Landsharks, Cowbells, and The Dawg Pound Rock

Since the Bulldogs had the week off this past Saturday, you probably spent your time watching games involving other teams. The Ole Miss and Tennessee game might have been high up on your list to watch since we are currently in a dead heat with the Rebels for the lead in the SEC West. One thing that has become controversial from that game is the use of the Rebels’ celebratory gesture “The Landshark” and how an official warned a player about using it. In the wake of this, Ole Miss fans have vehemently expressed their opinion about how their players should be able to Landshark.

Personally, I don’t care one way or another if Ole Miss does the Landshark. I do however find the idea strange that Ole Miss wants so desperately to keep this going because they constantly annoy Mississippi State fans that the cowbell has nothing to do with football, but we are adamant about keeping it as a part of our tradition. I think this is the same thing. The Landshark symbol has nothing to do with football, but they desperately want to keep it. To that end, I sent this tweet out:

In doing so, Bulldogs fans seemed to echo my sentiments, and the Rebels who saw it thought I was an idiot. No surprise there. The Rebels who expressed their displeasure basically said you can’t compare a noisemaker and hand gesture. My point wasn’t to compare the actual traditions themselves, it was to compare the attachment that both fans have to them. That is easily comparable. We love our Cowbells. We have had them since the 1930s, and we want to keep them forever. The Rebels love the Landshark sign. They want to keep doing it forever.

Now one of the things that was brought up was that the Landshark is done as a way to remember Tony Fein, a former Ole Miss player that passed away in 2009. Here is why I don’t think it is done simply as a way to remember Tony Fein. They do it after a big defensive play or sack. They are doing it in celebration. I really doubt that if Robert Nkemdiche records a sack and then flashes the Landshark that he is thinking about Tony Fein in that moment. So while that might be a reason it started, it clearly has lost that meaning or it has at the very least, greatly diminished. How do I know this? Simple. If it had always been about memorializing a former player, this story would have been brought to our attention a countless number of times. Instead, the first I ever heard of this story was when officials during the Tennessee game told Ole Miss they couldn’t do it and the outrage spread like wild fire.

To further my point, ESPN did this video on the Landshark. They talk about how it is done and they use it to rally each other. They talk about how they use it to pump each other up. It might have started with Fein as the video suggests, but it’s not a memorial act. At least it isn’t any more. It’s done to celebrate big plays and get pumped up about what is happening on the field.

The question then becomes if the landshark gesture is taunting because that is at the crux of the matter on why the Rebels were instructed not to make the gesture on Saturday night. So what does the NCAA rule book say about celebrating and taunting? Andrew Norwood, one of the other writers here at M&WN sent this to me from the NCAA rule book:

"NCAA Rulebook Rule 9, Section 2, Article 1, subsection (a)(1): No player, substitute, coach or other person subject to the rules shall use abusive, threatening or obscene language or gestures, or engage in such acts that provoke ill will or are demeaning to an opponent, to game officials or to the image of the game, including but not limited to: (d) Any delayed, excessive, prolonged or choreographed act by which a player (or players) attempts to focus attention upon himself (or themselves)."

I italicized the part of the rule that would specifically pertain to the landshark gesture. The question about whether or not it is taunting is certainly subjective. Herb Vincent, SEC Associate Commissioner of Communications, had this to say to AL.com when asked about the gesture:

"Quick and spontaneous gestures are permitted but officials are instructed to warn players not to allow those gestures to rise to the level of excessive or prolonged actions that could be interpreted as taunting or choreographed."

The real issue here is if it is truly spontaneous if it is done after every big play made by the defense, especially a sack. Also, since every player on the team’s defense does it, an argument could be made that it is choreographed. Once again, this is all subjective. Let’s take a look at some of the Rebels use of the Landshark gesture. This video is one done by the Ole Miss athletic department. The gesture is used a few times throughout the video.

When you watch that, there are times when the Rebels simply don’t flash the gesture and go about their business. They throw their hands up to their hand and run around the field. There was one or two where it was quick, but it can at times be a gesture that is prolonged. So it then becomes a matter of judgement. What is too long? When is it trying to draw attention to the player? Difficult questions to answer.

There is certainly one parallel for Mississippi State though. That parallel is the Dawg Pound Rock. The Dawg Pound Rock is a dance that the Kickoff team would do right before kickoff as a way to get themselves pumped up. It was started by defensive back Kenzaki Jones in the late 90s under Jackie Sherrill. Sylvester Croom  retired the dance, but Dan Mullen brought it back. When it was first started, the Dawg Poound Rock was done on the field right before the team lined up for the kickoff. It was then ruled that it was unsportsmanlike to do it on the field, so it had to be done on the sidelines. It was a move that Mississippi State accepted and allowed the school to continue doing a tradition that it loved.

So what do we make of all this? The one issue I have is that I don’t think the official that warned the Ole Miss players just did that on his own all of a sudden. Someone had to have complained. Ole Miss has been doing the landshark gesture since the Houston Nutt days, so it shouldn’t have come as a surprise. Quickly throwing the gesture up and then taking your hand off your head in quick succession probably isn’t taunting. But it isn’t nuts to say that Ole Miss players can get carried away and prolong it and send it from something simple to a clear instance of taunting. As is the case with almost anything, if you overdo it, you’re likely to ruin it. I wouldn’t be surprised if Ole Miss players start getting flagged for the gesture if they start drawing it out on the field when they do it. It’s been brought to the forefront, and now that there is more attention being paid to it, and it would appear that someone complained about it, it is going to be monitored more closely.

Now, if Ole Miss players want to continue to do it in memory of Fein, they need to find some concession that would make it much clearer that was their intent. Maybe the defense could make the gesture as they run out on the field each series. Maybe they could do it as they run off the field when they force a punt. While Ole Miss and their fans don’t view the move as taunting, there are some that do. As is the case with most things, people have to learn to compromise. We had to do it with the the cowbell with the cowbell compromise, and we had to do it with the Dawg Pound Rock. I certainly don’t think it is too much for Ole Miss players to be asked to compromise on this issue as well if there are players and coaches of other teams that view the gesture as taunting.