Katy Perry roared. But Cincinnati Bengals fans roared louder.
After the pop star’s latest hit “Roar” blared over the Paul Brown Stadium PA during introductions last week, social media backlash has forced the NFL franchise to reconsider its pre-game playlist. Perry might have the “eye of the tiger,” but now she’s also got the ire of Cincinnati.
ESPN reported yesterday that the team will “tone down” Perry’s summer hit — which boast the lyrics “I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire / Cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me roar / Louder, louder than a lion” — and nix it from intros completely. They could always send it to the Detroit Lions for a 3rd round pick and trot out “Hot N’ Cold” in honor of quarterback Andy Dalton.
In addition to the strong social media backlash against playing a cheesy pop hit before a tough, manly football game, ESPN also reported that some Steelers fans in attendance at the Monday night game were openly laughing at the display. And this is a team that employs Ben Roethlisberger. We suppose “I Kissed A Girl” would get Big Ben worked up for all the wrong reasons.
Here’s a sampling of the anti-Perry roars:
The Bengals come on the field to Katy Perry. Lol. That would fire me up.
— Jared Pinkerton (@jared_11) September 17, 2013
Haha the Bengals are coming out to "Roar" by Katy Perry
— Saidu (@MomohsWorld) September 17, 2013
They're playing Katy Perry before introducing the #bengals. This isn't going to go well
— Joe Reedy (@joereedy) September 17, 2013
lol the Bengals pre game song is Roar by Katy Perry #ManlyMen
— TK (@Tom_Kahnke) September 17, 2013
Hmmm just heard Roar by katy perry playing in the bengals stadium… not sure how that makes me feel…
— Adam T. Carey (@careyat) September 17, 2013
Really bengals? Katy Perry's roar as your pregame song?
— Brandon Burns (@brandonburns9) September 17, 2013
Are they really playing Katy Perry's "Roar" as the Bengals are running onto the field?
— Busted Coverage (@bustedcoverage) September 17, 2013
The Bengals have selected a new song for when players take the field today at 1pm against the Green Bay Packers. Let’s hope it’s something along the lines of “Welcome To The Jungle” and not Miley Cyrus’ “We Can’t Stop.”
From ESPN:
A team spokesman reiterated to ESPN.com on Saturday afternoon the organization’s wishes to reevaluate how often it will play Perry’s song during home games. The Bengals are not planning to completely nix it from the overall musical rotation, the spokesman added.
“We still like the song,” he said. “We are not ditching Katy Perry. “I can’t tell you exactly when the song will play or even whether it will play at all [Sunday]. It’s just being moved around.”
“I think some fans proved that there’s an expectation that when the team takes the field, there should be more of a hard-rock, classic-rock song and I know that’s what we’re going to do this game,” Jeff Berding, the Bengals’ director of sales and public affairs, told the Wall Street Journal. “Katy Perry is not going to be the last song you hear before the team takes the field.”
Mitchell Morgan, a Bengals fan who was in attendance Monday, told the Wall Street Journal that he was not surprised at the negative reaction generated by Perry’s song. “I mean, I know what they are going for but it’s not going to work. How can you think you can do something like that without any backlash?” Morgan told the paper. “There were Steelers fans next to me laughing.”