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Monday, October 06, 2008

‘Blackout’ electrifies Sox

Of all the almglocken frocken nerve…

The cowbells in Tropicana Field didn’t impress White Sox closer Bobby Jenks at all.

‘‘Dumbest thing I ever saw,’’ he said Sunday of the fans’ rallying tactic. ‘‘Just annoying. Minor league.’‘

But the Sox’ ‘‘rolling blackout promotion’’ for fans Sunday at U.S. Cellular Field?

‘‘Whoever came up with that idea is a genius,’’ Jenks said. ‘‘It brings electricity to us and excites 25 players.’‘

Repoz Posted: October 06, 2008 at 11:20 AM | 36 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: rays, white sox

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1. TVerik Posted: October 06, 2008 at 11:33 AM (#2971360)

Someone want to explain the "rolling blackout promotion" to me? It isn't in the article.

2. Gonfalon Bubble Posted: October 06, 2008 at 11:56 AM (#2971362)

The White Sox encouraged all the fans to show up wearing as much black clothing as possible. Slightly better than cowbells or thundersticks, but not nearly as cool as the great sausage race.

3. tribefan Posted: October 06, 2008 at 11:57 AM (#2971364)

‘’Dumbest thing I ever saw,’’ he said Sunday of the fans’ rallying tactic. ‘’Just annoying. Minor league.’’

I agree. Same goes for rally towels, thunderstix, etc.

4. Jeff K. Posted: October 06, 2008 at 01:08 PM (#2971385)

New Year's Day, 1/1/1999. Cotton Bowl. Two hours of sleep, many substances taken into body the night before. 10:30 AM kickoff. As we're walking up, we find out that Mississippi State rings cowbells. A collective groan goes through our group at the thought of 30,000 cowbells for 3 hours. Luckily, we kicked the crap out of them.

Things that make lots of noise should not be taken to games. Including children, if they are incapable of not making a lot of noise for at least a few reasonable stretches of game. Including buddies who are already so trashed that they're belligerent.

5. Flynn Posted: October 06, 2008 at 01:14 PM (#2971390)

The White Sox encouraged all the fans to show up wearing as much black clothing as possible. Slightly better than cowbells or thundersticks, but not nearly as cool as the great sausage race.

Or wearing white. You know, the color that the team's socks are supposed to be.

6. Rusty Priske Posted: October 06, 2008 at 01:16 PM (#2971391)

‘’Dumbest thing I ever saw,’’ he said Sunday of the fans’ rallying tactic. ‘’Just annoying. Minor league.’’

Uh, what? The fans wearing a certain colour to support their team is 'minor league'?

Jenks is doing his best Papelbon impersonation.

7. Smiling Joe Hesketh Posted: October 06, 2008 at 01:16 PM (#2971392)

Your team's hokey gimmick: bush league.

My team's hokey gimmick: ####### awesome.

Thanks for clearing that up, Bobby. You're a friggin' genius.

8. Hello Rusty Kuntz, Goodbye Rusty Cars Posted: October 06, 2008 at 02:03 PM (#2971411)

Uh, what? The fans wearing a certain colour to support their team is 'minor league'?

No, cowbells are.

9. Nasty Nate Posted: October 06, 2008 at 02:06 PM (#2971415)

Uh, what? The fans wearing a certain colour to support their team is 'minor league'?

Jenks is doing his best Papelbon impersonation.

hey einstein, Jenks is talking about the cowbells

Jenks is doing his best Papelbon impersonation.

allowing no runs in the playoffs?

10. Big Train Posted: October 06, 2008 at 02:06 PM (#2971416)

seriously, cowbells suck. And they don't make sense.

But Thundersticks are 100% worse. At least cowbells serve another purpose. Thundersticks were actually invented to be annoying.

11. Hector Moreda & The Generalissimo Posted: October 06, 2008 at 02:18 PM (#2971425)

D.C. United's been using the "Blackout" theme for years. I guess he hasn't watched much playoff hockey in the last 10 years, either. Everything old is new again, Bobby.

12. Gamingboy Posted: October 06, 2008 at 02:20 PM (#2971426)

Listen Up: Cowbells are awesome. If you are going to bring a noisemaker to a Ballpark, it should be the cowbell. It is in line with Baseball's traditional pastoral roots, it is a purely American tradition (unlike Thundersticks, which were created in Korea and slowly migrated over). And finally, Cowbells have a great SNL skit to their name, always a plus.

And ALL DRESSING the same color! Wow, that's really original, after all, it's not like the BFIB don't all wear Red at the same time basically every game.

*Full Disclosure: I bring a cowbell to AAA Baseball Games.

13. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: October 06, 2008 at 02:21 PM (#2971427)

"But Thundersticks are 100% worse. At least cowbells serve another purpose. Thundersticks were actually invented to be annoying."

Tiny flotation device? Crushable packing material? Impromptu sex toy?

14. SteveM. Posted: October 06, 2008 at 02:24 PM (#2971428)

Cowbells always remind me of Mississippi State fans-the most backwards, inbreed fan base you will ever see. Their frigging annoying. This whole 'blackout' stuff is getting old and I still don't understand how it intimidates. The Crimson Tide was so frightened by a blackout in Athens they kicked Georgia's ass up and down the field.

15. Crispix Attacks Posted: October 06, 2008 at 02:27 PM (#2971432)

Tiny flotation device? Crushable packing material? Impromptu sex toy?

So's your mom.

Somehow I had never seen an example of the "blackout" before despite noticing all kinds of other fan groups wearing uniform colors, until the White Sox/Georgia instances this month. It looks cooler than the whiteout on TV, that's for sure.

16. SoSH U at work Posted: October 06, 2008 at 02:30 PM (#2971433)

Tiny flotation device? Crushable packing material? Impromptu sex toy?

Keeping Reggie Sanders in line?

17. RobertMachemer Posted: October 06, 2008 at 02:56 PM (#2971457)

Cowbells always remind me of Mississippi State fans-the most backwards, inbreed fan base you will ever see. Their frigging annoying.

Bah, Christopher Walken would disagree.

18. Posada Posse Posted: October 06, 2008 at 03:07 PM (#2971469)

If I were the Rays, I'd start playing "Mississippi Queen" or "Honky Tonk Woman" when Jenks came in to pitch.

19. Up2Drew Posted: October 06, 2008 at 03:57 PM (#2971527)

I've frankly gotten tired of baseball games becoming football games in terms of fan behavior, anyway. The whole "standing up for every semi-important pitch from the third inning on" thing has grown rather old for me.

I've had people sit next to me with pennies in a coffee can, shaking that for nine innings. Pretty nice way to spend an evening, listening to that.

20. Slinger Francisco Barrios (Dr. Memory) Posted: October 06, 2008 at 03:59 PM (#2971531)

If I were the Rays, I'd start playing "Mississippi Queen" or "Honky Tonk Woman" when Jenks came in to pitch.

"Grazing in the Grass".

21. Rocco's Not-so Malfunctioning Mitochondria Posted: October 06, 2008 at 05:13 PM (#2971610)

If I were the Rays, I'd start playing "Mississippi Queen" or "Honky Tonk Woman" when Jenks came in to pitch.

"Grazing in the Grass".

"Why Don't We Get Drunk and Screw"

22. Cooperstown Schtick Posted: October 06, 2008 at 05:22 PM (#2971622)

Tiny flotation device? Crushable packing material? Impromptu sex toy?

I can tell you from personal experience that cowbells are not good for any of these.

I don't understand how fans can be Bush League. Fans are fans -- why they should be expected to behave differently at a major league game than at a minor league one is curious. It's not like fans get called up when they've proven their fanability.

The whole "standing up for every semi-important pitch from the third inning on" thing has grown rather old for me.

I don't have as big a problem with this as I do with the guy in the third row turning around every inning and imploring everyone to get up with him to show our support. Dude, it's the third inning. I will stand for three things: beer, bathroom, and the guy who just pantsed you to get you to sit down.

23. Gamingboy Posted: October 06, 2008 at 05:31 PM (#2971632)

I wonder if the Angels will resort to dressing the Rally Monkey in Black and giving him a cowbell. Since it's been proven they can't beat the Red Sox at home.

24. AJM Posted: October 06, 2008 at 05:35 PM (#2971638)

I guess Jenks didn't have a fever.

25. caspian88 Posted: October 06, 2008 at 10:24 PM (#2971851)

Californians everywhere are offended. Insensitive White Sox.

26. Willie Mayspedes Posted: October 06, 2008 at 10:32 PM (#2971857)

OK Jenks and bleaching your hair and goatee is sooooo coooooollllll!!!

27. Chase Utley, Shooty's Favorite Robot (Joey Belle) Posted: October 07, 2008 at 12:04 AM (#2971939)

I miss the old days when fans showed their support by heckling, shouting racial slurs, throwing batteries and bottles, starting fistfights, and shooting crossbows at players. Where is the passion, where is the creativity? Now it's all conformity, marketing, and groupthink, and it makes me in some ways ashamed to be fan of this great sport.

28. Rusty Priske Posted: October 07, 2008 at 12:23 PM (#2973046)

hey einstein, Jenks is talking about the cowbells

Hey moron, it is called hypocrisy. See post #7.

Jenks will have a awyas to go before he reaches Pabelbon as my most hated current player. (Though Paps only got the title when Todd Jones announced his retirement.)

29. Lassus Posted: October 07, 2008 at 01:06 PM (#2973062)

You know, I hate to be this guy, but I actually saw the cowbell skit for the first time ever just yesterday, and I had to check with someone to see if that's the "more cowbell" thing I've been hearing for years. I thought maybe it was a watered-down unfunny sequel skit. But it wasn't, it's the one that everyone quotes. I know humor is subjective, but I really expected something.... better.

30. tribefan Posted: October 07, 2008 at 01:20 PM (#2973063)

I miss the old days when fans showed their support by heckling, shouting racial slurs, throwing batteries and bottles, starting fistfights, and shooting crossbows at players.

Not sure about the batteries and crossbows, but there's certainly no shortage of the rest of that.

31. Fly, the most judgment-free human being on Earth Posted: October 07, 2008 at 01:55 PM (#2973095)

How are people getting cowbells into NCAA events? My alma mater got artificial noisemakers banned from them years ago.

32. Chip Posted: October 07, 2008 at 02:52 PM (#2973164)

It is in line with Baseball's traditional pastoral roots,

Baseball's roots are urban, not pastoral, making the cowbell even dumber.

33. The Polish Sausage Racer Posted: October 07, 2008 at 03:57 PM (#2973278)

Slightly better than cowbells or thundersticks, but not nearly as cool as the great sausage race.

But then, nothing is as cool as the great sausage race, IMHO.

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‘Blackout’ electrifies Sox

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