Noisemakers prohibited at sporting events
Campus Times
March 6, 1998
I am not a huge sports fan, but on occasion I have been known to go
to a few games. Games can be exciting with diehard fans going crazy, screaming
and yelling in support of a team, some of them with painted faces and funky
get-ups.
So, last week, when I heard that the men's basketball team was playing
a pivotal game, I decided that it would be fun to go.
When I arrived at the game, some fans had brought along a bag full of
whistles, clicky noisemakers and an air horn to cheer on our team. They
were being handed out to the spectators, so I grabbed one and took a seat.
Little did we, the unsuspecting fans, know that we were breaking not
only an NCAA rule, but a SCIAC rule as well.
Jim Paschal, director of athletics, informed the noisy crowd that the
use of any noisemakers was prohibited during this game and that they would
need to be put away and not used.
The crowd, which I happened to be sitting with, was in disbelief and
mocked Paschal as he walked away by continuing to wave their noisemakers
as loudly as possible.
The noise continued, but not for long, and the announcer of the game
asked security to confiscate the air horn. OK, I can see this, afterall
it is an indoor game and the air horn was a bit extreme. But the crowd got
another warning, this time, from head football coach Don Morel.
Morel told the crowd one more time that they needed to put the noisemakers
away, but hey, "you can say anything you want."
Well, needless to say that sent the already excitable crowd into a frenzy.
Profanities and rude demeaning comments began after that. Sports fans would
say nothing new for a basketball game. My thoughts exactly, but then again,
I would not have thought anything about the noisemakers either.
I do not see the logic in this situation. No harmless noisemakers, but
say any rude, nasty comment that comes to mind.
After I did some checking around, I discovered that sure enough this
was a rule and I had read it for myself.
Page 48 of the NCAA rule book, states, "Artificial noisemakers,
air horns and electronic amplifiers shall not be permitted, and such instruments
shall be removed from the playing and spectator areas."
This also fell under the heading of crowd control. Come on! Like we
can even get people to show up to our games to form a crowd.
Does this rule apply to Division I schools also? You bet it does. Does
any one enforce it? Yeah, right. If there is a rule, isn't everyone supposed
to obey it, or are they above the rule because they are a Division I school
that has sell-out crowds?
So this only applies to indoor sports, right? I mean we can use noisemakers
at the football games and stuff, right? Wrong. This rule applies to all
sports, ladies and gents. This means that the cow bells and pom poms with
the clickers that the cheerleaders handed out during football season are
not permitted. Go figure.
"This is ridiculous. I am all for it. It is not a golf match. It
is not a tennis match," said Morel. "It's a shame. It took the
zest out of the game."
Morel said that since this rule has been in effect, he has not seen
it enforced. So our little Division III school gets forced into not only
obeying this ridiculous rule (that is not even enforced half the time) that
lowers game attendance and limits the already spirit lacking crowd. Sounds
pretty stupid.
Michelle Thornton, a sophomore journalism major, is assistant features
editor of the Campus Times. She can be reached by e-mail at mthornto@ulv.edu.
