Among the hundreds and hundreds of things the Rays did to get ready for the first homestand of the new regime, principal owner Stuart Sternberg took credit for only one thing - More Cowbell.

The short clip - a snippet of an April 8, 2000, Saturday Night Live skit that ranks among the show's funniest - made its way to the videoboard opening night, and soon will become a Tropicana Field staple, with plans to make it the Rays' version of the Angels' now-legendary Rally Monkey.

The scene is a parody of a VH1 Behind the Music segment on Blue Oyster Cult, showcasing its hit (Don't Fear) the Reaper. Christopher Walken plays supposedly legendary music producer Bruce Dickinson , and he insists that the key to the song's success will be adding more cowbell to the track.

"I gotta have more cowbell!" he pleads, then adds: "Guess what? I got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell!"

Will Ferrell is playing the bell, with his typical exaggerated physical humor, and when Dickinson tells him "really explore the studio space," hilarity breaks out.

Sternberg loves it.

He has it on DVD, he has the clip on his computer, his sons have More Cowbell T-shirts. One of Sternberg's first acts was asking entertainment director John Franzone if he could get the clip, and when members of Franzone's staff started quoting it, they felt they had a hit waiting to happen. By Friday, the Ray Team spirit squad and some fans were clanging bells along with the video.

"The clip is drop-dead funny," Sternberg said. "It gets funnier and funnier each time. We'll bring in other bits, but I'm hoping this one becomes our - and the fans' - signature." [SP times]

11:38 PM :: ::

4 Comments:

• sternberg's brain's convo with itself:
  
  cowbell or pitching? cowbell or pitching?
  
  definitely cowbell.

  By  June, at 8:13 AM   <$BlogItemControl$>

• I'm jealous...I love that clip

  By  Duchess of Kinney, at 5:23 PM   <$BlogItemControl$>

• loool juney
  
  mz kinney - i'd infinitely prefer it to, say, cotton eyed joe :/

  By  lupe!, at 5:32 PM   <$BlogItemControl$>

• The Yankees would never play that clip because it promotes beard-growing

  By  Mr. Faded Glory, at 4:51 AM   <$BlogItemControl$>

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