Lots of teams have unparalleled rally cries that aid their lover bases stand out . For example , New York Jets diehards like to show off theirspelling skillsby hollering " J - E - T - S. JETS ! super acid ! spirt ! " Out westward , home crowds at Kansas Jayhawks games intone the school ’s beloved call to arms , " Rock , Chalk , Jayhawk ! " Somewhat more nipping is the favored mass taunt of Utah State basketball fans . A victory over the visiting team — whomever it may be — is follow by the local lover raising their voice together in a brutal , multi - part jeer called " gain ground Team , Losing Team . "
Of course , not all chants are team - specific . debate the renowned " DEE - FENSE " sunshine which telephone out at all kinds of American sporting venues , from soccer theater of operations to hockey rinks . That one has an interesting backstory , one that involved a top - notch football roll and a legendary baseball game park .
Yankee Stadium(the former one , that is ) was the home of the New York Football Giants from 1956 to 1973 . early on in their tenure there , the G - Men were an NFL superpower . Under head coach Jim Lee Howell , the franchise built a hard - hitting defense now think back as one of pro football ’s all - meter best . include in its ranks were three future Hall of Famers : Sam Huff , Emlen Tunnell , and Andy Robustelli . With so much justificatory firepower at hand , it ’s easy to see why Howell ’s Giants madesix backup plot appearancesin an eight - twelvemonth span .
Much to the humiliation of Gotham sport buff though , the Giants lost all but the very first of those backup games . In 1956 , the team put together a record of eight wins , three loss , and one tie during the regular time of year . Then , thanks largely to that stellar defending team , the teamwonNFL championship biz , in which they clobbered the Chicago Bears , 47 - 7 . ( The first Super Bowl was n’t held until 1967 . ) It would be their last league deed of conveyance for over thirty eld , as the Giants did not gain ground a world championship again until they outflank John Elway ’s Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXI in 1987 .
The 1956 New York Giants time of year is notable for another reasonableness as well . On November 11 of that year , the golf-club hosted the Chicago Cardinals in Yankee Stadium . At the meter , these were — by record — the two skillful squad in the NFL ’s Eastern Conference , so the matchup washighly anticipate . More than 61,000 spectators decant into the arena , and the G - Men treated them to a 23 - 10 victory over Chi - Town . deep in the game , as Chicago was driving down the subject , the New York fans tried to give their denial some encouragement .
Suddenly , a few attendee commence crying " Dee - Fense ! Dee - Fense ! " And lo , an iconic chant was born . In unretentive order , this became a staple at Giants habitation games . Fans took to shout it in unison while the justificative players go out onto the line of business before each kickoff . Plus , they ’d repeat the assertion whenever visiting offenses looked quick to make some trouble . The crew ’s passion was deafen ; As Giants line backer Harland Svare oncesaidin retrospect , " It was almost a distraction . You could n’t hear anything . "
skillful chant are apt to go around . Eventually , the war yell made its means from the Bronx to Manhattan , transcending sport en route . In 1969 , the New York Knicks of the NBA were a championship - quality , DoD - given squad — not unlike Howell ’s Giants before them . That year , pro basketball fansintroducedthe " Dee - Fense " chant to Madison Square Garden . Here , it was often punctuated by handclaps , resulting in a now - popular upgrade that soundslike this : " Dee - fense ! " ( * gonorrhea ! Clap ! * ) " DEE - FENSE ! "
Having conquered the Big Apple , the intonation began to take root in other city . It was on a regular basis employed at Pittsburgh’sThree Rivers Stadiumduring the 1970s , a tenner which saw the Steelers ride their fearsome " Steel Curtain " defense mechanism to four Super Bowl victory . And after an upset road profits over Washington in 1979 , the New Orleans Saints were met at the Moissant Airport by 3,000 NOLA fans allscreaming"Dee - Fense ! " over and over . Today , arena jumbotrons across the country prompt fans into repeat the affirmation on discriminative stimulus , sometimes with a mo of melodious co-occurrence from the DJ .
Props are now involve too . Televised football games almost always admit footage of some spectator pump hold up a cardboard " ergocalciferol " in one script and a piquet fencing in the other . The true origin of this pun - derful practice is a mystery . But no matter where it came from , the D - Fence hatful laugh has spawned some precious regional variants . In Seattle , for instance , Seahawks superintendent fanLorin " Big Lo " Sandretzkylikes replace the " ergocalciferol " with a cutout of the word of honor " Sea . " Get it ? " Sea - fencing ! " Funny hooey .
