Whistles From the Crowd

Submitted by Sten Carlson on

I was curious if anyone else, especially those that went to the game, noticed the numerous plays where there were whistles being blown from the crowd? I noticed it first on a the kickoff return following ND's FG, and there was the play where the penalty was waived.  WTF?!?

I am not making excuses for the loss, but it infuriated me to no end, and I felt like the refs had to have heard it, and should have started giving 15 yard penalties.

Could there be any greater douche baggery than pulling that crap?

Thoughts?

 

BeatOSU52

September 23rd, 2012 at 1:00 AM ^

The refs the even announced that there was a whistle from the crowd.  Maybe it was because I was trashed, but I thought I heard a loud and clear whistle that the players kept playing through even after the refs acknowleded that there was a whistle in the stands.  Am I right?

Fhshockey112002

September 23rd, 2012 at 1:04 AM ^

As I was drinking myself I believe the sequence was: Whistle from the crowd, Michigan player subsequently "false started" due to said whistle.  Other players continued the play as actual officials blew the play dead.  They then ruled the false-start was due to the whistle in the stands.

HipsterCat

September 23rd, 2012 at 11:49 AM ^

to me from an objective stand point it looked like a good call or at least a call that would be consistently flagged. wilson (freshman safety(why he was in is anybodies guess)) had his arms wrapped around the ND receiver (might have been a TE dont remember who it was). Honestly I think this was one of the better officiated games I have seen in a while, nothing seemed missed or got messed up at least from watching it on TV

DirkMcGurk

September 23rd, 2012 at 1:01 AM ^

I noticed the whistles. It seemed more during second half. It may not have been as noticeable on the field because it didn't seem to slow anyone down. Just sad that someone went that route.

Sten Carlson

September 23rd, 2012 at 1:12 AM ^

I know for a fact they can call a penalty on the home team if they keep doing it.  I don't remember the game, but I remember it happening once.  The refs give a warning, and the PA Announcer asks people to stop, and warns the crowd that the team will be penalized if they don't stop.

Fitz was off to the races on that play.  Again, no excuses, but I think the ND should really be ashamed of themselves.  They knew what they were doing, or trying to do, and it worked at least that once.

Another point in the long list of reasons why I hate ND.  So sad.

Sten Carlson

September 23rd, 2012 at 1:30 AM ^

As he should be.  What's next, a laser pointer in the QB or WR's eyes as they're tyring to make a play?

It only takes one player to hear the whistle and think the play is over to have a significant effect.  They weren't just blowing whistles, they were blowing them in quick bursts like the refs do when they're trying to stop a play, and they were timing just right to try to make the Michigan players think the play was stopped.

They're cheating, malicious douche bags.  It's one thing to be an abnoxious fan, to scream and be a nusiance, but this takes it to another level.

bronxblue

September 23rd, 2012 at 8:20 AM ^

I'd agree with the douche parts, but I doubt anyone associated with ND football is trying to cheat.  And to be fair, considering the number of turnovers Denard had yesterday, he'd be suspect #1 if we were looking for people trying to help ND break the streak.

/ Too soon?

// It's a football game, and stuff happens

/// But my gawd, 5 TOs were painful.

BlowGoo

September 23rd, 2012 at 11:51 AM ^

Hearing that Frank Beckmann was upset both pleases me and infuriates me.

Pleases me because it tells me that there must be at least SOME legitimacy to me being angered by it throughout the game while I was there on an island in the stands, surrounded by ND fans who obviously weren't saying anything about it, and I wasn't listening to any broadcast. Well before the refs commented, from the first quarter, I noticed it. So it's reassuring to me that my radar wasnt off in signalling this as out-of-bounds, figuratively speaking.

It infuriates me even more though because it makes my anger over it more legitimate in the first place.

But I take consolation in the fact that at the end of the day, we're still Michigan. And they're still ND. They're seeing us at their home, at likely the WEAKEST point Hoke's program shall be during his tenure as our HC due to recruiting issues at OL and DL of the previous coaching team (please lets not go there people!), they get six turnovers, they pull Mickey Mouse stunts summarized in this thread.

And still only win by 7,

Enjoy the win, ND bitches. Look for a maize-and-blue razor tipped torpedo of tetanus-laden karma headed for your golden domed buttocks in 2014.

maiznblue

September 23rd, 2012 at 1:26 AM ^

When you put 80,000 fans from any team in one place you're bound to have idiots. The whistles were annoying but we gave it away multiple times and still ND didn't take advantage and we still lost.

BlowGoo

September 23rd, 2012 at 3:43 AM ^

Just got home back from the game. Of note, also attended Mich v ND in South Bend 2 years ago, and there were some SIGNIFICANT differences.

(1) RECURRENT whistle from the crowd throughout the game when we were on offense. We could make it out faintly even from our seats on the thirty ABOVE the ND student seats. So we were a fair distance from the field but could still hear it OFTEN above the din being blown some distance away from us. I sounded as loud, maybe MARGINALLY fainter, than the actual game whistle.

(2) P.A. Music Clips. MUCH MUCH louder than 2010. But more importantly, played often before, during, after Mich huddle, even after players lined up and DR started signal calling! They REALLY seemed to be pushing how long they were piping that music in beyond anything I've seen before.

(3) We were at the game as guests of relatives whose son is in the Notre Dame band. He told us that last home game for the first time, the ND marching band had microphones (positional from on high: not individually). For this game, he told us the ND band had "double the microphones as the previous home game.". So this was only the SECOND game the ND band had been amplified, and never to this level of amplification. At the game, once again seated behind the ND students, the Michigan band sounded disproportionately quieter, even accounting for their smaller size and distance from us versus 2010. We didn't find out about the microphones until post game.

Not trying to make excuses. You give the ball away that much, you deserve what you get.

But the home field advantage seemed a little excessive beyond fair play. Perhaps being a michigan fan, this was ND payback for similar treatment at the Big House during UTL? I was there as well, but did not notice band amplification, sound effects corrupting NDs cadence, and repetitive fake ref whistles. Just enthusiasm (which was flat the first 3 quarters of THAT game).

Anyway, saw this thread and had to post it.

BlowGoo

September 23rd, 2012 at 11:34 AM ^

I'm not disagreeing, but when have we received complaints (from someone in an official position qualified to level such complaints) about similar treatment to opposing teams at Michigan?

I don't wan to be all fanboi about this, so if we blast music REGULARLY, THROUGHOUT THE GAME, even after the opposing QB has lined up and has begun his snap count, and I am in denial, please tell me.

Also, do we microphone OUR band? As I wrote above, ND "double microphoned" their band. Just for us.

So unique things being done on the organizational level really ticked me off. Add to it the obnoxious fake ref whistles at the non-organizational level and a few eyebrows get raised.

I just want to be sure my head isnt in the sand about this and that I am in denial about us doing the exact same thing to other visiting teams. But I really dont think so. Our crowd noise is just that: CROWD noise, and we've got a damned big crowd.

Besides, we don't HAVE to resort to such maneuvers because we generally win in straight-up Xs and Os football (as some have argued last night's game represented).

So if we do the same bullshit regularly, could someone please enlighten me? Do we amplify the band in-game as well?

Seth

September 23rd, 2012 at 11:51 AM ^

What was driving us nuts is the ND band knew they had the speakers and waited for the Michigan band to start playing something before drowning them completely out. I mean every friggin' time. We were in the Michigan fan section and couldn't ever hear our own band. I don't know band protocols about playing over each other, but if the home team is miked and the away team's isn't, and the home team is going to play atop them every time, then what's the point of even inviting the away band?

And yeah, ND pushed the limits of how loud and how long you can play piped in music before a snap on every 3rd down. Fans are welcome to do this but again, the athletic department doing that themselves is over the line. I'd like the NCAA to quietly make this not happen again.

freejs

September 23rd, 2012 at 7:33 PM ^

It's one thing to play it constantly in between plays - that is what it is - but this seemed like an intentional effort to interfere with a Quarterback's attempt to call out signals.

That's a violation of fair competition.

I've never heard us do that, and I sure hope that we haven't.

Section 1

September 23rd, 2012 at 2:31 PM ^

If you feel that it might be thought of as "whiney" for Brandon to say anything, then okay; let Brandon say nothing.

But God bless Frank Beckmann, one of my favorite media heroes, if he reports what he witnessed (he is part reporter, part commentator, to be sure) and does so forcefully.  I don't care if Dave Brandon says anything.  I don't suspect anybody is looking for any official conseqence.  The score is posted, the game is over.  But reporting doesn't stop.  If there is a story to be told, I'd like to hear about it. 

2Blue4You

September 23rd, 2012 at 8:19 AM ^

You are criticizing Denard's speech in another thread and yet I have seen you put moronic posts in all three of the threads I have opened this morning. You are a troll of the worst kind, hateful, poor grasp on the English language, and fail to present any argument. I won't even venture to guess what fan base you hail from. Enjoy your last posts on here.

Wolverman

September 23rd, 2012 at 8:00 AM ^

 You guys whould make any excuse to try and save Denard. Loud music... longer grass on the field. Whistles from the field... Fuck Denard Robinson

Croatian_Blue

September 23rd, 2012 at 9:20 AM ^

Not worth a new post and let me also preface this by saying that it did not make a difference in the game. We beat ourselves, yada yada yada.

Was there a play in the fourth quarter when the game clock should've stopped because our receiver went out of bounds? I think it was Gallon on a bubble screen, but he ran out of bounds without being forced out by an ND player and the clock didn't stop. 

Was I seeing things or was it BS?

Blarvey

September 23rd, 2012 at 9:25 AM ^

What was up with the music on the PA when our O was lining up? I can't remember hearing it played for so long and wondered if there are any rules on this.

NelzQ

September 23rd, 2012 at 10:30 AM ^

Keeping Denard in the pocket is in keeping with the definition of insane. Keep doing the same thing and expecting a different result. Statistics show his accuracy goes up DRAMATICALLY when he rolls out and has play action options. What we are going to learn is whether Brady Hoke is loyal to a fault ala RichRod and continues to let Borges implode.

JHendo

September 23rd, 2012 at 12:52 PM ^

I don't know if that's true or not, but I wouldn't be surprised in the least. Just look at his mechanics when he rolls out versus when he drops back. He consistently refuses to step into a pocket and ends up throwing off his back foot when he drops back, whereas when he's rolling out, as long he doesn't come to a complete stop before throwing, he naturally steps into his throws.