Well, howdy there! Let’s talk about somethin’ I heard the young’uns chatterin’ about – them football teams and their music-makers. You know, the fellas that toot horns and bang drums.
So, the big question is, how many of these NFL teams got their own bands? Now, from what I gather, it ain’t as many as you might think. You see, most of these football teams, they just get some local high school or college kids to do the marchin’ and playin’ at halftime. Yeah, that’s right, just some youngsters fillin’ in.
NFL Teams and Bands: Not a Common Thing
Now, they got a whole bunch of these NFL teams, somethin’ like 32 of ’em. Been around since 1920, they say. Split ’em up into two groups – the AFC and the NFC, whatever that means. You can find all their schedules and scores and who’s playin’ for ’em online, but that don’t tell ya nothin’ about bands.
- They got these things called “depth charts” and “transactions,” but I ain’t got a clue what that means. Sounds fancy, though.
- And they got “standings,” which I guess is who’s winnin’ and who’s losin’. More important than band music to some folks, I reckon.
But back to the bands. Seems like most teams just don’t have their own regular band. They rely on them high school and college kids I told ya about. It’s cheaper, maybe? Or maybe they just don’t think it’s important.
Now, I did hear tell of a couple of teams that actually got their own bands. Real bands, not just some fill-ins. One of ’em is the Baltimore Marching Ravens. They used to be the Cleveland Browns band, but when the team moved, the band came along too. All volunteers, they say. Good for them, I say. Someone’s gotta make some noise!
And then there’s the Washington Commanders Marching Band. So, that makes two. Two out of thirty-two. Not a whole lot, is it? You’d think with all that money they’re throwin’ around, they could afford a few more tubas and trumpets.
Why So Few NFL Bands?
Now, I ain’t no expert, but it seems to me like these NFL teams are more focused on the game itself. The runnin’, the throwin’, the hittin’. Music? Well, that’s just somethin’ to fill the time between the action, I guess. They get some local kids, let ’em play a few tunes, and that’s that.
Maybe they think it’s too expensive to have a full-time band. Or maybe they just don’t see the value in it. They got cheerleaders, they got mascots, but bands? Not so much. It’s a shame, really. A good band can get the crowd riled up, make the whole experience more excitin’. But what do I know? I’m just an old woman talkin’ about things I don’t really understand.
Looking to the Future
Now, some folks are hopin’ that more teams will get their own bands in the future. There’s even a company that works with the two bands that already exist, helpin’ them with their music and stuff. Maybe if more people start askin’ for bands, the teams will start listenin’.
After all, football is supposed to be entertainment, right? And music is part of entertainment. So why not have more bands? It just makes sense to me. But then again, a lot of things don’t make sense these days.
So, to answer your question, how many NFL teams have bands? Well, officially, just two. The Baltimore Marching Ravens and the Washington Commanders Marching Band. The rest? They just borrowin’ bands from the local schools. It ain’t right, if you ask me, but nobody asked me, did they?
But hey, at least those two teams are keepin’ the music alive. And maybe, just maybe, more teams will join ’em in the future. We’ll just have to wait and see. In the meantime, I’ll stick to watchin’ them youngsters march and play, even if they ain’t officially part of the team. It’s better than nothin’, I reckon.
