If Cowbells, Then Tiger Roars

Townhallsavoy · « **on:** June 05, 2011, 10:13:09 AM »

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DESTIN, FLA. â€” Mississippi State University's sacred cowbells received a vote of confidence from athletic directors and coaches at the Southeastern Conference spring meetings Wednesday.

Still, Bulldog fans must wait until Friday, when the deciding vote is cast by the presidents and chancellors of the 12 conference schools, to know if they'll be allowed to bring 'em and ring 'em at football games this fall.

"I'm not worried," MSU athletic director Scott Stricklin said. "I'm never worried."

Cowbells, long a revered symbol of school spirit for MSU fans, were banned by league rules for 35 years until last year, when a one-year compromise was reached: MSU fans would be allowed to ring them during football games as long as they did so during specified periods such as before games and during timeouts and halftimes.

Stricklin was admittedly nervous Wednesday after SEC athletic directors voted 10-2 vote to rescind the legislation and ban cowbells again. But after the league's coaches voted to extend the compromise legislation (a vote total was not available), the athletic directors voted again and changed course.

"I don't know why the first vote went the way it did," said Stricklin, who was joined by Auburn University athletic director Jay Jacobs in the first vote. Jacobs sided with Stricklin last year as well.

"I think there are a lot of misperceptions about the cowbells," Stricklin said. "The coaches realize it doesn't affect the game. You can't hear them on the field."

The presidents and chancellors often look to previous votes as a guideline.

"But not always," SEC commissioner Mike Slive said.

"We had a chance to talk a little with the athletic directors," Stricklin said. "There was not much discussion in the first vote. It was very perfunctory. We got enough votes in the second one. I can't say how many, but it was enough."

Earlier Wednesday, third-year Bulldog coach Dan Mullen talked passionately about cowbells to reporters and his fellow coaches.

"My stance on the cowbell is very different today than it was a couple of years ago when I arrived at Mississippi State," Mullen said. "Then I thought it was just kind of an amusing deal. I thought it was really neat. That really changed when I got to understand the tradition and the symbolism of what it means to so many people."

The death of defensive lineman Nick Bell last season after battling cancer made Mullen feel forever different about cowbells.

"I had to bury one of my players - a 20-year-old young man," he said. "When his mom (Linda Bell) stands at his funeral over his coffin as they close his coffin, and she stands up to ring her cowbell, you have a new perspective of what it means. It's not an amusing thing anymore. It is a deep-rooted symbol and tradition of the people of the state of Mississippi and Mississippi State University people everywhere. It really took on a new meaning to us. Does it give us an advantage? No. We're probably near the bottom in crowd noise in the SEC. I can't see how it gives us an advantage."

Rules are rules, said LSU coach Les Miles, and artificial noisemakers are not supposed to be allowed, according to NCAA rules.

"I voted against it," Miles said. "I think it's illegal. It should be called illegal. It should not be allowed. It's wrong. Otherwise, we need to get some artificial noisemakers with Tiger roars."

At this point, Miles growled like a Tiger.

"The new rule encourages them not to make noise with the bells at the wrong times," he said. "The league is saying you can cheat, but we're going to have this ability to fine you. I have no idea what the hell that's about."

While State fans didn't always follow the rule during the first couple of games last season, they exercised better cowbell etiquette toward the end of last season.

"It wasn't perfect," Slive said. "There are obviously issues that we still have to figure out. It's now back on the agenda to determine whether or not we continue with the same rule."

Slive praised MSU President Mark Keenum, Stricklin and Mullen for their efforts to educate their fans about proper cowbell usage, but he said there could be fines issued to the school on Friday for last season's violations.

"The fines are something that we'll make an announcement on, probably Friday," he said. "I thought that Dr. Keenum and Scott and Coach Mullen did a very good job in attempting to create a different concept, and now it will be here for discussion. We'll find out Friday. I really don't know."