There has been a lot of trash talk on Mississippi State since the Bulldogs climbed to the top of the college football polls, but one of the biggest "insults" is when an opponent disrespects the cowbell. Let me give you a quick lesson about the cowbell and all it stands for.

LUCK

The tradition of the cowbell started in the 1940s when Mississippi State was playing rival Ole Miss. State was behind until a cow wandered onto the field. After they removed the cow, MSU had a huge comeback and won. For many years, State would bring a cow onto the field during halftime, but by the 1950s fans just brought cowbells to ring joyfully in support of their team. So now every student brings their own cowbell to the game in hopes of giving their team a little luck like that cow did in the 1940s.

HONOR

Any State fan will tell you that it is an honor and privilege to ring our little hearts out at every game. We have battled it out with SEC rules and regulations for years, but in the end, we have had the one exception of bringing noisemakers in the stadium. The honor is what makes Davis Wade Stadium electrifying.

RESPECT

Although rivals may think we simply ring the cowbell to annoy them the entire game (which is partially true), each and every State fan understands the responsibility of the cowbell. We are not allowed to ring the cowbell when our team or the opposing team's center is over the ball, but we can ring during the plays. We respect the bell by following those rules because otherwise we could lose our state's lucky charm.

TRADITION

The Cowbell has been around for over 60 years, and some bells have been passed down within family members for that long. The cowbell is the symbol of our school, and we hold it close to our hearts. The cowbell can mean "HAIL STATE! That was a great play!" or "We've got the next one, Dak!" The bell is a language our great university has spoken for a long time, and we intend on continuing it for years to come.

The next time you call our bells annoying or loud, understand that we don't care because that ringing noise means more to us then you will ever know. It represents luck, honor, respect and tradition. This is our State and we will give you bell for as long as we live.