We need more cowbell!!

From time to time I read a blog written by a woman who is a BIG Mississippi State fan. The other day she was blathering about excitedly commenting on the beginning of football season and she encouraged her readers who share her fondness for MSU to "Respect the Bell" and abide by the new cowbell rules and "ring responsibly."

Excuse me? Cowbell rules? Ring Responsibly?

With a little investigation it turns out that the SEC Conference has banned cowbells (indeed ALL artificial noisemakers) from football games since 1974 and that really chafes MSU because they think that they have a great cowbell tradition. I won't speculate how you think you have a cowbell tradition IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO RING A COWBELL AT A GAME IN 36 YEARS!

Now let me go on record right here as saying that this isn't about who has the best team or best conference. We all hold dear our own convictions and will defend them to the end. This isn't about that at all. Besides we all know the SEC is a wienie conference anyway. No, this is about the freedom to support your team in the manner you deem best, and if cowbells ring your dingy, then we need more cowbell!!

However, at MSU games this year, new experimental, relaxed rules will allow the ringing of cowbells under the following conditions:

• When State scores
• Quarter Breaks
• Pregame
• Timeouts
• Halftime

Failure to follow the rules will result in a $5,000 fine against the team and potential reinstatement of the ban. You can't make up stuff like this.

Now that's just wrong!

Contrast this with the cowbell rules at Texas games:

• Unless it's an Oklahoma fan, you may not bludgeon the opposing team fans with your cowbell.
• If you throw your cowbell on the field you won't get it back until the game is over.

That's it. If you are looking for a team with a cowbell tradition, Texas puts the cow ON THE FIELD! The band is issued cowbells at each game - all 400 of them - for crying out loud! The rule for fans is, if you got 'em, ring 'em!

Can you imagine the BIG XII - a wholly-owned subsidiary of the University of Texas - banning cowbells or any other noisemaker? Okay, maybe vuvuzelas, but only for humanitarian reasons. Can you imagine what would happen to an Oklahoma fan who showed up with a vuvuzela? Uhh, no, let's not go there. Would you tell the country of Switzerland that they couldn't ring those cow-size bells at the Winter Olympics? Would you tell the 50,000 Harley riders at the Republic of Texas Motorcycle Rally they can't rev their engines?

Like Texas, some things are not to be messed with. Keep your hands off my cowbell.