The Great Cowbell Compromise of 2010 was extended for one more year after Mississippi State fans began to ring responsibly during the final weeks of last season. After receiving a “you’re down to your last strike” warning from SEC commissioner Mike Slive, Bulldog fans began to back off — as instructed — from ringing their bells during game action.
Mississippi State AD Scott Stricklin is hoping State fans pick up right where they left off last season:
“We need to do a great job every game this year and build off that. We have a pretty high-profile game starting at home, so we need to be in midseason form as a fanbase, as a university.”
Stricklin also knows that LSU is one of the schools in the league that’s not too fond of the Bulldogs’ cowbells. LSU chancellor Michael Martin made his feelings clear at this year’s SEC Meetings back in June:
“When does a tradition become an annoyance? From what we’ve been told, they had some problems with the new rule in the games last season. It’s an artificial noisemaker, and people were ringing them during play, which is against the rules…
It may be time for State to adjust. I think it’s similar to a lot of schools who have had to change their nicknames for various reasons. Sometimes you have to move on.”
While some MSU fans will likely take an “Oh, yeah?” type of attitude toward LSU’s distaste for cowbells, Stricklin clearly understands that that would be the worst thing to do. Better to put the bells away during play and then ring the heck out of ‘em during stoppages. That way, MSU fans can make their feelings known and the Tigers won’t have anything to complain about when this topic comes up again next spring.
