<font size="2">The Cowbell</font>
The most unique and
certainly the most resounding symbol of Mississippi State University
tradition is the cowbell. Despite decades of attempts by opponents and
authorities to banish it from scenes of competition, diehard State fans
still celebrate Bulldog victories loudly and proudly with the
distinctive sound of ringing cowbells.
The precise origin of the
cowbell as a fixture of Mississippi State sports tradition remains
unclear to this day. The best records have cowbells gradually introduced
to the MSU sports scene in the late 1930s and early 1940s, coinciding
with the 'golden age' of Mississippi State football success
prior to World War II.
The
most popular legend is that during a home football game between State
and arch-rival Mississippi, a jersey cow wandered onto the playing
field. Mississippi State soundly whipped the Rebels that Saturday, and
State College students immediately adopted the cow as a good luck charm.
Students are said to have continued bringing a cow to football games
for a while, until the practice was eventually discontinued in favor of
bringing just the cow's bell.
Whatever the origin, it is certain
that by the 1950s cowbells were common at Mississippi State games, and
by the 1960s were established as the special symbol of Mississippi
State. Ironically, the cowbell's popularity grew most rapidly during the
long years when State football teams were rarely successful. Flaunting
this anachronism from the 'aggie' days was a proud response by students
and alumni to outsider scorn of the university's 'cow college' history.
In
the 1960s two MSU professors, Earl W. Terrell and Ralph L. Reeves
obliged some students by welding handles on the bells to they could be
rung with much more convenience and authority. By 1963 the demand for
these long-handled cowbells could not be filled by home workshops alone,
so at the suggestion of Reeves the Student Association bought bells in
bulk and the Industrial Education Club agreed to weld on handles. In
1964 the MSU Bookstore began marketing these cowbells with a portion of
the profits returning to these student organizations.
Today many
styles of cowbells are available on campus and around Starkville, with
the top-of-the-line a heavy chrome-plated model with a full Bulldog
figurine handle. But experts insist the best and loudest results are
produced by a classic long-handled, bicycle-grip bell made of thinner
and tightly-welded shells.
Cowbells decorate offices and homes of
Mississippi State alumni, and are passed down through generations of
Bulldog fans. But they are not heard at Southeastern Conference gamesnot
legally, at leastsince the 1974 adoption of a conference rule against
'artificial noisemakers' at football and basketball games. On a 9-1 vote
SEC schools ruled cowbells a disruption and banned them.
This
has done little harm to the cowbell's popularity, however, or to prevent
cowbells from being heard outside stadiums in which the Bulldogs are
playing. They can still be heard at non-conference football contests, as
well as other sporting events on campus. And bold Bulldog fans still
risk confiscation for the privilege of keeping a unique Mississippi
State tradition alive and ringing at SEC affairs.
Tomorrow if Fans don't honor the SEC rules for ringing the Cowbell MSU will be fined $50,000. Think about it tomorrow as you ring your bell.......
The most unique and
certainly the most resounding symbol of Mississippi State University
tradition is the cowbell. Despite decades of attempts by opponents and
authorities to banish it from scenes of competition, diehard State fans
still celebrate Bulldog victories loudly and proudly with the
distinctive sound of ringing cowbells.
The precise origin of the
cowbell as a fixture of Mississippi State sports tradition remains
unclear to this day. The best records have cowbells gradually introduced
to the MSU sports scene in the late 1930s and early 1940s, coinciding
with the 'golden age' of Mississippi State football success
prior to World War II.
The
most popular legend is that during a home football game between State
and arch-rival Mississippi, a jersey cow wandered onto the playing
field. Mississippi State soundly whipped the Rebels that Saturday, and
State College students immediately adopted the cow as a good luck charm.
Students are said to have continued bringing a cow to football games
for a while, until the practice was eventually discontinued in favor of
bringing just the cow's bell.
Whatever the origin, it is certain
that by the 1950s cowbells were common at Mississippi State games, and
by the 1960s were established as the special symbol of Mississippi
State. Ironically, the cowbell's popularity grew most rapidly during the
long years when State football teams were rarely successful. Flaunting
this anachronism from the 'aggie' days was a proud response by students
and alumni to outsider scorn of the university's 'cow college' history.
In
the 1960s two MSU professors, Earl W. Terrell and Ralph L. Reeves
obliged some students by welding handles on the bells to they could be
rung with much more convenience and authority. By 1963 the demand for
these long-handled cowbells could not be filled by home workshops alone,
so at the suggestion of Reeves the Student Association bought bells in
bulk and the Industrial Education Club agreed to weld on handles. In
1964 the MSU Bookstore began marketing these cowbells with a portion of
the profits returning to these student organizations.
Today many
styles of cowbells are available on campus and around Starkville, with
the top-of-the-line a heavy chrome-plated model with a full Bulldog
figurine handle. But experts insist the best and loudest results are
produced by a classic long-handled, bicycle-grip bell made of thinner
and tightly-welded shells.
Cowbells decorate offices and homes of
Mississippi State alumni, and are passed down through generations of
Bulldog fans. But they are not heard at Southeastern Conference gamesnot
legally, at leastsince the 1974 adoption of a conference rule against
'artificial noisemakers' at football and basketball games. On a 9-1 vote
SEC schools ruled cowbells a disruption and banned them.
This
has done little harm to the cowbell's popularity, however, or to prevent
cowbells from being heard outside stadiums in which the Bulldogs are
playing. They can still be heard at non-conference football contests, as
well as other sporting events on campus. And bold Bulldog fans still
risk confiscation for the privilege of keeping a unique Mississippi
State tradition alive and ringing at SEC affairs.
Tomorrow if Fans don't honor the SEC rules for ringing the Cowbell MSU will be fined $50,000. Think about it tomorrow as you ring your bell.......
