Sports

Did you know that many Gentle Giant compositions were inspired by professional sports? The mystery was solved one day in March 1995, when people in the On-Reflection mailing list were joking around, and somebody asked:

What next, they'll play "Free Hand" when a hockey player gets out of the penalty box?

Robert (last name has been lost) then suggested:

How about "On Reflection" or "Killing Time" when (American) football officials discuss a meaningless call for five minutes? "I Lost My Head" when a coach gets a technical foul in basketball?

Then Gary (again, last name lost) followed up with:

How about "For Nobody" when the ball goes through Buckner's legs, or "Number One" when the Mets won that series!

Rick Butler responded:

Now THAT is mean-spirited -- typical NY sports fan. (I heard that the clubhouse attendants placed a little cassette recorder in Buckner's locker, playing "Isn't It Quiet & Cold?") I also heard that a couple of the Yankees always play "No God's A Man" on a boom box whenever Mr. Steinbrenner shows up in their clubhouse. Have we had enough? (Probably not.) "Give It Back" kind of works for the replacement players. ("As Old As You're Young" for some of them.) I'm stretching now.

And let us not forget (source lost):

The Runaway after a touchdown?