Since it's Alabama week...

[Faustdog]

I was just watching the replay of the 1980 victory over them at Memorial Stadium in Jackson that broke their 28 game win streak.

We were leading 6-3 on Alabama's last drive, and they received a delay of game penalty. The flag was then picked up because of "crowd noise." Is this something that was common then? Jack made the comment "I guess Mr. Bear Bryant had something to say about that."

I was about one at the time, so I have no recollection of these events.

 

[Frances Drebin]

...and Jack was right....certain teams and coaches benefitted from it more than others.

 

[Todd4State]

I honestly don't know, since I was three then, and while my parents were at the game, I was hanging out with a babysitter.

But, I think back in the day you could tell the official that you couldn't hear, and they could stop the game for a minute. I noticed on the replays on youtube that Bama's QB motions several times saying that he couldn't hear and the official would make them keep playing. I'm betting that the Bear told them to do that for a reason.

I think you don't see it much nowadays because so many teams use hand signals and other things like that to try to deal with the noise.

And that was only a few years after Shug Jordan bitched about the cowbells and had them "banned".

 

[patdog]

I think you don't see it much nowadays because so many teams use hand signals and other things like that to try to deal with the noise.

You don't see it at all these days because there's a play clock in the end zone. Back then, officials had a lot of discretion in delay of the game penalties. There was no play clock and the penalty was just thrown whenever the officials felt it was necessary. Obviously in that case, one official threw the flag and the head official said, "Oh, hell no, we're not penalizing Bama for delay of the game."

 

[therightway]

What year did they change the rule to let everything go. I remember Jackie always complaining about UT piping in noise through the PA.