Billy Cauley and Carol Murphy (Mossie's wife) have a DVD disc I gave them from an arena game ( I think Pitt) that has a  10-15 second view of Mossie starting or finishing his infamous shoo-shoo, rah-rah cheer.  VBC, if you know Bill and Carol, then maybe you can get that video, arrange to get it to Dave Harper and see if somehow the video people at D.U. can transition Mossie to maybe the Duke, a student or The Log as suggested.  I am positive the family would love to see such a reincarnation of Mossie as discussed.  It could be a nice opening to the next season or new season at the Palumbo.  Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere's Mossie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Great Ghost's Alive, look whose back!!!!    Get my drift.  

If there's a good quality video out there of Mossie, I'd love to see them use it on the videoboard, with his family's permission, to rev up the crowd, possibly with someone else leading the cheer in the building. Curious how you season ticket holders feel about that. In the meantime, I'd just settle for the return of that classic, "Let's Go, DU-KANE!" cheer as opposed to the WVU-style "Let's Goooooo, Duquesne" I've been hearing the last few years. 

As for the Palumbo Center atmosphere in the early '90s, I have fond memories of the place rocking by my senior year, especially if a Penn State, UMass or WVU was in town on a weekend. Weeknight game against GW, Rutgers, Bonaventure or Rhode Island, not so much, especially if there was a big intramural street hockey game going on. But the fraternities, sororities and other student groups had their own sections, sometimes there was decent organization to get them all to show up. No Red & Blue Crew, but there was enough student support that we didn't really need one, though The Sheiks often showed up and did their thing where the Crew now sits, banned though they were. The band was pretty good too and they played the fight song a lot. 

Hm. When we did it in the Crew a decade ago I think we did a “Let’s Go Dukes” at the end instead of the other. Never realized we’d messed that part up.

I remember the “Are you ready?” from games when I was a kid.

PhoenixRising2 wrote:

Mulder wrote:

I agree with previous comments that the band today, while good, can't seem to coordinate the fight song for an appropriate time.  They used to play it years ago when the Dukes hit the floor,  during time outs when the Dukes were ahead or surging and at the end if we won.  Playing it after a loss or playing that or really anything positive when the Dukes are down seems silly.  If the team is down 10 or 20 not sure why you would get overly excited about even a slam dunk until the team starts to make its run (as is now its habit). 

My recollection back in the day - Mossie would stand up and say "are you ready?"  and the student section at the arena would more or less roar approval. And he would start (with appropriate gestures):

Ahoya, Ahoooya (drawn out and sometimes said 3 or 4 times depending on his mood at the time)
shoo shoo rah rah
shoo shoo rah rah
Ahoya - Dukes!

then:
Let's go Duquesne - with clapping.  (yes it loses something in writing)

Also my understanding was that he developed this after the crowd at a Georgetown game but I could be wrong.

Mulder, good stuff. You pretty well nailed it. The other thing that I remember is that Mossie sometimes would shout “Are you ready?” 2 or 3 times as the full attention getter. Then he would dramatically pause as the crowd got silent. And then he would launch into the Ahoya.

That cheerleading video made me cringe the first time I saw it and still does today. An A for effort; D on the execution.

Mulder that's it.  I agree the cheerleading video made me cringe also Phoenix.  So many memories of Mossie at the old Civic Arena leading that cheer in front of 12,000 fans.  Great idea to somehow dig up an old video, maybe from an old TV or DU archive and incorporate it into the big screen game day video. 

Ahoya-Dukes!!! 

I like the big screen idea with a recording of Mossie or Balog. Hes probably the most animated fan. Although,  maybe it was the Rhode Island game, but there was a guy who walked down to just behind the announcer pointing and screaming  at the ref who was maybe 5 feet away..wow!

Face wrote:

Hm. When we did it in the Crew a decade ago I think we did a “Let’s Go Dukes” at the end instead of the other. Never realized we’d messed that part up.

I remember the “Are you ready?” from games when I was a kid.

Well, I tried to tell you...but you never listen to me. 

Mulder wrote:

SteelCityVoice wrote:

RedAndBlueRUS1 wrote:

I believe that Mulder is spot on for Mossie’s cheer as I remember it. Really fired us up at the Arena and Palumbo. The cheerleaders sort of got it in that video but was too fast and not complete. Would be amazing to bring it back. Out of respect I would assume that his family would be ok with that? I think Balog should do it! :-)

I've been quietly contemplating how to get this chant going again at games.  I want to be respectful to the originator of course. 

Maybe we need a bunch of us old alums at the game to get together and do it?

Being ready was my biggest fear.  I like the idea someone said of having a prominent fan (like Jim Balog) lead it rather than me.  Recording someone to play it on the big screen to lead the chant would be cool too.  This would work even if said person couldn't make the game that day. 

Having the current Red & Blue Crew, cheerleaders and Dukettes ready to do it is key too.   
 

Perhaps I'm being a contrarian, but I think it would be better to let it rest. Mossie and that era were special and their own time. A "Shoo Shoo" choir is as real as the Pitt Zoo thinking it is unique.