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The cowbell and sports
More cowbell? The Panthers think so.
Capitalizing on the cowbell craze that swept BankAtlantic Center last season, the Panthers will give out 15,000 red cowbells at Saturday’s 2008-09 home opener. Don’t forget to bring earplugs.
Cowbells won’t just be for supporting the team, they’ll be introducing the team’s new inflatable mascot. Fear not, the popular Dancing Banana will still be making appearances this season.
The cowbell phenomenon at the Panthers started last December when Murphy Burch, a Panthers fan from Cooper City who will be dropping a ceremonial first puck Saturday, saw fans ringing cowbells at a Chicago Wolves minor league hockey game. 
Burch, known as "VanMurph" on his Panthers jersey, had grown tired of noisy fans of opposing teams outnumbering -- or at least out-cheering -- Panthers fans at BankAtlantic Center. He bought a couple of cowbells to a game, then a couple more for some friends. Cowbells became a topic on the Panthers message board. Soon a clip of the popular Saturday Night Live skit in which Christopher Walken pleads for Blue Oyster Cult to use “more cowbell,” was playing on the scoreboard and cowbells were for sale at the team’s Pantherland store.
Read Burch's explanation of the cowbell movement here.
While the SNL skit has given renewed life to cowbells in pop culture, the cowbell has been intertwined with sports for years. Popular at minor league and college hockey games, cowbells have also been heard at the Olympics in support of downhill skiers and at bicycling races, among other events.
They’ve been so popular at college football games that the SEC instituted a ban on the noisy bells, threatening a loss of yardage should they get too loud. Fans of Mississippi State still smuggle in the bells.
The Tampa Bay Rays adopted cowbells in 2007 because principal team owner Stuart Sternberg loves the SNL skit. They’ve been handed out to Rays fans – fans in opposing team jerseys are denied – and are used when opposing players have two strikes. And you wondered what the secret was to the Rays finally making it to the playoffs for the first time in team history…
Watch the teaser video for the Panthers' new inflatable mascot here:
Comments
fishboy is another brainiac who has to post three times to be sure the people read the gripe.
sigh - let's just have fun. Cowbells are fun - always have been. Furthermore, when ringing the cowbell, it is held in the air!!! Here's a reply to fishboy - go get a bigger cowbell to retaliate - the players will hear it and they admit it helps them to play with the energy the crowd shares with them. Cheering is a well known part of any sport. We can do it with gusto.
Maybe I will post twice to be sure to make my point for those who need to read something more than once.
MORE COWBELL is always in order.
Posted by: Panthergal | October 13, 2008 9:18 PM
Hey Fishboy. Its not the public library Its a Hockey Arena and IT"S OUR HOUSE. this year we the Cowbell Crew are taking this arena back. Panther Fans. MORE COWBELL!!!
Posted by: CATFAN927 | October 12, 2008 1:14 AM
I just got back from the game and you can keep those cowbells. I have a damn headache from some idot ringing that bell the whole game. I wanted to shove it down his throat. I can see fights breaking out because of these annoying bells.
Posted by: flafishboy | October 11, 2008 10:35 PM
I just got back from the game and you can keep those cowbells. I have a damn headache from some idot ringing that bell the whole game. I wanted to shove it down his throat. I can see fights breaking out because of these annoying bells.
Posted by: flafishboy | October 11, 2008 10:35 PM
I just got back from the game and you can keep those cowbells. I have a damn headache from some idot ringing that bell the whole game. I wanted to shove it down his throat. I can see fights breaking out because of these annoying bells.
Posted by: flafishboy | October 11, 2008 10:35 PM
Hey now...that cowbell gif looks VERY familiar. :o
Posted by: ratmanfu | October 11, 2008 1:45 PM
Wow Keith, aren't you the lucky stiff.
Go ring it under a bridge..ya geek.
Posted by: Mr Obvious | October 11, 2008 12:26 PM
The Florida Marlins gave out cowbells on a Super Saturday last season. I was there. I got one.
Posted by: Keith | October 11, 2008 10:36 AM
I HAVE THE FEVER, AND THE ONLY PRESCRIPTION IS.................MORE COWBELL BABY!!!!!
Posted by: Wanny McStache | October 10, 2008 4:18 PM