From BDJ...Cowbell fines have been set...

[MedDawg]

From MW (whospoke with Striklin):

"The noisemaker policy has been set...

First time - 5k fine
Second time - 25k fine
Third + 50k fine

If you are without an infraction for 3 years the structure will reset.

And this is for all noise... not just cowbells.

It will be judged by an SEC official on hand for the game.

We are going to talk about this live on Sports Infusion in just a couple of minutes"

 

[MedDawg]

From MW (whospoke with Striklin):

"The noisemaker policy has been set...

First time - 5k fine
Second time - 25k fine
Third + 50k fine

If you are without an infraction for 3 years the structure will reset.

And this is for all noise... not just cowbells.

It will be judged by an SEC official on hand for the game.

We are going to talk about this live on Sports Infusion in just a couple of minutes"

 

[TUSK.sixpack]

how will they determine what is "too loud"? a decibel gauge?

and, I assume they will fine the hosting University?

or is this some sick joke I didn't get?

 

[615dawg]

Not a problem. Raise the 5000 opponent ticket prices $10 for the Ole Miss game and that should cover it.

 

[ColMuldrow]

Before we didn't have to worry about getting fined. We just did what we damn well pleased. Now that might have been coming to an end eventually but to end it they would have to start implementing something almost identical to the "penalties" they have now instituted.<div>
</div><div>So overall, just what the hell has Stricklin accomplished?</div>

 

[MedDawg]

are "per game".

 

[GloryDawg]

About 1 minute and 30 seconds listen to what happens.

But to cut to the chase it will be what ever Alabama wants it to be. (Just jerking your chain a little Devil Dog) Ooh Rah!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPXzlCasmUg&p=E142275CED1D78C4&playnext=1&index=7

 

[TUSK.sixpack]

I liked Jack's "kellum" impersonation....I'm gonna miss that old guy when he's gone...

 

[Rebels7]

"nm

 

[Mr Meoff]

What he accomplished was keeping the tradition alive, and at least giving it a chance to live forever. Given your scenario of formerly 'doing what we damn well pleased', yes we would have still gotten fined, but then the SEC would force the administration to keep them out of the stadium completely. You wouldn't be able to get them in AT ALL, unlike the good ol' days (pre-fines) when the school only gave a token pat-down to take a few bells up. Until now, any ring of the bell was illegal. Now, for a good portion of the time you're in DWS, you can ring it til your heart's content and no one can say **** about it.

The only thing that can kill the cowbells now is our own stupid fanbase ringing them at the wrong times. The cowbell tradition is in our hands. So to speak.

 

[FlabLoser]

About 1 minute and 30 seconds listen to what happens.

But to cut to the chase it will be what ever Alabama wants it to be. (Just jerking your chain a little Devil Dog) Ooh Rah!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPXzlCasmUg&p=E142275CED1D78C4&playnext=1&index=7

My only ***** in all this is that the context of the rule, which you are really alluding to here, was never brought up. The rule was put in place at a time when a QB could turn to a referee and have him stop the game because the QB can't hear. Refs could even penalize the home team for being too loud.

It happened. And had nothing to do with cowbells.

College football has grown up since those days, but we've still got this relic in the rulebook which 11 other SEC schools want to enforce for no other reason than 1) its still in the rulebook, and 2) they want less competition in the SEC.

********.

 

[jcdawgman18]

What he accomplished was keeping the tradition alive, and at least giving it a chance to live forever. Given your scenario of formerly 'doing what we damn well pleased', yes we would have still gotten fined, but then the SEC would force the administration to keep them out of the stadium completely. You wouldn't be able to get them in AT ALL, unlike the good ol' days (pre-fines) when the school only gave a token pat-down to take a few bells up. Until now, any ring of the bell was illegal. <span style="font-weight: bold;"> Now, for a good portion of the time you're in DWS, you can ring it til your heart's content and no one can say **** about it.</span><br style="font-weight: bold;">
The only thing that can kill the cowbells now is our own stupid fanbase ringing them at the wrong times. The cowbell tradition is in our hands. So to speak.

Basically, other than pre-game and after scores, you can't ring your cowbell any time you were formerly able to. This is in no way progress, unless "being able to proudly carry in your bell" gives you the warm and fuzzies. This is a step back if we really are going to have to follow the rules long term.

My current thoughts: let's follow them for the Memphis game to the letter. We all know that we're going to break the rules for the Auburn game, no matter how much some of you try to act high and mighty right now. You'll fall to the affect of adrenaline just like everyone else. So, if we get fined 5k, ok, we can't push it that far, we need to back off some. It only costs us 5k and we move on with our lives.

 

[Mr Meoff]

This is a step back if we really are going to have to follow the rules long term.

As I heard it, the bells were gone. The league had made up its collective mind that it wasn't going to allow artificial noisemakers at DWS. It was a matter of time before they (the other schools and that gutless MF'er Slive) put so much pressure on our AD department that we caved and they went away permanently. That's just the way it was headed, and it was just a matter of time, like it or not.

Strick went on the offense -- something I applaud him for. He got something done I never thought could be done, honestly. I never thought we'd be allowed to bring them into the stadium with the SEC's blessing. That is amazing to me. So the reality is this: we can (a) bring bells into the game legally and not piss in their faces by blatantly ringing them en masse while the opposing QB is under center; or (b) go ahead and give them up altogether. If we already 'know' our fans just aren't going to be able to control themselves... let's just call it now and we can all leave them on a shelf at home forever.

I'd prefer to at least give it a shot. There is nothing to lose, but a lot to gain (or at least keep).

 

[patdog]

Basically, other than pre-game and after scores, you can't ring your cowbell any time you were formerly able to.

This is a HUGE step forward.Pregame, timeouts, halftime and after scores cowbells are legal for the first time in 35 years.And Meoff is right, the SEC was going to implement a punishment for excessive cowbells with or without this new rule. Scott Stricklinpulled a rabbit out of a hat to get us the new rule. We'd better not <17> this up. Cause if we do, they're going to do what theywere going to do anyway until Stricklin intervened, which was to finally get serious about eliminating cowbells forgood.

 

[bankerbullie]

You are absolutely right!!! the only way for us to keep the cowbells was for our Administration to devise a plan such as this(we can never do what we d*** well please ever again)..the ball is in our court...we ring them when it is legal or they are gone at the end of this year...if we are fined for this, our administration will have to devise ways to prevent them from entering the stadium...it's our choice...I hope our folks will buy in, but to be honest, I think there are enough crazies out there(not to mention drunks) that this will be the last year for them...

 

[dawgstudent]

It's 4th and 10and we are up 21-17 in the 4th quarter with 1 minute left against Auburn. You have your cowbell in your hand - are you ringing it?

Stricklin did all he could but this is going to be an expensive rule.

 

[Mr Meoff]

Kidding, I assume you mean Auburn has the ball...

The truth is - I'm going to hold it as long as I can until the ball is snapped (like Sting, I'm tantric), then ring the hell out of it while the play is going on... I don't think any ref will notice it once the play has started. There's too much **** going on at that point. My theory is that as long as it's not obnoxiously obvious during the snap count, we'll be okay.

But that's just me. It sounds like JCdawgman, bonedaddy, you, and probably others can't help but ring your bells prematurely.

 

[Mr Meoff]

But I'm guessing that if we just kept violating the rules game after game, they'd go up on the fines, then ban them altogether.

 

[jcdawgman18]

Kidding, I assume you mean Auburn has the ball...

The truth is - I'm going to hold it as long as I can until the ball is snapped (like Sting, I'm tantric), then ring the hell out of it while the play is going on... I don't think any ref will notice it once the play has started. There's too much **** going on at that point. My theory is that as long as it's not obnoxiously obvious during the snap count, we'll be okay.

But that's just me. It sounds like JCdawgman, bonedaddy, you, and probably others can't help but ring your bells prematurely.

My post was much more directed at those who are trying to act like we actually achieved something here, when in reality, we didn't. We lost something.

 

[jcdawgman18]

It may not have been "legal", but we rang our bells whenever we wanted to as long as you got it in.

 

[GloryDawg]

bd

 

[Mr Meoff]

*

 

[GloryDawg]

They know that they can't stop it. Hell just ask the dumb asses who ring the bell when we are on offense. This is all show. I remember back in 2000 and 2001 we were penalize yardage for the bells. That passed and this will too. The cow bell is like our state flag. It will never change. They might be hard this year and maybe next year but they will realize that nothing can be done. The cow bell has been aroundtoo long. Just BD's opinion.</p>

 

[ColMuldrow]

So why even have a rule or a new rule? You argue that it's a good thing but insofar as i see it, the new rule only does two things: (1) puts constraints on something that was already against the rules but could not be policed and (2) lines the pockets of the SEC big boys with the $$$ of it's poorest school.


Cowbells were not going away. They were already illegal.
Even if Slive put pressure on the administration to actually enforce the ban there would have been no feasible way to do it. So long as the vast majority of State fans bring em and ring em, there would be too much chaos to collect them. And if you can't sneak a cowbells into a football stadium then you have no business being there because you are already too stupid to understand whats happening on the field.

 

[patdog]

Keeping the old system where we could ring cowbells even though they were illegal WAS NOT AN OPTION! For the first time in 35 years, the rest of the SEC was going to get serious about enforcing the ban on artificial noisemakers. I'd LOVE to go back to the old rules. But that simply was NOT going to happen.</p>

 

[AssEndDawg]

an extra 7 dollars a year to ring my cowbell anytime I like. I say we just take the $50,000 a game hit and raise ticket prices slightly.

 

[drail14me]

This new rule is just a set up for failure. It's the same as putting Cheech and Chong in a VW van full of dope and telling them they can only smoke when they are at stop signs, stop lights or out of the van for a break. NOT GONNA HAPPEN!!!! People are going to ring when it's 3rd down every time!!!!

 

[Mr Meoff]

Cowbells were not going away.

I can assure you they were going away, one way or another. The SEC was planning to make it very hard on our administration. In turn, the athletic department would have to get firm with the rules. All they would have to do is pat everyone down, which would lead to delays in getting into the game on time. Everyone would get frustrated and quit trying, not to mention that if it got to that point, they could change the policy of giving your bell back to you at the end of the game. That would get expensive, plus it would piss people off who'd had their bells for 30 years. Hell, they could install metal detectors very easily. It's simple to me - the bells were going away anyway, so this gives us a shot at keeping them. Do you think 20 years ago any Rebels thought they would not be able to bring flags into the games? Traditions can be taken away. Given the choice, I'd rather keep ours.

It's pretty simple, once you understand that they were as good as gone before Strick made the deal with the league. Hell, that's the reason he went on the offense and presented a solution... He didn't do it for the fun of going up against the rest of the ADs.

 

[Mr Meoff]

LEAVE YOUR BELL AT HOME.

If you already know you simply won't be able to control yourself, take the year off from ringing and let's see how the rest of us do with the rules. If your theories are correct, you might as well get used to being without it anyway.



P.s. I call shotgun on that van.

 

[8dog]

we didn't bring the issue up. Teams got pissed b/c our fanbase got excited and it got loud at DWS last year...they raised the issue. This was the best possible outcome we could've asked for.

 

[RocketCityDawg]

It's not a sick joke, it's a trap. No objective criteria were set to establish what constitutes a violation.

So if one single inebrieated fan decides to ring inappropriately [and that is certain to happen], that will probably be deemed a violation by the "impartial" SEC observer.

It's a trap, as I've said from the beginning.

 

[NutherT]

Ok, I disagree with the general consensus. I've heard whispers that the maximum season fine of $130k (4 sec games) is well within the "worth it" range for the administration. I think with the right PR campaign we could make the SEC look silly, particularly if they slip up and fine us in a game where cowbells couldn't conceivably have changed the outcome of the game. I mean at some point, espn gets involved and starts calling the SEC cruel. They simply cannot take the fine beyond a certain number before it reaches absurdity in the eyes of even our conference brethren.

I personally will refrain from ringing when the qb is under center, because in my mind that's the only time one can legitimately argue the cowbells provide an unfair advantage. That said, count me in the camp of those who believe that a significant part of the tradition itself, dating back to shug jordan, is the defiance of the authorities. It goes along with our opressed by the big boys, underdog storyline

Side note: I have a buddy in birmingham who works in the SEC office who said Slive couneted the number of cowbell emails he received from Ole Miss fans following the Egg Bowl. The total: 4,000. I believe someone posted his email address on the spirit following the game. If you ask Slive in private what the impetus was for this summer's action, he would flat out tell you it was one thing alone: the emails he received from Ole Miss fans.

 

[drail14me]

If you had shotgun in the van you'd end up in jail and be banned from smoking for the rest of your life cause I doubt those stops lights, stop signs and van breaks would offer sufficient time to indulge.

As long as we lose to Auburn, Bama and GA this year there will be no complaints about the bells. As long as we suck, we can ring em. But, let us start winning and suddenly, it's all because of the bells.

What really sucks is how we have been singled out with this SEC rule. It wouldn't bother me so much if it was an NCAA rule but since we were singled out by our own conference after over 70 years of tradition, that gets under my skin. I think we should sue under the Equal Protection Clause.

 

[jcdawgman18]

But that doesn't mean I have to be excited about the situation as it now stands. I can still be upset with a full understanding of what you outlined.

 

[fishwater99]

We will be fined at every SEC game. There is no way in hell college and high school kids will follow and respect the cowbell rule. If anyone thinks otherwise they are an idiot. Then after the bells are banned we will continued to be fined for people sneaking them in and ringing. This could get ugly...

 

[patdog]

I happen to agree with him. Nobody expects 100% compliance with the rule and the SEC's not about to hold us to that standard. There will always be some ******** who will try to ruin it for us, but I think a most fans will respect the bell. And I think that will be good enough for the SEC.

One thing you can count on, if it ever does get to a situation where we're being fined, we'll stop people from sneaking bells in. It's not all that hard to do. If our fans are as big dubmasses as you and a few others think, we can just get ready for the days when there won't be more than 100 cowbells in Scott Field for a game.

 

[Sutterkane]

You can stand up and yell or sit there and ring your cowbell. What do you think the blue hairs in our crowd are going to do.

 

[fishwater99]

"Of course, if State is penalized three times this season, there’s a good chance that the whole compromise itself will be scrapped next June. It is, after all, a one-year deal, which puts the emphasis on compliance this year in front of even more scrutiny."

I know how I was in college and high school, trust me, there is no way in hell these kids will respect the cowbell rule. This is just the SEC's way yo get rid of the cowbell forever.</p>

 

[patdog]

Given the appreciation for the complexity of the issue I sensed at the AD level back in Destin, I think opposing schools’ complaints will be handled with caution.

If they were just looking for a way to get rid of cowbells, they would have just gotten rid of them at the meeting in June. What they're doing is giving usa chance to keep them.

 

[DowntownDawg]

On this. Dead on.I plan to ring my bell at the right times loudly to hopefully offset the difference between people who want to keep cowbells around and the idiots who don't care.

And to reinforce your second point, how many cowbells get in at road games? All you have to do is have a pat-down and it's over. And the administration will be forced to do it.

The other thing is that our choice in the matter was either this compromise or just implementing this fine structure without te chance to ring them at all. So game 1, you have pat downs and that's it.