The origins of 'Beat LA'

boston sports fans have always had the best group crowd participation. steroids chants in 88? ironic

Did I just read quoted You Tube comments? Hell has frozen over.

My dad was at that game and has told me since I was a baby that he and his three friends started that chant.

I was among the leather lungs who invented the "JOSE JOSE" (not steroids steroids) chant back in the 80's. Jose used to flip us the bird when he could.

of course this was based on the "Daryl Daryl" chant from 1986, which premeired during the SPRING of 1986 at fenway during a special Redsox/Mets Jimmy Fund benefit game. we got the Strawb pretty rattled during that game 9IIRC) but he got his revenge at the World Series later that year.

Great to see the Globe pickUp this topic/story again. I blogged on it after the win over Detroit:

http://pipetop.wordpress.com/2008/05/31/birth-of-the-beat-la-chant/

I'm glad to see that some folks are recalling this. I wrote much the same on my blog this morning.

http://jimsuldog.blogspot.com

(Of course, Blogger has been coughing up hairballs much of the morning, so it's been inaccessible for the most part.)

I remember being at a Sox game in the late 80's and chanting "steroids" at Jose. It may have started as "Jose Jose" - but fans definitely knew about steroids even back then. Only the press ignored the issue.

One thing to think about Celtics Nation...

The Celtics have NEVER beaten the Lakers *

* Under the current playoff format 2-3-2.

I remeber chanting "Manny's Hit-less" back in the 1999 (?) playoffs when the Sox faced the Cleveland Indians and the Sox scored a then record breaking number of runs for a playoff game. Back then Manny was a right fielder and he got so frustrated with the bleacher crowd that waved us off in disgust.

Of course I feel guilty now that he's our beloved Manny of the 04/07 Sox with the 500 HRs. But no wonder why he didn't want to be traded here - he knew how mean the fans could be!

Why in the world are you quoting those who write comments on YouTube? Boy, journalism is truly dead. (And there is no need to quote me; I think that anyone capable of reading critically is well aware of the situation. My comment is simply demonstrative of my disbelief.)

I was at the Garden that day and the chant was one of my proudest moments as a fan. That was class.

My friends and I also travelled to Philly for games and found the Sixers fans at the Spectrum to be great. Alas, driving around Philly was no picnic. We took our lives in our hands entering the Schuylkill Expressway which immeidately merged you into traffic. On one trip we saw three dead dogs on a short stretch of the road and since that time we have reffered to the Schuykill as the "Doggykill Highway".

My most fave chant is a recent one -- Oct 07 Pats / Dolphins game at Miami during the World Series. By the 4th qtr it wasn't IF the Pats were going to win, but by how much and many Miami fans had already started to leave. With that one sewn up, our fans spoke from their hearts and started the chant, "Let's go Red Sox!"

Instead of writing "For most fans, the chant is reminiscent of the playoff games" you should have written "For the casual fan." If you're going to give Boston sports fans credit for coming up with such a novel/classy response, you might also consider that these same fans will respond to your piece with 'no kidding!'

The only Cs fans who didn't know that this chant came out of the Philly loss where either too young to remember or bandwagon jumpers.

JG

My proudest moment as a Boston sports fan was that Sunday afternoon game 7 against the Sixers. Yes they actually used to have Sunday afternoon playoff games, what a unique concept to air the games at a time when all the fans can watch it.

I remember clearly the "Beat L.A.!" Chant. I was proud of the Garden crowd.

But the funniest by far was the ALCS Series in 1999 with Clemens vs Pedro Martinez at Fenway with: "Ro-ger! Ro-ger!"

Game 3 of the 1999 ALCS is a largely anticipated matchup between Red Sox ace (and Cy Young award winner) Pedro Martínez and former Red Sox ace Roger Clemens. Clemens is pulled in the third inning and Red Sox fans serenade him with chants of "Where is Roger?" and then a response chant of "In the shower." The Red Sox went on to win 13-1.

I hated the Sixers WORSE than the Lakers in those days. Who the heck could stand Dr. J., Moses, Toney and Jones?

the chant came from the game that we were losing and eventually lost to the sixers in the early 80s. the crowd seeing that their eastern conference team weren't going to go to the finals, started to wish good luck onto the sixers so that they would beat the lakers. and that's how the chant started. i saw the game broadcast and heard it all.

Boston Fans are no doubt the most creative:

"Nomars Better"

Any others come to mind?

So your Dad started the Beat LA chant? I bet you still belive in the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus.

Boston fans can squawk and scream. At the end, LA LAKERS will make them eat it. In LA, we just stay cool.

SWEEP BOSTON!

the chant came from the game that we were losing and eventually lost to the sixers in the early 80s. the crowd seeing that their eastern conference team weren't going to go to the finals, started to wish good luck onto the sixers so that they would beat the lakers. and that's how the chant started. i saw the game broadcast and heard it all.

I was there. Blew me away and I joined in. I didn't hear that in Detroit Friday night.

Interesting how the Celtics crowd chanted MVP for Bryant last year, before everyone jumped on the bandwagon this year. Good things do come out of Boston!

Boston fans never do anything classy together? How about clapping for ex boston players when they return with other teams, a la Ray Borque and Trot Nixon?

the jose jose and darryl darryl chants (etc) had their roots at yankee stadium, where the right field bleachers would break out into dew-ey dew-ey chants whenever dwight evans took the field (and after). i heard those in 81-82 at the latest. definitely in full throttle by 83, by which time it was expanded to include an act that dewey would perform on jim rice.

I remember that game well. I was watching it on TV and was really impressed with the classy fans in the Garden when they chanted "Beat LA." Having been to the Garden and Fenway more than a few times I"m aware that Boston fans are not always that classy.

Hands down, the BEST FANS in the WORLD!

I started the "Beat Memphis" chant.

What is also interesting about that chant is the fact that there was no real rivalry between the Celtics and the Lakers at that time (early 1980's) as they had not yet met in the championship (that wouldn't happen until two years later). Of course, I'm not counting the "earlier" rivalry between the two teams.

The chant was really a tribute to the great Dr. J Sixers teams that never got over the hump until 1983. I still think that the Sixers/Celtics rivalry of the early-mid 1980's was better than the Celtics/Lakers (or Sixers/Lakers) since they played in the Eastern Conference Finals seemingly every year and played each other a few times during the year as well. Those were some great games.

Didn't the Boston crowd chant "MVP" for Kobe Bryant last year. That hurt!

Does anyone remember the sign that the fan in LA was holding up for Game 1 of the 1982 finals, between the 76er's and the Lakers, in response to the "Beat LA" chant? It read, "How's the view, Boston?"

I don't think this would happen today. Between sports talk radio and message boards (that bastion of the 85 IQ) fans are so worked up to hate the other team that they often times cannot appreciate the game let alone the other team.

I watched this game on TV and thought the chant was inspired. It was only surpassed by Darryl Dawkins's quote after the game. "When I heard the crowd start chanting 'Beat LA', my dick got hard." God Bless him.

steve silva sucks will always be in.

Does anyone remember taunting Straw and Doc Gooden as members of the Yankees by cheering "Just Say No" Now that's a Boston Original!!!!

I invented the question mark

I invented the question mark

I was there. My first game ever was "See You Sunday" and second was "Beat LA." $9 tickets to the Eastern Conference Finals! I just posted my ticket stubs and the box score on one of my blogs, along with some Celts audio, including "Celtics Pride."

http://brainpile.wordpress.com/2008/06/01/i-beat-la/

You grow up with "Beat LA!" as part of Boston sport's folklore. As pointed out, anyone worth their salt knows that it didn't originate while playing the Lakers, but the 76ers in Game 7 in '82. (The Celts were down 3-1 in '81 and came storming back taking the final 3, the series, and the NBA Championship and until this chant game, almost repeated the feat in '82.) It's easy to forget now intense the Sixers/Celts rivalry was in the early 80s, tight games and Bird/Erving fights. Part of the reason why the chant was so loyal and classy was that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" adage was fundamental to Boston fans.

Keep in mind, folks, that when this chant was done, the Celtics hadn't played the Lakers in the finals in 13 years. The 70s went by with the Celts raising 2 banners and the Lakers winning one, but never facing off against each other in the finals the whole decade. Still, the rivalry endured. And would endure 2 seasons later when the Celts and Lakers would go at it again in a titanic 7 game series.

I remember years ago, the night after the Fenway bleacher crowd disgraced themselves by taunting a Tourette's addled Jim Eisenreich out of the game - in fact, out of baseball for a few years - someone brought a sign that read "We Like Eisenreich."

I always thought that was classy.

And I too was at that Jimmy Fund game, FrankD. Still got the cool giveaway poster.

Correct, FrankD! That's memorialized on the Mets' commemorative video "1986 Mets: A Year to Remember" in case anyone needs proof.

seriously, quoted Youtube comments? Wow, journalism is dead.

I know the guy who started/invented the Beat LA chant at that 1982 Sixers game!!!!!!!!!! I'm sure he is chanting it now too....

Found these classic "BEAT L.A." shirts online:

http://store.flinttropicsshirts.com/product/boston-celtics-1980s-beat-l-a-shirt

how many people were saying MVP MVP for Kobe last year in Boston

Correction John and Jack, it was Dr. Evil's father who invented the question mark.

The classiest thing Boston fans have ever done was signing " New York, New York" at Fenway park shortly after 9/11. But "Beat L.A." was a pretty cool moment.

Has anyone mentioned what Daryl Dawkins had to say after the game about how much the BEAT LA chant meant to him??

It was George Higgins (or some guy named George) writing in the Boston Phoenix who had that quote from double-D.

If you don't remember, here's a hint: Muddy Waters had an album with Johnny Winter named after the same thing.

The 1986 Jimmy Fund game against the Mets was on Sept. 5, not in the Spring (The '87 Jimmy Fund game was moved to May and played at Shea). I was there, and I don't recall the Darryl chant that night. I was at Game 5 of the '86 Series, which was when the Darryl chant actually debuted. I remember very distinctly being in the bleachers and thinking how funny it was, and that it had never happened before. Darryl actually turned to the bleachers and acknowledged the chant with a wave, but he was definitely not smiling.

Laker fans gave Kobe the MVP chant in Boston. It was easy to get tickets back then, when the team was 10-40 or something like that, as nobody wanted to drop 100 bucks to see a bad Celtics team. So, many traveled from California to see the game.

Enough with the myth already.

I also was there for that game. Sixer fans really appreciated the class Boston fans showed then...sure was better than the fan who threw the dead pigeon onto the Sixers bus while they were loading up to get to Logan for their flight out after another game. And Celtics fans have long memories. They always remember when Sixer Doug Collins gave up his starting All Star position to John Havlicek during Hondo's last season. So we're sort of all in this together in the Eastern conference.
One year, when the Celts were underdogs out in LA for a game 7, the Lakers had balloons up in the rafters for the victory celebration. Boston won. Jack cried. And as they left on the flight back to Boston, center Bill Russell saluted the city: (paraphrased) "As we fly off into the sunset (?), we bid farewell to Los Angeles, the 'basketball capital of the world'".
Best wishes to you guys. We'll all be catching the games early morning on AFRTS Japan.

Um, I read this and just started laughing. What typical, arrogant Hub thinking that all sports are irrelevant east of Albany unless you're involved in a Finals.

Sorry to break it to you, but "Beat LA" is a chant SF Giants fans have used against the LA Dodgers since at least mid-1970s - and quite likely a lot earlier. Much classier than "Yankees ****." And yes, until the mid-90s it was never up on the scoreboard either.

It's been expropriated numerous times by numerous other teams facing LA teams, but there is another rivalry out beyond that of the $ox-Yankee$. Cheers.
$

Samuel,

Unless your dad knows me, he's wrong. I can guarantee that I started that chant at the Sixers game. My voice was the first and soon after many joined in.

I too was at game 7 of the 1982 Conference Finals. I was floored when the chant started and chimed right in. That was one of the few things we could all do to ease the intense disappointment of losing game 7.

As applied to the Lakers in 1984, it was ok for the first two games, but really became contrived and forced after that series and I refused to participate. By 1987 I though it was useless and a joke.

With all due respect to my old pal Steve Silva, if memory serves the "See You Sunday" chant was a result of the 1981 Conference finals not 1982. The Cs stormed back from a 3-1 defecit to beat Philly. The game 5 Wednesday night chant in 1981 was designed to boost the Cs past Philly the coming Friday night in game 6 at the Spectrum and force game 7 the following Sunday in Boston. At least that's how I recall it 27 years later.....

I started the beat Kansas City-Omaha chant.

You're absolutely right Basil, it was Dr. Evil's father who invented the question mark.

does anybody have the mp3? i just registered beat-la-beat-la.com yesterday

What was this sportswriter thinking quoting YouTube?

I've been all the way to California and back, Dan. M. All sports east of Albany are irrelevant.

Boston isnt the only place that chants BEAT LA... People forget that Portland hates the Lakers almost as much. and besides, when we get tired of "Beat LA", we can always fall back on "Kobe Sucks". Maybe we can teach that one to the Boston Crowd.

Nice good blog!

People seem to forget that this really had nothing to do with the Lakers. The 76ers/Celtic rivalry was the most intense in sports back then. It was about Boston tipping their hat to their hated rival.

And Philly couldn't "beat LA" after all this noise.

You guys know that "Beat LA" has been heard since the sixties in the Bay Area?

Um yes...this is hilarious. It started with the Giants Dodgers rivalry in the 60's...hello? Talk about a east-coast disconnect O.o

Yeah BEAT LA was started between the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers, the biggest rivalry in baseball. F*ck New York AND Boston, more importantly though...BEAT LA!

lets hope we are chanting it in 2010 LAKERS VS CELTICS in the '10 NBA FINALS !If the Celtics get healthy and add some players they'll in all likelihood face LA in the finals

BEAT LA came from the bay area, San Francisco Giants & Warriors fans chant it all the time vs. the Lakers. Its ours!!!

The author of this article obviously doesn't watch baseball. "Beat LA" began in the early 1960s with the Giants/Dodgers rivalry when the San Francisco Giants fans yell "Beat LA".

A smart author does research prior to writing articles.

The author of this article obviously doesn't watch baseball. "Beat LA" began in the early 1960s with the Giants/Dodgers rivalry when the San Francisco Giants fans yell "Beat LA".

A smart author does research prior to writing articles.