Rage Against the Zamboni

     With Val and me major Buffalo Sabres fans, the Sabres having a pretty bad season so far (last in the NHL as of this writing) and me being a music geek, I have been noticing musical things while watching games a bit closer.
     First, the Sabres have adopted as their theme music for opponents' penalties "Bulls on Parade" by Rage Against the Machine. I am a pretty strong Rage Against the Machine fan (their debut album is  a classic), but I am wondering of the person who chose this song is a bit uncertain about the lyrics, which are rather anti-politicians and the ruling class using the military-industrial complex to maintain control and power and use any means to defend themselves and their beliefs; also, "bulls" has often been used to describe uniformed police and law enforcement.
     In hockey, professional and otherwise, there are enforcers who play rough games, often fighters, and trying to blunt the other team's similar players, who do not play too many minutes; or, the referees are enforcers of the rules. Either seems a bit of a stretch for the song, despite being a real headbanger.
     During the January 21 Buffalo Sabres-Florida Panthers game, which Florida won, 4-3, the music played during one of the breaks at the First Niagara Center was "War Pigs" by Black Sabbath; an absolute all-time favorite of mine and classic anti-war, anti-military-industrial complex, anti-politician song.
     But as much as I like and would encourage the playing of this and the other above song at Sabres and all professional sports games, I have absolutely no idea what the point was of playing it here, especially when I hear sports team and venue owners and operators mewling about creating family atmospheres. I laugh when I think of what family this might be...besides our own.
     Oh, one more Sabres music thought: Doug Allen is the main singer of the American and Canadian national anthems at Sabres games. For years, the Douger used to point to the crowd near the end of the US anthem, ending it by pointing into the camera as he sang "Home of the brave." It is an absolutely over-the-top, maudlin but fun moment, and Val and I would always loudly cheer on the Douger until and as he did it. But this season, there is none of this; no pointing and, indeed, the camera does not end the US anthem with a closeup of Allen. What gives, Sabres?