A note about the Cowbell

I would like to inform everyone that I have permanently passed along the cowbell to Elie Bilmes (eblimes) effective tonight against Colgate.

Over the course of this young season, it has become painstakingly clear that my musical talent, or lack thereof, has hindered the Cornell hockey experience. I was truly honored to receive the duty from Doug, and look at it as rare privilege to serve the elite Cornell hockey fraternity. However, I have a deep and profound appreciation for the uniqueness of the Cornell hockey tradition. The ability to connect generations of Cornell students, to connect Elie and me to the rest of you, is not something that is easily replicated. In that vein, I believe I was taking away from the experience of our generation and the generations of hockey fans who have come since Neil Cohen. Further, within the past two weeks, I have finalized my plans for next semester, which involve studying in Europe. Elie would assume the position in the spring semester regardless of this decision, so there was little point in delaying the inevitable.

Some have instituted that my poor musical skills were a conscious and premeditated affront to the Lynah Faithful, and while this could not be further from the truth, one must realize his own limitations. The hours I spent practicing have done little to help; there is little more I can do to improve. My skin is only slightly thicker than to let editorials in the Sun, comments in my columns, facebook messages, boos from the student section, comments leaving the game, and emails through the pep band bother me. Nevertheless, this is indicative of the fact that it’s time for a change. When a member of the pep band calls your mother through the Cornell Annual Fund and then proceeds to talk with her about my cowbell playing before condescendingly and mockingly emailing the rest of the pep band, one must realize things are getting out of hand.

I do not take this action to appease those people, and I would hope they understand that judging someone based on musical abilities is incredibly childish, yet my own Cornell hockey experience was suffering too. I am ready to return to Section B free of this self inflicted burden.

Elie is a worthy successor to the cowbell duties. I would not have made this decision had I not been completely certain that he embodies the dedication required to Cornell hockey and that he has the rhythmic abilities necessary to serve the faithful. For the time that I am here (through the end of January and next year of course) I will continue to write about the games and generate interest in our beloved team. I hope everyone here can enjoy the games a little more too.

Mitch

An honorable departure. And for the first time, the Cowbell enters my actual bloodline. Congratulations, Elie, and beat it well.

The Cowbell is dead! Long live the Cowbell!

Very classy move. I didn't think you were half bad, to be honest with you.

amerks127
I would like to inform everyone that I have permanently passed along the cowbell to Elie Bilmes (eblimes) effective tonight against Colgate.

My skin is only slightly thicker than to let editorials in the Sun, comments in my columns, facebook messages, boos from the student section, comments leaving the game, and emails through the pep band bother me. Nevertheless, this is indicative of the fact that it’s time for a change. When a member of the pep band calls your mother through the Cornell Annual Fund and then proceeds to talk with her about my cowbell playing before condescendingly and mockingly emailing the rest of the pep band, one must realize things are getting out of hand.

I do not take this action to appease those people, and I would hope they understand that judging someone based on musical abilities is incredibly childish, yet my own Cornell hockey experience was suffering too.
Mitch

Someone really did this stuff? Called your Mom?!!!?

What happened to the adage that "if you do not have something nice to say, better not to say anything at all" (at least in some social situations)?

Are the kids today really that socially challenged that they cannot offer constructive comments? You would think that our own Pep Band would try and help you with the rhythm (or whatever the problem was.. I never heard you play).

I'm sorry to hear that your attempt to keep a student tradition alive turned out to be such an awful experience.

I hope Elie's experience is much better than yours, and that people should appreciate that there is someone WILLING to take on the "Cowbell duties". If the cowbell person experiences what you did, pretty soon, that tradition will become extinct.

Elie, will you, your dad (and now the cowbell) be in Estero again this year?

Rita


Elie, will you, your dad (and now the cowbell) be in Estero again this year?

We'll be there, cowbell and all!

Playing the cowbell is definitely harder than people think. In addition to getting the rhythm down, it is tough to contend with the PA announcer, any obnoxious music the arena is playing, and even our own Pep Band. Not to mention, standing in front of thousands of people (some of whom absolutely hate you and can't wait to find you after the game in parking lot, read: Colgate) isn't always the most enviable task.

As Mitch said, Elie is a passionate and devoted fan, and I'm sure the bell will be in good hands. As Mitch alluded to, I will forewarn you as well that the cowbell can be both a blessing and a curse.

And while Elie is surely a worthy successor, I don't see any reason why multiple people can't at times share the duty. Last year, Age played the bell @ SLU when I had a sore throat, Ari played it @ Princeton (I think), another friend of mine played it @ Lynah once, and my Dad even gave it a whack @ Estero.

Assuming I can get the time off work, I'm hoping to come up next weekend for the Harvard game. Hopefully I will see some of you then, but until then, LETS GO RED.

I'll second the general sentiment - I tried a few practice runs once in the privacy of my home, and I'm a good musician with strong arms, but I found it pretty challenging. I have a pretty high threshold for public embarrassment; I've skated as the bear (while the pep band taunted "The bear drives a cab!", I spent several years as the marching band's PA announcer, and I've filled in as hockey PA announcer. But I don't intend ever to try the Cowbell at an actual game unless someone's life depends on it, and I'm reasonably confident that'll never happen.

When Obama says "Change" he means it.

Good luck in Europe, Mitch. Good luck appeasing the jackasses, Elie.

"So it goes." -- Kurt Vonnegut

Good luck.

Wireless is selling a "More Cowbell" T-shirt:

More Cowbell T-Shirt

They have a sweatshirt with a "Moe Cowbell" 3 Stooges angle:

Moe Cowbell Sweatshirt

TimV
Wireless is selling a "More Cowbell" T-shirt:

More Cowbell T-Shirt

They have a sweatshirt with a "Moe Cowbell" 3 Stooges angle:

Moe Cowbell Sweatshirt

They spelled "Christopher Walkin [sic]" and "Will Farrel [sic]" both wrong? Really? These aren't exactly obscure actors we're talking about.

Good Cowbell tonight. If you keep it up like tonight, we'll have a good season of tunes. Congratulations.

Rita

amerks127
I would like to inform everyone that I have permanently passed along the cowbell to Elie Bilmes (eblimes) effective tonight against Colgate.

My skin is only slightly thicker than to let editorials in the Sun, comments in my columns, facebook messages, boos from the student section, comments leaving the game, and emails through the pep band bother me. Nevertheless, this is indicative of the fact that it’s time for a change. When a member of the pep band calls your mother through the Cornell Annual Fund and then proceeds to talk with her about my cowbell playing before condescendingly and mockingly emailing the rest of the pep band, one must realize things are getting out of hand.

I do not take this action to appease those people, and I would hope they understand that judging someone based on musical abilities is incredibly childish, yet my own Cornell hockey experience was suffering too.
Mitch

Someone really did this stuff? Called your Mom?!!!?

What happened to the adage that "if you do not have something nice to say, better not to say anything at all" (at least in some social situations)?

As someone who would like to see Cornell's endowment increase, that person should be fired for being awful at their job at the Cornell Fund. .

Mitch, I'm really sorry to hear that this happened to you.

Ben Rocky '04

Rita

amerks127
When a member of the pep band calls your mother through the Cornell Annual Fund and then proceeds to talk with her about my cowbell playing before condescendingly and mockingly emailing the rest of the pep band, one must realize things are getting out of hand.

Someone really did this stuff? Called your Mom?!!!?

What happened to the adage that "if you do not have something nice to say, better not to say anything at all" (at least in some social situations)?

As someone who would like to see Cornell's endowment increase, that person should be fired for being awful at their job at the Cornell Fund. .

Mitch, I'm really sorry to hear that this happened to you.

I'd like to set the record straight about this particular person. The pep band member in question did not call Mitch's mother in order to talk to her about cowbell playing. She was going through her list of people to call, and mid-conversation realized that she was talking to a family named Alva, and decided to strike up a conversation about the cowbell. The calling of the Alva family was not malicious, the conversation about the cowbell was not malicious. In fact, this person's email to the rest of the pep band was not malicious at all. In this email, she even made a request to the pep band that we get someone to "coach" Mitch (as many of you here have suggested we should have done).

The rest of the pep band's response to this email was...less than kind. That is indefensible. But the specific person being referred to is the least at fault of anyone in the pep band, and does not deserve to be the focus of elynah's anger.

Though to be fair, if Mitch wanted a pep band "rhythm coach", he could have asked. We would have been happy to, if he had asked.

I'd like to thank Mitch for his classy post, as well as everyone else for their notes of encouragement. As Mitch knows, he is welcome to play the bell when he wants and I'll look forward to cheering with him at games this semester and next year.

As Doug and others have said, it's harder than you might think. I was an all-state musician for three years in high school and even played the cowbell to lead my high school pep band at football games, but the experience of playing the bell at Lynah is completely different.

If you have complaints, you're welcome to contact me directly or find me in person before the games. Hopefully we can move forward and focus on what happens on the ice.