Bands playing during game action...

[tnreb]

You better believe that this is a huge advantage for some teams. Much to their credit, I know that Kingsport DB has a huge band (aprox 400) which is as big if not bigger than most college bands. When they crank it up it is extremely difficult to hear anything if you are on within 50 yards of them. This is the reason that college bands cannot play when the other team has the ball - it is to disruptive to the game and unfairly intereferes with the other team. I have been to many DB games over the years and I have never seen the band play while DB had the ball. I have seen them play many many times when the other team has the ball - especially when the other team is near the band.

 

The noise level from a band this size is a whole different level than the typical 100 member high school band. Yes, there is apparently no rule in high school against the band playing when the other team has the ball - but there probably should be. I personally think it should be prohibited like it is in college - but until it is, I guess you can't complain about a team trying to gain an advantage which is not against the rules. This just gives the opposing team one more thing to try and deal with.

[bandawg]

I happen to be the band director at Smyrna Middle School, and I will talk football with you or anybody. X's O's doesn't matter. I've played and won championships in football with Donnie Carter and others. So for the comment made about "fruity" band directors not knowing anything about football, I say simply SHUT YOUR MOUTH about what you DO NOT KNOW And SECMAN, if you have a problem with my band playing, I invite you to come to MY SCHOOL and tell MY STUDENTS that the time and effort they put in on a daily basis is not WORTHY of your football game attendance. Yea, your middle school (who by the way?) got SMS the last two years. Congrats. Do you even want to talk about the previous generations of SMS football who probably beat your schools brains in? Here is an idea, talk to YOUR band director and have him or her play at your HOME games to give an edge.

[MHS82]

I really don't have a strong opinion about this topic. I enjoy the band playing and supporting their team throughout the game but I do find it annoying when they play during football action. You can support your team without trying to distract your opponent.

 

What if....

During a band competion your rival's football team showed up and began a scrimmage in the stands while you were playing. Is that an appropriate way of supporting their band by trying to distract yours?

[EarlVolFan]

Well, I got to experience what some of you were talking about at the Maryville - White Station game last night in Cookeville and it was very enlightening.

 

First of all, let me say that White Station had the superior team with two superb athletes that the Rebels had no answer for and deserved the win last night. However, their band had far more participants (anybody have an idea how many?) than their football team (and maybe larger than the group of fans they brought). They had more bass drums and tubas than any band, including UT's, than I have ever seen.

 

They played pretty much the entire game, especially loudly when Maryville had the ball, and I believe, responsible for a couple of false start penalties when Maryville was lined up in front of them. For the first time I've ever noticed, Maryville's band played during game action, but wasn't able to get much volume in the large Tennessee Tech stadium. I guess they finally decided that if they couldn't beat them, they would join them.

 

What was the net effect? The fans were taken out of the game. Maryville's fans outnumbered White Station's 10-1, but there is no need to yell and make noise when no one can hear you due to the 300+ piece band playing across the stadium from you at full volume.

 

So what's the solution? Should Maryville and other schools like it ramp up their bands to play thundering tunes during game action by the other team to remain competitive with the metro-size schools in 6A?

 

I hope not. I think if this continues, many fans will choose to stay home, since there is no purpose to their presence, other than to watch a game with a loud dance track. This will hurt the schools and the TSSAA where it hurts - the pocketbook.

 

That's why it's time for the TSSAA to take action and match the NCAA and NFL (and Georgia High School) regulations before football games are about the bands and not the teams and the fans.

 

Somebody need to get this ball rolling.....

[bandawg]

I notice a bunch of east TN'ers complaining. This is probably a direct correlation to some East TN counties having to dissolve their band programs due to ignorance and lack of support. Here in Mid TN and apparently in West TN, we still get it. As stated in my earlier post, I love football as much as anybody, but what do you think came first? Football or Marching Band? That's right the Marching band.

[o21putt]

I would venture to say that most people that pay to go to a HS football game are there to see the game and not the band. I don't really know, but I would imagine when a band concert is held, there is not an admission charge. If there happens to be an admission charge for a state band championship, I don't think there would be several thousand people there to watch or listen as the case may be. If the band were left at home, how would that affect the attendance at high school football games. Not enough to matter.

[EarlVolFan]

I notice a bunch of east TN'ers complaining. This is probably a direct correlation to some East TN counties having to dissolve their band programs due to ignorance and lack of support. Here in Mid TN and apparently in West TN, we still get it. As stated in my earlier post, I love football as much as anybody, but what do you think came first? Football or Marching Band? That's right the Marching band.

 

I don't know where you get your information, but I don't know of any high school in East Tennessee that doesn't have a band, in fact Maryville High School has a very fine orchestra in addition to their award winning marching band. Also, ALL kids are required to participate in orchestra or band in their intermediate school (5th & 6th grade)

 

Doesn't matter about who came first, but what fans pay their money to see - the football game or the band. Wonder how many people would pay good money to see the band without the football game?!!

 

Bands are great part of high school football in Tennessee, but shouldn't interfere/influence the outcome of the game by playing at inappropriate times - like during game action...

 

It's about the game and the fans, not the band!

[dbindian11]

Don't forget that a lot of the band parents are the ones that come to the friday night games to support their team.

[SSReb]

The band puts more hard work in than the football players. I Love the Band. Before the game, during timeouts, Halftime. Not during game play. Simply bad sportsmanship.

The TSSAA football rules comittee meets in July? Here is a feedback form

 

http://www.tssaa.org/IntForms/feedbackform.cfm

 

Don't let the band interfere! Good for NCAA good for TSSAA

[MaryvilleRebels]

Personally I think it is rather corny for a band to play the entire time, but I do agree that it is a culture thing. I have noticed that a lot of inner city schools have fans that dance and kind of party in the stands whereas the East Tennessee fans are more into the game. By this I mean that the inner city teams have fans that are enjoying themselves the entire time. The East Tennessee fans are making noise at what are traditionally considered the "appropriate" times. I don't know if a rule change is needed, but I will say that the radio broadcasters last night mentioned the White Station band playing during live action. They didn't mention it as a bad thing, but they did seem to have an annoyed tone to their voice.

[spanky7134]

I would venture to say that most people that pay to go to a HS football game are there to see the game and not the band. I don't really know, but I would imagine when a band concert is held, there is not an admission charge. If there happens to be an admission charge for a state band championship, I don't think there would be several thousand people there to watch or listen as the case may be. If the band were left at home, how would that affect the attendance at high school football games. Not enough to matter.

For the most part, every band competition charges admission. Probably around $5.

 

As far as the state band championship is concerned, it's called the Contest of Champions and is held at MTSU every year at the end of October. During finals competition probably 75% of the home side is full. Yes thousands pay an admission fee of $12 (general admission) to watch the top 8-10 bands re-perform their competition piece. That's after possibly paying $10 for the all day event were all 30 bands compete in the preliminary competition.

 

Now I love HS football. But I think the whole show makes football Friday nights great. That includes the band cranking it up. I would almost guarantee that attendance would drop by 30% at our stadium if there were no band show.

 

One interesting point. During a competition, nobody talks or moves around in the stands - that's the rule. If you don't want any distractions for the football team, perhaps that is the best rule to implement. No noise at all. Now wouldn't that be cool? No matter what you do, somebody is going to complain and cause the powers that be to further restrict how things are. Sorry, not for me. I think its fine just the way it is. Leave well enough alone before you get something you don't want.

 

Oh, and for the West Tennessee person ... bands are big in East Tennessee too. There are 380 kids in ours. I think that's larger than any college band in the state.

[Sparta]

Well, I got to experience what some of you were talking about at the Maryville - White Station game last night in Cookeville and it was very enlightening.

 

 

What was the net effect? The fans were taken out of the game. Maryville's fans outnumbered White Station's 10-1, but there is no need to yell and make noise when no one can hear you due to the 300+ piece band playing across the stadium from you at full volume.

 

Umm there's 180 of us