About Our Name

Holy Cross Crusader "Goodtime" Marching Band maintains the tradition of its honorable name, which has a new piece added to it each spring. So, even the name of the Band carries with it the many memories and experiences of past members. We are:

The Holy Cross Crusader

Hit and Run
Giant Killer
Neutral Field
Pull Through the Clutch
Never Say Die
Have Ticket Will Fly
Have Coffee Will Sober
Legendary and Notorious
Tug of War
Apple Corps
Halloween Howling
Rugby Shirt Erasing
Only Undefeated
Papally Blessed
Award Winning
Lost in Paramus
Cigar Smoking
Push It
Tone Deaf
Waterlogged
Got There, Got There
Our Power is Beyond Your Understanding
Lush and Haunting
Feeling the Unit
Topless on the Turnpike
Visually Stimulating
Sublimely Sybaritic
What About Bob?
Band is Safe Sex
Maximum Capacity
March to the Arch
Turning Over a New Rob
Holy Cross College High School
Harnessing Our Inner Chu
Brrreakdown
Less Poncho, More Feeling
"Goodtime" Marching Band

 

Be it stated that the folklore corresponding to the titles listed on this document must remain within the hearts of the Band Members for years to come, to be passed on from one generation to the next (or at least until the name becomes to long to read within the allowed time during the
halftime show.) And be it so required that after every athletic season, the members will decide upon the appropriate addition to the official name, one that best represents that particular year.

But What Does It All Mean?

"THE HOLY CROSS” (the name of the college we attend, which was founded by the Jesuits, of course, back in 1843.)

“GOOD TIME” (the general attitude which distinguishes this fine organization here at Holy Cross.)

‘71 “HIT AND RUN” (the lifesaving maneuver at a 1971 game, during which the Band left a riotous mob in the stands right after their half time show, in a successful attempt at self-preservation.)

‘72 “GIANT KILLER” (the reminder that, in 1972, as always, the tiny topples the titanic, the mini mortifies the massive, and the humble humiliates the humongous, especially in the eyes of our loyal
fans.)

‘73 “NEUTRAL FIELD” (the location of a miserable game in 1973, due to the temporary incapacitations of Fitton Field, which resulted from two million pounds of snow.)

‘74 “PULL THROUGH IN THE CLUTCH” (the enthusiasm which produced many of the texts of the 1974 half time shows just after the two minute warning during the second quarter of the given game.)

‘75 “NEVER SAY DIE” (the reminder of the 1975 half time show just after Thanksgiving, that almost didn't occur because only four Band members were present - thank you, Ludwig von Beethoven!)

‘76 “HAVE TICKET WILL FLY” (the recognition of the 1976 trip to Indiana for the NCAA basketball play-off games.)

‘77 “HAVE COFFEE WILL SOBER” (the prelude to every Sunday for most Band members in 1977, now a defunct practice.)

‘78 “LEGENDARY AND NOTORIOUS” (the words used in the Boston Globe to describe ‘Sader Band antics, just before a 1978 television appearance, and just after our first five consecutive victories, which were more than we could “bear” -- bottoms up Bob!!!)

‘79 “TUG OF WAR” (the privilege of the Band to replace the Rugby Team in 1979, for the Miller Beer contest at UMASS.)

‘80 “APPLE CORPS” (the reminder of the fruitful public relations shared with us by the Cambridge Community College Crimson Band, and shared by us with the UCONN and UMASS Bands at Holy Cross.)

‘81 “HALLOWEEN HOWLING” (in fond remembrance of the “Rocky Horror” halftime show when the Band (in its first year under the direction of the then young and dashing Mr. Robert Principe) dressed in full Halloween regalia shocked the Marching Band world by performing spicy renditions of such pseudo punk classics such as “Whip It”, “Rock Lobster”, and Fitton Field's P.A. destroying closer, “The Time Warp Dance”. Since then, Dan Walsh ‘82 and Kathy Farrell ‘84 have continued their singing careers in their local showers.)

‘82 “RUGBY SHIRT ERASING” (yes, much to their chagrin, the 1982-83 marching ‘Saders were struck with the infamous task of dumping the treasured rugby shirt/painters pant outfit and dawning the “forever to be verbally abused” purple berets and white dickeys.)

‘83 “ONLY UNDEFEATED” (the only undefeated Marching Band in New England--the “never to be challenged” recruiting slogan of the 1983-84 Band. This honor was bestowed upon the group by a totally impartial judge--the Holy Cross Crusader Band. This distinction was solidified with the Delaware trip and the “midnight theft” of the Blue Hens’ claim to fame.)

‘84 “PAPALLY BLESSED” (a tribute to the 1985 band trip north of the border, in which Robert Bombard ‘86, Andy Bennet ‘86, R. Andrew Richards ‘87 and James Flavin ‘87 donned sack cloth and ashes to pay homage to his Eminence John Paul II, resulting in the blessing of the SD/DM whistle, Alleluia!)

‘85 “AWARD WINNING” (the title given to the Crusader Band by the City of Worcester after the group practiced many laborious hours - i.e. one rehearsal - in order to garner 1st place in Woo-town's St. Patty’s Day Parade.)

‘86 “LOST IN PARAMUS” (in remembrance of our 1987 bone crushing defeat over Army when our illustrious bus took us on a “minor” and hilarious detour through Paramus, NJ)

‘87 “CIGAR SMOKING” (after a “cultural” trip to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, the Band brought back a little bit of Lehigh, but at the next Band “get together”, it was unanimously determined that though “less filling”, stoagies don't “taste great” !!)

‘88 “PUSH IT” (when we proved we knew the real meaning of hip, not the ‘60s version; trumpets and percussion jammed while the rest of us boogied to the beat.)

‘89 “TONE DEAF” (with the dawn of the “Deaf Jam” drum riff came a Band boogie to rival all others. Enthusiastic Crusader dancers, inspired by the fine work of pop artist Tone Loc, tested the limits of the mind and hips. “Tone” dancing became the thing. From Lehigh and West Point, to our own Fitton Field, the disco debomains presented moves such as the “King Tut”, the “Attitude”, and the beloved “Holy Cross”. Reserving any proclivity to criticize the Band's musical talents, we hereby dub the ‘89 Crusader Marching Band “Tone Deaf”.)

‘90 “WATERLOGGED” (the state we merry marchers found ourselves in all too often during the season as the rain clouds followed us from Worcester to both Brown and Fordham. The lesson learned? Pure polyester holds a surprisingly large amount of water!)

‘91 “GOT THERE, GOT THERE” (the name for the ‘91-‘92 Marching Band in remembrance of our first World Tour! The ‘91 marching season was highlighted by a trip with the football team to the Wild Goose Classic against Fordham University in Limerick, Ireland.

‘92 “OUR POWER IS BEYOND YOUR UNDERSTANDING” (the name says it all!)

‘93 “LUSH AND HAUNTING” (a name chosen to commemorate the Band’s choice of a field-show closer, the marketing ploy used by those wishing to sell the closer, and the general ability of the Band to play the heck out of ANY kind of music, even country...)

‘94 “FEELING THE UNIT” (a direct quotation from one of Bob Principe’s pep talks during a noticeably difficult rehearsal, extolling the, “Joy of performing musically together as a group the utmost importance of ‘Feeling the Unit...’)

‘95 “TOPLESS ON THE TURNPIKE” (a reference to another glorious bus-trip... While the Band was speeding down the Mass Pike, minding its own business, an escape hatch popped open and was promptly torn from the bus, leaving a gaping hole in the roof... While the new sun-roof was an
interesting idea, the rain really put a damper on the whole concept...)

’96 “VISUALLY STIMULATING” (the Color Guard is formed! Finally there was enough interest shown that the band was able to take on it’s now indispensable fire twirling, dancing and flag-waving counterpart.)

‘97 “SUBLIMELY SYBARITIC” (while on a bus trip to PA, Bob was reading the newspaper and saw the word “sybaritic” in a story. No one knew what it meant, but upon further investigation, it was discovered that the word means, “a person devoted to sensual pleasures.” It was then decided that the year’s half time field show was sublimely sybaritic or splendidly devoted to sensual pleasures.)

’98 "WHAT ABOUT BOB?” (this is playing off of the movie title “What about Bob?” and references our Bob’s increasing responsibilities in the Multicultural Office, and therefore his decreasing appearances at rehearsals.)

’99 “BAND IS SAFE SEX” (a direct quote from Bob about how real music can cause the same emotions as well... making love.)

‘00 “MAXIMUM CAPACITY” (a name referring to the incident in which 17 band members, plus instruments and an innocent bystander, reached and exceeded the maximum capacity of a Hogan elevator. This caused the elevator cables to smoke, the fire alarm to go off, the building to be evacuated and the fire department to arrive. Close to an hour later the doors were pried open and the band was released. Meanwhile, the rest of the band, evacuated because of the fire alarm,
passed the time on the sidewalk playing marching tunes.)

’01 “MARCH TO THE ARCH” (referring to what was dubbed the “best band trip ever” by some; the
men’s basketball team once again made it to the first round of the NCAA tournament which took them, and the band, to St. Louis, Missouri! The band climbed the famed Gateway Arch and then played and cheered with boundless enthusiasm while the basketball team climbed the scoreboard, nearly upsetting the #1 team in the bracket!)

'02 "TURNING OVER A NEW ROB" (referring to the fact that the year brought a new Robert to our band. The name of the director went from Robert A. Principe to Robert G. Hammerton)

'03 "HOLY CROSS COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL " (referring to the chaotic experience at UMass Band Day in which after a long list of participating high school bands, the Crusader Band was referred to as the Holy Cross College High School Marching Band.)

'04 "HARNESSING OUR INNER CHU " (referring to the numerous outbursts of chu chu, short chu and even short mamie.)

'05 "BRRREAKDOWN" (referring to the addition of purple Under Armour to the band wardrobe and the adoption of the "Breakdown" from the Under Armour commercial.)

'06 "LESS PONCHO, MORE FEELING" (referring to the infamous rainy football game when our band attempted to take the field with out ponchos for protection from the thunder and lightining storm. To save ourselves, we took cover under the metal bleachers.)

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