In light of the crotchety Niners faithful complaining about crowd noise at CenturyLink Field, it should be noted that just over a decade ago, after a tough 30-27 overtime loss to Washington State University in Pullman, then-Trojans head coach Pete Carroll led the charge to ban the infamous ThunderStix which had become ubiquitous in college stadiums and arenas. Citing the policy that bans artificial noisemakers, the Pac-10 added the inflatable tubes to the list of illegal items for the following season. (Note: University of Oregon athletic director Bill Moos was also part of the anti-Stix campaign, but it wasn’t until USC complained after their loss — ultimately knocking them out of the Rose Bowl — that the Pac-10 really moved on the issue)
Funny how these things come back around: Carroll now runs the show in the loudest stadium on Earth, while Moos is now the athletic director at his alma mater (WSU) — the school most responsible for the Pac-10 banning ThunderStix in the first place.
About John Ferensen