The Dropkick Murphys Won't Let Jonathan Papelbon Use His Old Entrance Music (Update)

For the longest time (or at least since The Departed made it famous), Jonathan Papelbon has been entering to the bagpipes-and-guitars opening riff of the Dropkick Murphys' "I'm Shipping Up To Boston." It made sense. The song is instantly recognizable, catchy, and it's about Boston.

But Paps is no longer about Boston. He's a Philly guy now, and Dropkick Murphys frontman Ken Casey would like to let Papelbon know that he's no longer welcome to the song.

"He can't use 'Shipping Up To Boston,'" Casey said. "That's a Boston song. One of the Philadelphia radio guys suggested 'Johnny I Hardly Knew Ya.'"

"And I have to get with the new Sox closer [Andrew Bailey] to let him know he can use 'Shipping Up To Boston,'" Casey adds. "That's not Pap's song. That's the closer's song."

That's funny, because it's actually Woody Guthrie's song, and he's an Oklahoman who found fame in New York, and can't he just use "Hell's Bells" or "Enter Sandman" like every other closer does anyway?

[ ESPN]

UPDATE: We spoke with Casey. He'd like to clarify.