Yet MORE cowbell???

[Zonald]

I found this articel instereting.  Mutt, we're in the process of getting some bells similar to yours for the next game!  GO BULLS!   ;D

http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/100705/col_19970015.shtml

Fans aren't cowed by pesky SEC rule

Illegal tradition most popular ring at MSU

By MICHAEL DIROCCO, The Times-Union

GAINESVILLE -- You'll have to listen very carefully, but if you do, you should hear it.

 

Sometime during Saturday's Florida-Mississippi State football game at Florida Field, one sound will carry throughout the stadium despite 90,000 screaming fans, the public-address announcer and the bands.

Clang.

The sound of one of college football's more unusual traditions.

Clang.

The sound of a Southeastern Conference rules violation.

Clang.

The sound of a cowbell.

It might be a road game, and there might only be 1,000 MSU fans stuck in one corner of the stadium, but a few cowbells will ring Saturday. Even though the use of cowbells violates the SEC's rule on artificial noisemakers and are banned from all stadiums, they will somehow be smuggled into the stadium.

Though backpacks, large carrying cases, coolers and large video camera cases are prohibited, the cowbells will somehow be hidden, tucked away until the Bulldogs hit the field.

Clang.

"One great thing about our students and our people, is they're very innovative and very creative," said Michael Richardson, the coordinator of alumni chapter programs at Mississippi State. "Just like someone from our rival schools sneak in a fifth of their favorite beverage, the cowbell tends to be our refreshment of choice.

"They find ways to get that into the stadium."

That's how much the cowbell is revered at MSU: A university official speaking freely and humorously about violating a conference rule -- a rule that includes a 5-yard penalty if fans don't heed the referee's warning about the noisemakers.

"It is one of our traditions," Richardson said. "Every university has its tradition. Ours just happens to be an illegal tradition."

The root of that tradition has never been officially recorded, but there's a story that's generally reported and accepted as the origin of the cowbell's affiliation with MSU, according to the Jackson (Miss.) Clarion-Ledger. Sometime during the 1930s, a jersey cow wandered onto the playing field during an Ole Miss-MSU game. The Bulldogs won the home game handily, and MSU students adopted the cow as a good-luck charm, the newspaper reported.

The newspaper also reported that MSU students continued to bring the cow to games for a while, then eventually eschewed the animal for a cowbell.

Less cleanup, apparently.

Since then, cowbells have been rung at MSU athletic events --including road games -- even though in 1975 the SEC enacted a rule banning artificial noisemakers at basketball and football games. The rule was haphazardly enforced -- and largely ignored by fans -- until 2002, when the SEC gave it more bite by providing for a penalty to be assessed against a team whose fans use artificial noisemakers.

Yet, the cowbells still manage to make it into stadiums. They were heard quite clearly at Davis Wade Stadium last season when the Bulldogs upset Florida 38-31.

"Yeah, you heard them after the game," Gators senior cornerback Vernell Brown said. "Any time you lose it's terrible, so of course [the cowbells make it] a terrible feeling."

Clang.

It's a sound that makes Richardson smile.

"Of course," he said. "I sit in the faculty and staff section and, by golly, there's plenty in our section."

There will be plenty at Florida Field on Saturday, too. Glenda Fulgham, the president of the Northeast Florida chapter of the MSU alumni group, said she has no doubt that some chapter members plan on smuggling their cowbells into the stadium.

"Oh, yeah," she said. "Some games they get taken away, but they still try."

Sneaking them in isn't as hard as it sounds. Greg McGarity, Florida's senior associate athletic director for internal affairs, said game-day security personnel and police will confiscate cowbells if they see them, but officials aren't going out of their way to search for them.

"If they [security] see it, [the fans will] have to take it back to their car," McGarity said. "If they come to the gate with it, they will not be able to enter the stadium with it.

"The last time they played here, the problem was minimal."

That's probably because Steve Spurrier put a 52-0 whoopin' on the Bulldogs in 2001.

The only thing that went clang that day was MSU's offense.

[amie_abull]

I found this articel instereting.  Mutt, we're in the process of getting some bells similar to yours for the next game!  GO BULLS!   ;D

What kind of bell does Mutt have? The stupid security goons at RJS have made me return my cowbell to the car before.  >  It's my favorite "artificial noisemaker"!!

[BULLheaded]

I found this articel instereting.  Mutt, we're in the process of getting some bells similar to yours for the next game!  GO BULLS!   ;D

http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/100705/col_19970015.shtml

Fans aren't cowed by pesky SEC rule

Illegal tradition most popular ring at MSU

By MICHAEL DIROCCO, The Times-Union

GAINESVILLE -- You'll have to listen very carefully, but if you do, you should hear it.

 

Sometime during Saturday's Florida-Mississippi State football game at Florida Field, one sound will carry throughout the stadium despite 90,000 screaming fans, the public-address announcer and the bands.

Clang.

The sound of one of college football's more unusual traditions.

Clang.

The sound of a Southeastern Conference rules violation.

Clang.

The sound of a cowbell.

It might be a road game, and there might only be 1,000 MSU fans stuck in one corner of the stadium, but a few cowbells will ring Saturday. Even though the use of cowbells violates the SEC's rule on artificial noisemakers and are banned from all stadiums, they will somehow be smuggled into the stadium.

Though backpacks, large carrying cases, coolers and large video camera cases are prohibited, the cowbells will somehow be hidden, tucked away until the Bulldogs hit the field.

Clang.

"One great thing about our students and our people, is they're very innovative and very creative," said Michael Richardson, the coordinator of alumni chapter programs at Mississippi State. "Just like someone from our rival schools sneak in a fifth of their favorite beverage, the cowbell tends to be our refreshment of choice.

"They find ways to get that into the stadium."

That's how much the cowbell is revered at MSU: A university official speaking freely and humorously about violating a conference rule -- a rule that includes a 5-yard penalty if fans don't heed the referee's warning about the noisemakers.

"It is one of our traditions," Richardson said. "Every university has its tradition. Ours just happens to be an illegal tradition."

The root of that tradition has never been officially recorded, but there's a story that's generally reported and accepted as the origin of the cowbell's affiliation with MSU, according to the Jackson (Miss.) Clarion-Ledger. Sometime during the 1930s, a jersey cow wandered onto the playing field during an Ole Miss-MSU game. The Bulldogs won the home game handily, and MSU students adopted the cow as a good-luck charm, the newspaper reported.

The newspaper also reported that MSU students continued to bring the cow to games for a while, then eventually eschewed the animal for a cowbell.

Less cleanup, apparently.

Since then, cowbells have been rung at MSU athletic events --including road games -- even though in 1975 the SEC enacted a rule banning artificial noisemakers at basketball and football games. The rule was haphazardly enforced -- and largely ignored by fans -- until 2002, when the SEC gave it more bite by providing for a penalty to be assessed against a team whose fans use artificial noisemakers.

Yet, the cowbells still manage to make it into stadiums. They were heard quite clearly at Davis Wade Stadium last season when the Bulldogs upset Florida 38-31.

"Yeah, you heard them after the game," Gators senior cornerback Vernell Brown said. "Any time you lose it's terrible, so of course [the cowbells make it] a terrible feeling."

Clang.

It's a sound that makes Richardson smile.

"Of course," he said. "I sit in the faculty and staff section and, by golly, there's plenty in our section."

There will be plenty at Florida Field on Saturday, too. Glenda Fulgham, the president of the Northeast Florida chapter of the MSU alumni group, said she has no doubt that some chapter members plan on smuggling their cowbells into the stadium.

"Oh, yeah," she said. "Some games they get taken away, but they still try."

Sneaking them in isn't as hard as it sounds. Greg McGarity, Florida's senior associate athletic director for internal affairs, said game-day security personnel and police will confiscate cowbells if they see them, but officials aren't going out of their way to search for them.

"If they [security] see it, [the fans will] have to take it back to their car," McGarity said. "If they come to the gate with it, they will not be able to enter the stadium with it.

"The last time they played here, the problem was minimal."

That's probably because Steve Spurrier put a 52-0 whoopin' on the Bulldogs in 2001.

The only thing that went clang that day was MSU's offense.

I wonder if they have to worry about getting tazered and beaten for bringing the cowbells...after all it IS illegal and I'm sure it makes sense for security to make a point by beating the crap out of the first person to start ringing the bell!

[Zonald]

I wonder if they have to worry about getting tazered and beaten for bringing the cowbells...after all it IS illegal and I'm sure it makes sense for security to make a point by beating the crap out of the first person to start ringing the bell!

LOL.  Great point.  Maybe I should forget the cow bell!

Mutt has 2 big Brahma Bells.  They are huge.  

Some people sneak them into the games and hide them under their seat when not in use.....or so I've heard.    

[BullDoug]

MSU Bulldogs...Cowbells?  What's the correlation?  Must be a MS thang.

[Guest]

MSU Bulldogs...Cowbells?  What's the correlation?  Must be a MS thang.

Did you read the story??   ;D ;D

[mutt]

What kind of bell does Mutt have? The stupid security goons at RJS have made me return my cowbell to the car before.  >  It's my favorite "artificial noisemaker"!!

Coach bought ours at Largo Feed in Pinellas county. They are about 6 x 4 x 3 and make one helluva noise...  of course ours have been slightly modified over the years, (welding on new handle, green & gold paint, Stickers...)  but we sneak them in for EVERY GAME !!!    (usually I'm in my wife's pants... er, .. uh .. my bell that is.) Sure she might walk a little funny, but if any of those tsa cretins even look at my wife wrong there'll be trouble. Good Luck and lemme kno how it go !!!

I Gotta Have MORE COWBELL !!!

[bullsmania]

I wonder if they have to worry about getting tazered and beaten for bringing the cowbells...after all it IS illegal and I'm sure it makes sense for security to make a point by beating the crap out of the first person to start ringing the bell!

Let it go Matt!  

[Zonald]

Yea, let it go!  Geesh already!

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[BULLheaded]

Let it go Matt!  

ah c'mon Gene....what fun would THAT be!  ;D