<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.