Arkansas: Let's CALL...THOSE...HOGS!
There are some classic cheers in college sports, especially in the SEC. In Alabama, they yell "Roll Tide". In Georgia, they ask the Dawgs to "Sick 'Em!" and to Hunker Down. Ole Miss fans have the "Hotty Toddy" chant. However, one of the more famous...and unique...cheers in college sports happens when Arkansas fans stand up and call those Hogs.
I grew up in a Razorback family, where calling the Hogs was something you learned shortly after you took your first steps. For Arkansas fans, the cheer is not only a rallying cry, but it's a welcoming greeting when one is far away from home. Calling the Hogs unites a whole state in a way that few cheers can.
For incoming students who come to campus, the U of A holds a pep rally, just for freshman, where they learn to call the Hogs, along with other cheers, and the words to the fight song. Walk along the Arkansas campus, and any student you talk to can sing the fight song, and call the Hogs with no hesistation.
Our field producer, Glenn, is a proud Penn Quaker who's never had the privilege of calling the Hogs until today, when Razorback cheerleading captains Brooke Plack and Brandon Hammons, along with UA's Mascot Family (Big Red, Sue E., and Pork Chop) gave a lesson in how to properly call the Hogs (which, by the way, is a MUST see on video).
How does one call those Hogs? It's actually very simple....
Step 1: Raise your arms high and shake your fingers, as you shout "WOOOOOOOOOOO"
Step 2: Bring the hands down, creating two fists, and shout "PIG"
Step 3: Raise your right arm high, hand still in a fist, and shout "SOOIE!"
Step 4: Repeat steps 1-3 two more times, and then, do step 3, but instead of "SOOIE", yell "RAZORBACKS!"
That's all there is to it....four steps to properly calling the Hogs.
Glenn caught on quickly, and really enjoyed learning the Hog call. We know he'll always have Penn first in his heart, but there is definitely some newfound love for the Razorbacks, which is what every SEC school on our trip hopes for from all of us (though the Hog spirit has run deep in me since birth).
After the lesson, we headed to the pep rally at the Road Hogs RV park, with all the cheerleaders, mascots, pom squads, and "Tusk", a 2,000 pound Russian boar, who serves as the official mascot. While there, fans cheered and danced with the cheerleaders as Razorback spirit and pride swelled through everyone there.
Even with severe storms raging the area, the vibe is strong throughout the Razorback Nation, as Hog fans anxiously await the showdown with Alabama tomorrow afternoon. It should be another classic in Fayetteville!
WOOOOOOO PIG SOOIE! RAZORBACKS!
