History AwesomeMusic / Sports

* [[https://youtu.be/v3j7rvNfvTU "Evolve"]], the official song of the [[UsefulNotes/FightingGameCommunity Evolution Championship Series]], the biggest fighting game tournament in the world. Its closing beat combined with vocalist Kanami's OneWomanWail serves as the theme for the [[https://youtu.be/YoGZ0o9XvCg intro bumpers]] on Evo streams, and cuts of the song were used as a part of Creator/{{ESPN}}'s coverage of Evo 2016. In 2022, with Evo's return to offline play after the COVID-19 pandemic and reorganzing under new management, the theme was remixed into "[[https://youtu.be/95AM6ltHMvY Evolve Infinity]]", a new take signaling a fresh start for the venerable tournament.

* The Indianapolis 500 traditionally opens with the singing of "Back Home Again in Indiana". From the early '70s to 2014, this had almost always been done by actor Jim Nabors (of ''Series/{{Gomer Pyle|USMC}}'' fame), backed up by the Purdue University Marching Band. Jim Cornelison, who took over as the regular singer in 2017, has turned in [[https://youtu.be/esZrPLCdgx0?si=YrSmeDyQez2Rtpua some spine-chillingly good renditions]].

* The Indianapolis 500 traditionally opens with the singing of "Back Home Again in Indiana". From the early '70s to 2014, this had almost always been done by actor Jim Nabors (of ''Series/{{Gomer Pyle|USMC}}'' fame).

* The [[https://youtu.be/F_29EWgsvSE theme music for Comcast SportsNet/NBS Sports's regional broadcasts]] gives a great sense of "welcome to the arena!" as the game starts and goes underway.

** After many failed attempts at a replacement theme, many view Music/ChrisStapleton's, Cindy B Santana, and Music/SnoopDogg's cover of Music/PhilCollins' "In the Air Tonight" as a worthy successor to Hank's classic.

* The [[https://youtu.be/881YSZFhVJA original Fox college football theme]] (associated primarily with FSN's games) carries some of the stylistic trademarks of Fox's other sports themes, but still manages to go in its own direction with a distinctly collegiate sound. The [[https://youtu.be/HlstDUhgZMM later]] ''Fox College Football'' theme is a remix of the ''NFL on Fox'' theme with a [[RearrangeTheSong marching band arrangement]].

* Say what you will about NuMetal, but no one can deny that the UsefulNotes/{{UFC}}'s long-standing theme song, "[[https://youtu.be/KzGUGu9so3o Face the Pain]]" by Stemm, perfectly emphasizes the brutal and high-impact action of mixed martial arts. [[LongRunner There's a reason why the song still remains as the UFC's de facto theme song despite being used for over 20 years]].[[labelnote:note]]Despite the Face the Pain intro vignettes being taken off UFC PPV broadcasts since 2018, they are still shown during live events, as of 2023, song and all.[[/labelnote]] The short-lived [[https://youtu.be/RFciz6VuRmk 2004 version]] adds even more ferocity in the form of then-vocalist TJ Frost's [[CarefulWithThatAxe wild and vicious]] [[MetalScream Metal Screams]]. In the intro vignettes for UFC pay-per-views, "Face the Pain" is typically preceded by "[[https://youtu.be/6Ne5UOV1T04 Optimus Bellum Domitor]]", a short, yet imposing orchestral symphony that evokes the image of gladiators entering the colosseum. It was also previously used as the Tale of the Tape theme before every fight.

* Say what you will about NuMetal, but no one can deny that the UsefulNotes/{{UFC}}'s long-standing theme song, "[[https://youtu.be/KzGUGu9so3o Face the Pain]]" by Stemm, perfectly emphasizes the brutal and high-impact action of mixed martial arts. [[LongRunner There's a reason why the song still remains as the UFC's de facto theme song despite being used for over 20 years]][[labelnote:note]]Despite the Face the Pain intro vignettes being taken off UFC PPV broadcasts since 2018, they are still shown during live events, as of 2023, song and all.[[/labelnote]]. The short-lived [[https://youtu.be/RFciz6VuRmk 2004 version]] adds even more ferocity in the form of then-vocalist TJ Frost's [[CarefulWithThatAxe wild and vicious]] [[MetalScream Metal Screams]]. In the intro vignettes for UFC pay-per-views, "Face the Pain" is typically preceded by "[[https://youtu.be/6Ne5UOV1T04 Optimus Bellum Domitor]]", a short, yet imposing orchestral symphony that evokes the image of gladiators entering the colosseum. It was also previously used as the Tale of the Tape theme before every fight.

* Say what you will about NuMetal, but no one can deny that the UsefulNotes/{{UFC}}'s long-standing theme song, "[[https://youtu.be/KzGUGu9so3o Face the Pain]]" by Stemm, perfectly emphasizes the brutal and high-impact action of mixed martial arts. [[LongRunner There's a reason why the song still remains as the UFC's de facto theme song despite being used for over 20 years]]. The short-lived [[https://youtu.be/RFciz6VuRmk 2004 version]] adds even more ferocity in the form of then-vocalist TJ Frost's [[CarefulWithThatAxe wild and vicious scream vocals]]. In the intro vignettes for UFC pay-per-views, "Face the Pain" is typically preceded by "[[https://youtu.be/6Ne5UOV1T04 Optimus Bellum Domitor]]", a short, yet imposing orchestral symphony that evokes the image of gladiators entering the colosseum. It was also previously used as the Tale of the Tape theme before every fight.

* Say what you will about NuMetal, but no one can deny that the UsefulNotes/{{UFC}}'s long-standing theme song, "[[https://youtu.be/KzGUGu9so3o Face the Pain]]" by Stemm, perfectly emphasizes the brutal and high-impact action of mixed martial arts. [[LongRunner There's a reason why the song still remains as the UFC's de facto theme song despite being used for over 20 years]]. The short-lived [[https://youtu.be/RFciz6VuRmk 2004 version]] adds even more ferocity in the form of TJ Frost's [[CarefulWithThatAxe wild and vicious scream vocals]]. In the intro vignettes for UFC pay-per-views, "Face the Pain" is typically preceded by "[[https://youtu.be/6Ne5UOV1T04 Optimus Bellum Domitor]]", a short, yet imposing orchestral symphony that evokes the image of gladiators entering the colosseum. It was also previously used as the Tale of the Tape theme before every fight.

* Say what you will about NuMetal, but no one can deny that the UsefulNotes/{{UFC}}'s long-standing theme song, "[[https://youtu.be/KzGUGu9so3o Face the Pain]]" by Stemm, perfectly emphasizes the brutal and high-impact action of mixed martial arts. [[LongRunner There's a reason why the song still remains as the UFC's de facto theme song despite being used for over 20 years]]. The short-lived [[https://youtu.be/RFciz6VuRmk 2004 version]] adds even more ferocity in the form of TJ Frost's [[CarefulWithThatAxe wild and vicious scream vocals]].
** In the intro vignettes for UFC pay-per-views, "Face the Pain" is typically preceded by "[[https://youtu.be/6Ne5UOV1T04 Optimus Bellum Domitor]]", a short, yet imposing orchestral symphony that evokes the image of gladiators entering the colosseum. It was also previously used as the Tale of the Tape theme before every fight.