<steve m kapetanakis writes>
> Subject: Re: Noise Rule
>
> >Rule 6-25:
> >
> >NOTE 2: Spectators are not permitted to use artificial noise makers, air
> >horns, or electronic amplifiers during the course of a game. After a
warning,
> >a bench minor penalty may be assessed against the offending fans' team for
> >delay of game.
Yes it is this part of the rule that seems to be attributable to those
of us who were present at the '87 Freakout.
> Not so long ago RPI would pick one home game a year for it's "Big Red
> Freak Out". The idea behind the Freak Out was for all the fans to wear
> red and noise makers were passed out at the door to EVERYONE. By noise
> makers I mean, those long plastic obnoxious sounding horns. Anyway, once
> the game began, everyone would CONSTANTLY blow their horn, regardless of
> what was going on on the ice. All you would hear in the Houston Field House
> was one big, loud, constant humming sound.
This isn't entirely true. Horns happened to be the party favor of choice
for '87. Other noisemakers had been used in previous years. People
always had air-horns at games also. Usually you brought your previous
year's Freakout device with you to all the games until the next Freakout.
I also disagree with the characterization of the noise. Sure there was
a constant humming sound, but it was *much louder* after goals and
during RPI power plays, etc!
The fans really felt they blew Brown off the ice that year.
Some teams have shown incredible poise during Freakouts. I remember
St Lawrence beating us (I think it was '86). All the "Let's go Red"
cheers, etc seemed to back-fire...
With that in mind, (the loss to the Saints) Brown's actions after their
Freakout loss is not held in high esteem. In fact they were considered
a bunch of whiners, and people always seemed to make a point of bringing
the "illegal" noisemakers (especially those horns) to the Brown games, and
seeing how far they could go before any penalties would be called.
> I beleive the last Freak Out was in '87, when RPI played Brown. The Brown
> coach was very upset by the noise, and lobbied to have the above rule about
> spectator noise makers instituded.
But wait! The Freakout is alive and well, it just isn't so loud anymore. It
is still the loudest game of the year. It is kind of the RPI equivalent
of homecoming, since hockey is our best sport. They pass out things like
commemorative towels nowadays. Okay, I haven't been back in a couple of
years, but they must have kept the Freakout tradition.
I must say that the RPI student body was extremely disappointed by the
institution of that rule. I haven't really heard a rational reason for
its institution. It just takes away that extra bit of home field advantage.
/matt
--
Lt Matthew W Jonson [log in to unmask] snail-mail:
Network Systems Engineer 205-416-4075 SSC/SSDN
USAF DDN Program Office AV: 596-4075 Gunter AFB, AL 36114
None of the foregoing represents any sort of Government opinion.
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