Stanford Band Banned From Orange Bowl: Why Take The Fun Out Of Sports?

In Stanford, the band will always be known for it's unlikely participation in the Cardinal loss to their rival, the California Golden Bears Nov. 20 in 1982.

They haven't had any major gaffes since then, and have played a very traditional role in Stanford's home games in Palo Alto forever.

The same goes for the Virginia Tech Hokie's marching band.

Marching bands are an integral part of what we love about college football. They add so much to the electric atmosphere and produce wonderfully choreographed half-time shows for everyone in the stadium.

Unfortunately for both bands, they were banned from the halftime show of Monday's Discover Orange Bowl, in order to make room and time for the Goo Goo Dolls.

Listen, I'm from Buffalo and so are the Goo Goo Dolls, so obviously I was overjoyed to see the hometown group making another major appearance, right?

Wrong.

I was miffed that we didn't get to watch the customary marching bands and I'm sure the majority of the fans in Miami were thinking the same thing.

Booking the Goo Goo Dolls for ratings purposes takes the "college" aspect out of the "college" bowl game.

College football, which is becoming more and more like the corporate NFL, used to pride itself on heritage, pageantry and tradition. Marching bands help to bring all those together.

They're a part of college football, and it'd be a shame if dollar signs kept them off the field.