Hi Scott,

Those letters from past Huskies Pep Band members remind me of a fun story with Refs. I’m pretty sure this was the 2002-03 basketball season. Often, when the team was on defense, the crowd would stomp their feet and clap their hands. The band would—on occasion—bend the rules and hit the drums during that and sometimes a trumpet would play the “of the Michigan Michigan Michigan Engineers!” after a 3, or defensive stop. The refs either ignored it, would come up to me (student director at the time) and ask us to stop, or if they were smart, they’d come over and talk to me before the game started. In those cases, we’d stop and go back to behaving ourselves; as best we ever did.

One game, while bending the rules, during play, out of nowhere, one ref ran towards the band, blowing his whistle, waving his arms, yelling “NO! NO! NO!!!! You can’t hit the drums or play your instruments, you can only clap your hands or stomp your feet!”

Dead silence.

I’m standing in front of the band, I turn towards the student section and I catch the eyes of one of my friends and we both get this huge mischievous grin on our faces. And instantly, without a single word from anyone (at least that I can recall), the entire band and crowd start to stomp the stands as hard as they could. I think that was the loudest—outside of the band playing—the court has ever been.

Soon afterward, an industrious band member asked a simple question. “Is there an NCAA or GLIACC rule about what kind of shoes we can wear?” Within the hour, we had a time scheduled to make some makeshift wooden shoes. I don’t think many of us made them, but man were they loud! We were careful not to walk on the court with them, but I’m not sure the bleachers handled it well. Then again, I don’t think they survive the band regardless.

We never did draw a foul for all that. One of the craziest things I ever saw at a basketball game, outside of the band, of course.

Happy New Year!

Ward Rietz, Jr
BS MSE 2003
Huskies Pep Band 1999-2003

- I’m never surprised by the creativity of our band members. Thanks for sharing and Happy New Year to you as well. -SB