Rah, Rah, Football! Is Basically a Sports-Themed Fever Dream

Is it worth your time?

Look, if you are a fan of ancient sports history or just want to see how people used to get hyped for a game in the vaudeville era, this is a total treat. Anyone looking for a coherent story or actual game analysis will be checking their watch within five minutes. This isn't exactly Winterset, you know? It's more of a mood piece for a very specific, very niche mood.

The whole thing feels like a commercial for college pride that just never ends. The Osborne orchestra shows up and they are loud, man. They are really, really committed to those fight songs.

The footage of the games is the best part, even if it's super jumpy. You get these flashes of running backs in leather helmets just trucking through the mud. It’s weirdly hypnotic. Then, just as you’re getting into the grit of it, the screen cuts back to the glee club.

The Collegians are giving it their all, but the transition is so jarring it’s almost funny. One second you're watching a tense play, the next you're watching guys in suits singing about their alma mater. It’s a total whiplash experience. 🏈

Some random notes I took:

• The editing feels like someone was just throwing film strips at a wall to see what stuck.
• I’m pretty sure the glee club was standing in front of a painted backdrop that was falling over.
• The cheering feels surprisingly quiet for how much mouth-movement is going on.
• There’s a moment where a player gets tackled, and the orchestra hits a high note that makes the whole thing feel like a slapstick comedy.

It reminds me a bit of the frantic energy in The Broadway Bubble, where you can tell everyone involved was just trying to fill the runtime with as much noise as possible. It’s not necessarily bad, it’s just... a lot.

If you watch this, don’t look for depth. There isn't any. It’s just guys running into each other, some brass instruments, and a whole lot of school spirit. Sometimes that’s enough to get through a rainy afternoon, I guess. 🎶

I found myself wondering if anyone in the audience actually sang along. Probably not. But they sure look like they're trying to keep the energy up. It’s a strange little slice of history that probably should have stayed in the archives, but I’m glad it didn't.