The Marching 100 and the NC A&T football team had a face off on the Aggie sideline as the band was finishing up its performance by rattling off the field with 0:43 seconds left on the game clock.
Because of the extra long halftime presentations, the band cut the concert selection from its show and went straight rom its drill to the dance routine. While the band was rattling off the field the A&T team returned to their side line, on the student side of the stadium, and blocked the path of FAMU drum majors leading band off the field. After a short faceoff and intervention from band directors and A&Tcoaches the band, some 400 members strong, ended up enveloping the Aggies like a snake swallowing a meal and finished its routine.
Disgruntled students booed the A&T team and began pelting them with bottles, ice, and other debris from the stands.
When the band finished, the Aggies and the officials decided to head back into the looker room, further delaying the start of he second half by nearly an hour.
This all could have been avoided if Coach Carter would return the FAMU team to the student side of the stadium!
ReplyDeleteYes. The FAMU football should be on the student side of the stadium. The FAMU football players respect their peers in the band and make room for them to complete the end-show drill on the sidelines.
ReplyDeleteSome of the A&T football staffers added fuel to the fire by losing their tempers and trying to fight the band members. That's when the students really got furious.
Those plastic bottles and shakers started pouring down and hit a number of those players right on their helmets. Some of the A&T players picked up the items and threw them back. The band staffers got on their loudspeakers and starting telling the students to stop.
We should definitely keep the football team on the student side from now on.
When will we simply stop misbehaving? Damn, this is 2007.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I wasn't at the game, I watched it on FAMCAST. FAMU is a very unique place; we do need to take the team back to the student side. As Keith Miles alluded to, we may be the only team that doesn't use the home side, but what happened today, and against Howard three years ago are big reasons why. Now, if the administration (and if you remember this started with Ganious' administration and not Carter, Coach Joe's last year was on the home sideline)wants to stay on the home sideline, then they need to move the band over there. Otherwise, move the team back to the student side.
ReplyDeleteNow, if the administration (and if you remember this started with Ganious' administration and not Carter, ...
ReplyDeleteYou are wrong on this.
You might want to recheck your facts.
Carter moved the team over to the pressbox side after the first game of the season.
I alos think that having OUR team on the side with OUR students makes alot more sense being that it is the studetns who raise the most hell and gets OUR team hyped up! And since we cant hype our team anymore then we just throw shyt at the opposing team.....If they were on the side with all of the older alum and supporters then they could get bored to death and we would win all of our home games!!
ReplyDeleteIt is ridiculous that our band is so large. I thought we were there to play football. Castell had it right when she reduced the bands size.
ReplyDelete3:09pm...
ReplyDeleteshutup. your sounding stupid now. size has nothing to do with this thread. please stop posting
I must say this. I thought that the band handled the situation well. They couldn't go through- so they went around. I think that it was petty on A&T officials and their players to start the verbal altercation that ensued. Especially when I saw a trombone player almost get hit by an A&T player and two cymbal players seem to have had the same issue. Not to mention that band staff also took the brunt of issue from A&T. Now, they can control the band, but no one can control the fans- and to them, A&T's action were unacceptable.
ReplyDeleteAs Joe Bullard said, "please dont throw anything else onto the field, the refs will forfeit the game and A&T will win...something they haven't done in a LOOOOOOOOONG time".
3:09, why is it "ridiculous" that the band is "so large." before this incident, the band was not "so large." i bet you enjoy all of the show-stopping moves & music that the band plays. if the band was 75 students, you'd complain about that, too. you're simply a person who likes to complain, i bet. and most times, your complaints are without merit. now, complain about this post.
ReplyDeleteI attended that game and can really say that I have not seen so much "drama" at a football game in a long time. This past weekend was OUR Homecoming and an opportunity for the all Rattlers to return to the "hill", watch, and participate in traditions that have been apart of the FAMU legacy for many years. The band "bringing it off" is one of those great traditions. That tradition was threatened this weekend, and I commend that FAMU band, directors, students, and administration for not allowing it to happen. Dr. White took a bold move by insisting that the band go around A&T's football team to continue the drill. That's what I call FAMU spirit.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Dr. Ammons is right when he says that this is a new "Rattler Renaissance"!!
nrxwfqzI think what coach carter did was stupid. Since th frist football game was played, the team was always on the student side of the field. It shows the incomprtence of the athletic administration and staff. All the athletic staff including Mr. Townsend needs to be fired. Its just embarrassing.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the band should also play football. Those brothas and sistas are mean as SNAKES!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI saw some of the 100rd throwing spears at the opposing team!
ReplyDeleteThose rattlers are SAVAGE!!!!
Having the football team right in front of the students and band means that our coaches and players cannot communicate with each other as easily. That also means the sun and heat will be on our players while the visitors will be in the shade. Here's what you do, move the band to the CORNER of bleachers. Otherwise, just grin and bear it.
ReplyDeleteAs a member of the famu strike team(we did not throw a ting I might add) I think the opposing team is much more fun on our side because it keeps us busy and we love siking the opposing team out. We have so many chants that we yell and we need the opposing sideline to hear. It adds more spirit to the game.
ReplyDeleteHaving the football team right in front of the students and band means that our coaches and players cannot communicate with each other as easily.
ReplyDeleteFootball coaches have been using walkie-talkies for decades. Isn't this 2007? Don't we also have cell phones and other means of electronic communication to help the coaches reach the players?
Jake Gaither, Rudy Hubbard, Ken Riley, Billy Joe, and even Rubin Carter have coached and won with their teams on the east side of the stadium. Why the change now?
ReplyDeleteI've been going to FAM games forever and I dont remember the football team ever being on the student side. The hear the aggies took so long because they were trying to call the officials to get FAM in big trouble, but it didn't work.
ReplyDelete^Either you are a drunk, or you are Rubin Carter! With few exceptions, the football has been on the same side of the field with the band.
ReplyDeleteControversy overshadows 24-21 loss
ReplyDeleteHalftime episode nearly leads to a FAMU forfeit and A&T's first win in two seasons
The A&T Register
By: Mike McCray
Posted: 11/7/07
Tallahassee, Fla. - Homecoming 2007 at Florida A&M followed the usual homecoming script until a halftime incident involving the Aggie football team, FAMU Marching 100 and Rattler fans sent A&T into the locker room and put the 2nd half of the contest in question.
The Aggies headed into the locker room in Tallahassee down 14-18 after a first half that saw them come out of the gates sloppy and end strong holding the Rattlers scoreless on their last few drives and managing eat away at what was an 18-point deficit.
After an extended halftime for special presentations and a lengthy performance by the band, A&T left the locker room to warm up for the second half, as the Marching 100 were wrapping up their show. As the band, which marches nearly 380 members, began to move off the field, the drum majors marched down the A&T bench just as the football team was getting to the bench area.
The stalemate began as the band, refusing to let the team through stood their ground on the sideline and the Aggie football team kept moving toward their sideline. Upset FAMU fans began to throw items at the players and on the field promoting A&T coaches to send their players back to the locker room.
The players cut through the FAMU band, many with their helmets raised above their heads, to return to the visiting locker room to a chorus of boos. The situation was not aided by the Florida A&M PA announcer who only incited rowdy fans by saying, "Please don't throw anything on the field, if anymore items are thrown the game will be called and we will lose and we all know A&T hasn't won a game in long time."
The PA announcer also jabbed the team with comments like "You can come back now Aggies," "Don't worry Aggies, we will march around you," and other unnecessary remarks that played to the home crowd at Bragg Stadium.
The delay continued for another 30 minutes as referees, coaches, athletic officials and security tried to sort out the conditions upon which the Aggies would return to the field. After agreeing on the penalties, A&T returned to the field pumped for the second half and kicked off from FAMU's 40-yard line.
After unsucsesful drives by both teams, the Aggies drove and got into the end zone on an 2-yard Herb Miller rushing touchdown. The score gave A&T more momentum coming out of tense halftime and silenced the previous boisterous Rattler fans.
A Wesley Taylor field goal tied the score up at 21 going into the 4th quarter. After a Michael Pace interception on FAMU's first 4th quarter possession, Mike Ferguson broke a 51-yard run on the very next play. The drive stalled and forced an Eric Houston field goal attempt that missed wide left.
FAMU marched down the field on the Aggies after the missed field goal attempt but A&T locked up on the goal line forcing a fumble on the 1-yard line, which was recovered by Andre Thornton.
Three consecutive three and outs by both teams gave FAMU the ball with just under four minutes to play in the game.
The Rattlers began a methodical march down field for their final score and after two first downs and two A&T timeouts, FAMU was in place to kick a field goal to take the lead.
Wesley Taylor came onto the field with the opportunity of putting the Rattlers up three points with just 45 seconds to play and did just that, nailing a 33-yard field goal.
A 60 yard kickoff was returned 34-yards by David "Speedy" Robinson setting the Aggies up with decent field position with 37 seconds left to play in the game. Herb Miller completed an 8-yard pass to Mike Ferguson, who rushed for over 100 yards again and went over 1000 yards rushing on the season, and then a 4-yard pass to Mike Caldwell.
After an incomplete pass, the Aggies had on last chance to get the ball in the end zone and an hail mary toss was knocked down and the clock expired.
The loss was eerily similar to A&T's loss to Bethune-Cookman one week before and was the Aggies most recent loss in the nation's longest losing streak.
21 Comments - Show Original Post
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Anonymous said...
This all could have been avoided if Coach Carter would return the FAMU team to the student side of the stadium!
11/04/2007 1:06 AM
Who in the heck told him this was ok!!!
I've been going to FAM games forever and I dont remember the football team ever being on the student side.
ReplyDelete11/07/2007 10:03 AM
Then maybe you should leave that schoil alone before game time. ;-D
Even when I was there in the mid-'70s, the team was on the student side of the stadium. I remember always wondering why the team wasn't on the pressbox side of the stadium.
The Rattler 380 is a menace to society. Watch out!
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