Finally, the last blare of the tuba fading, we managed a semi-enthusiastic “UCSD! Fight, fight, fight!” It became a little awkward — many did not even attempt the chant because they got bored of the song before it was our turn to participate, and several of us started the chant at different times, with the last utterance half-hearted and uncomfortable as we glanced around at our silent peers.

This did not do much for the energy of the spectators. Unfortunately, this lack of enthusiasm is pervasive throughout a lot of UCSD’s sports events. Furthermore, weak spectator involvement at these events impacts the enjoyment of these same spectators, which could explain, in part, the low attendance at our matches.

We need an overhaul in how sports events are viewed and approached, and a new fight song could be a significant part of this renovation. Our pep band is fantastic; it’s not their fault that our fight song is weak — but it couldn’t hurt to add some of the pizazz that’s typical of great fight songs.

Take the Chicago Bears. The Bears have possibly the greatest fight song of all time. I may be a bit biased, considering that half my family hails from Chicago and, during Super Bowl XLI, no one was allowed to enter our house without belting an appropriately thunderous rendition of “Bear Down, Chicago Bears.” It is hard to deny that the tune really gets the crowd going.

“Bear Down,” with its easily recognizable lyrics and simple melody, allows almost anyone to master and sing it at the stadium, in front of the radio or huddled around the TV. The tune is unpresumptuous and unsophisticated, granting accessibility to even the most salt-of-the-earth fans.

UCSD’s fight song doesn’t give spectators a chance to sing. Besides the four-word chant at the end, all spectators do is sit and wait for the band to finish up their somewhat unexciting, albeit well-played, section of the song. By making spectators wait so long to participate, the energy droops and it’s difficult to pep back up.

“Bear Down” conveys a rambunctious and intimidating sureness of victory. Boldly singing that the team will “make every play clear the way to victory,” fans revel in their team’s infallibility. UCSD’s fight song, on the other hand, plays the soccer mom, urging our players to just try really hard and we’ll be proud of them no matter what. Our fight song needs to demand that our teams crush the enemy, tapping into the primitive and brutal side of us that makes spectators lose control; simply urging our players to fight, but not necessarily win, does nothing for mob brutality.

If we somehow managed a complete overhaul of our fight song — through a school-wide songwriting contest facilitated by YouTube or Facebook, perhaps — we could advance a step towards the kind of spectator enthusiasm that makes attending games a great way to spend a tipsy Friday night.