well said wellston. The people who were thrown out were students sitting in about row 20, section 104. Yeah they dropped the f bomb a couple of times and had had a couple but still it wasn't bad. They were cheering and I thought they were great. If that is offensive people need to go too a michigan home hockey game(I am on the 19th). Now that is some rather colorful language. Funny thing is though that nobody including the opposing teams take any offense to it there. What is it the coach at colorado said a few years ago? "this is division 1 football". I know you shouldn't get carried away but if fans just want to sit there and not listen to it at all then stay home and watch it on tv. A large number of the bluehairs who complain about people standing and cheering don't stay for the whole game. Many leave at halftime like the students. As it turned out the people who complained the other night left themselves after the third quarter. That being said I have seen worse. I was at  Ohio Wesleyan soccer and lacrosse games where fans of the opposing teams were thrown out for being negative. Not using the f bomb or even cursing, but being negative. One of the fans I saw ejected was the mother of a opposing player. People need to lighten up, it's college sports, have fun or stay home. As for the sticks I understand the argument against them, god help you if use them in section 104. I still enjoy hearing them though. Those two wasted timeouts they helped cause in the first half might have made a difference in how the half ended.

Seems be to a disconnect on why the "Anti" Thunderstick contingent does not like them.

We do not like them because THEY DO NOT MAKE NOISE!

WE DO LIKE NOISE!

That is the reason that they are used at Basketball games, and rarely at football games. At a basketball game they are a visual distraction to opposing team shooter at foul line (why you don't see them all around an arena - just in seats behind the basket). The same fans can yell and scream as well - to make NOISE.

At a football game - all they achieve is obstructing the view of OUR fans, while at the same time MAKING ZERO DISTRACTING NOISE for the opposing team. You might be able to hear the minimal "clap" if right in your ear - but even hundreds of them in unison is not at all audible 50 yards away on top of even minimal vocal crowd noise! I can't figure out where they got the misappropriate name - nothing "thunder" about 'em.

Give it up, the students love them. And you may not believe it, but one can yell and bang those things at the same time (I'm living proof!)

This.  I'm unable to attend many games since I live in L.A.  But thanks to modern electronics I see almost all of them.  temples four days ago and two years ago (with a much sparser crowd) are the only times I can remember OUr fans actually getting involved enought (noise!) to give us a home field advantage.

We are good enough that no one should beat us in Peden.  Won't happen, though, without the noise.

Since I only get to one game a season, how many times have thundersticks been distributed? I am aware of two since Solich has been coaching.

Thanks...didn't realize it was that frequent.

No one handed them to me and I didn't see them being handed out - at least inside the gates. ( I did, however, come away with a very nifty scarf.) 

My first inkling about thundersticks came when the guy behind me stuck his in my ear.  I pretended not to notice that but then he smacked the d%$# things together right above my ear and it was on!

Next time they are being distributed, I think I will bring my old chalkboard and scratch it with my nails repeatedly at every opportunity.  See, that noise doesn't bother me.  Does it bother you?  Seriously?

I think they only gave out a box or two to the "old" side of the field.  Just like most freebies they hand out most of them at the student gate, we have tickets in the Family Area and the first thing we do when we get inside is check to see if they are handing anything out at the student gate. 

I for one love the thundersticks, makes one person alot louder on third downs.  Our fans have no idea when to yell or when we need to get extra loud they start way to early and end up getting quiet before the other team gets up on the line.  And before everyone on here says "hey I get loud!", people/fans like the folks on this board are not the majority inside Peden, we ARE growing in numbers but there are still WAY too many folks on the tower side who come to the games sit on their hands and just wait to watch the band. It is sad that we have had visiting fans fill that small wing section, make more noise then the rest of Peden.

Till we can get the WHOLE place to make some noise, I would rather hear hump, hump, hump of the sticks than hear crickets.  

Bring on the monkey rally cat whatever it takes.On another note to other posters on here. If you don't like the other fans haveing fun too bad. If you don't like the noise earplugs are easy to find. If you like to whine and complain you have found the place. say hi to lots of other closed minded "my way or no way " people

I'm 95% sure there have never been thundersticks passed out at a basketball game.

I'm also 97% sure that's because it's against NCAA rules to pass out artificial noise makers at a basketball game, or something along those lines.  

I am totally against thundersticks, waving the hankies, and anything else that is completely artificial at a game. To me, people are acting as if they are at a six-year-old's birthday party. Simon says........... Pound your thundersticks !!!

The best game atmosphere is where the fans are cheering for their home team and cheering when something good happens down on the field, not waiting for the next moment when the scoreboard tells them it is now time to bash their thundersticks together, or its time to wave their hankies.

It is so sad to watch an NBA playoff game these days and everyone in the arena is so interested in their thundersticks instead of cheering the team.

As for pounding those sticks behind the basket when an opposing player is shooting a free throw - I have never ever seen it be the cause of a missed free throw.

Well said 695.

From a perspective of pure logic, divorced from human experience, you are correct.

But most people are human.  So, the emotional factor plays in.

That loss to Ball State a few weeks back (on homecoming, right)?  How do we lose that one?  Logically, there's no way.

Not saying that with a rabid home crowd we for sure have the advantage to pull that close one out.  But....