The cowbell, as we all know, has been a tradition at Mississippi State dating back to the 1930s. They were rung proudly at football games without penalty until Auburn got their panties in a bunch at the 1974 game in Jackson.
In a game they won, Tiger players and coaches claimed they couldn’t hear anything. The game allegedly featured three bench-clearing brawls which I’m sure led to the angst Auburn head coach Shug Jordan felt towards Mississippi State.
Jordan declared he would take the issue of cowbells to the commissioner to get them banned, and he did just that.