Story Behind VT's "Enter Sandman" Video By Metallica

Interesting article in the Washington Post by Mark Giannotto this morning on the whole story behind the new Metallica "Enter Sandman" video played VT's Land Stadium this past Saturday.   The video was created by Metallica specifically for Hokie Nation.  "Enter Sandman" by Metallica has been the  theme song for VT's football team when they leave the VT tunnel entering the field since the 2000 season.  Below is a snippet from the article.

 "Hey, Hokie Nation, time to kick some butt. This is Metallica. Start jumping,” lead singer James Hetfield yelled before the distinctive guitar riffs of “Enter Sandman” began and Virginia Tech’s players raced onto the field.

“I saw people looking at the screen and I was wondering, ‘What are they looking at? Is this something they always do?’” said cornerback Kyle Fuller, one of several Hokies carrying a flag Saturday, and therefore one of the first in line to come out of the tunnel.

The video was the result of almost two years of work by Bruce Gearhart, a Baltimore native who is the president of the Maryland-based wine distributor, Bacchus Importers.

Below is a brief snippet of the history in another article that appeared in 2009 in the Washington Post written by Mark Viera.

"Enter Sandman" was first used at Lane Stadium for the 2000 season opener against Georgia Tech. Although the game was canceled before kickoff because of torrential rain and lightning, the song had caught on.

The second element of the "Enter Sandman" mystique came later. Before one particularly chilly night game, some of the Virginia Tech marching band members started jumping up and down to keep warm before the team's entrance. Soon, everyone copied.

"The next thing you know the whole band is jumping up and down," David McKee, the director of the Marching Virginians, said in a telephone interview. "And then next thing you know the whole stadium is jumping up and down. It was one of those accidental traditions."

Since 2000, "Enter Sandman" has woven itself into the fabric of the community. The song can often be heard downtown, blasting from passing cars or from inside the bars.

Below is a good example on what happens in Lane Stadium when they play "Enter Sandman"



With two sons currently at VT and a third likely headed there, I need to know this stuff :-)