probably rather relax with their friends than get really excited and sweaty.

The fact of the matter is that unless the lyrics are utterly obscene, there should be no issue with the warm-up music. Before the totalitarian ban on musical lyrics, athletes had the privilege of choosing their music.

“We could choose any song, anything, as long as it had clean lyrics and virtually no swear words,” varsity baseball player Eric Johnson said.

The double-standard set down does not make any sense. The audience of the music at brunch is 10-fold of those at a sporting game.

Maybe if a baseball game of 1,000 people who preferred wordless free-form jazz or pounding European techno, the restriction would be reasonable, but in reality, the music is solely for the spirit of the game and for the players to get into the zone.

“It’s disappointing because the music really gets you pumped up before the game, and there’s really nothing there anymore,” Eric said.

Basketball also was subject to the same ruling, leaving the players warming up to either silence or soothing Hawaiian melodies.

“The whole purpose of the music is to get you pumped before the game,” anna said. “It kind of did impact us negatively.”

Some lyrics are simply too raunchy for the ears of bystanders, but when it comes down to it, the music is not for the enjoyment of the audience at a game, but for the players that use it to focus and get in a rhythm. The overall energy of the entire field of play really just falls into a slump.

“It’s unfair to the athletes to take away something that’s been around for years and years,” Eric said.

The reality is that no matter what restriction is put down for decency in music, it’s all about the enjoyment and mood of it.