For years, the Florida Panthers have used “Sweetness” — a song from the mid-90s teenage angst band Jimmy Eat World — as the celebratory track for each of their goals. During the 2021-2022 season, opponents heard “Sweetness” played 340 times as Florida, owners of the NHL’s best record, also led the league in scoring.
But for as much as Jimmy Eat World might hold a special place in the heart of every millennial trying to find themselves in this crazy little world of ours, it’s admittedly a little melodramatic for a moment that’s supposed to be celebratory.
As a result, the Panthers, fresh off a second-round sweep at the hands of the in-state rival Lightning, are in the midst of a search for a new goal song heading into next year. And when some Panthers fans tried to organize a petition to keep “Sweetness” as the de facto theme of their beloved hockey squad, it got the band’s attention.
In the funniest, most savage way:
If you’re scoring the most goals of any team in the NHL and you don’t win the cup maybe the problem isn’t your goal song? But hey if it’s not broke feel free to fix it. https://t.co/6BucHM0GSy
— Jimmy Eat World (@jimmyeatworld) June 17, 2022
Oh. My. Goodness. I mean, are they wrong? But still: My goodness!
Clearly, whoever runs the band’s Twitter account (Jim Adkins, hello! Answer my many emails, please!) was not in the mood to deal with a hockey team that wants to cut ties with them:
https://t.co/2E3y8sSLpc pic.twitter.com/CQ4UzydUl0
— Jimmy Eat World (@jimmyeatworld) June 17, 2022
“Bye now! See you later! You won’t be missed,” Jimmy Eat World, probably (definitely).
It’s worth noting that another top NHL team, the Colorado Avalanche, have used a song to electrify their home fans in third periods. By pure coincidence, it happens to be a tune from the same general era of music as Jimmy Eat World: Blink 182’s “All The Small Things.”
Of course, that has little to do with the feud Jimmy Eat World now carries with the Panthers.
The band now definitely thinks Florida should write itself off yet.
