October 25, 2015 Mr Mike Perrin Director of Athletics University of Texas Austin, Texas 78713 Subject: Cowbells Dear Mr Perrin, Congratulations on your new position as head of UT athletics. I have waited to send this note until you had settled in and since the football team has just won two in a row (OU and KState), this seems as good of a time as any to bring the important matter of cowbells to your attention. Yes, cowbells. Cowbells are critical to Longhorns and the rules to prohibit them from DKR Texas Memorial Stadium need to be fixed back to the way they were before. Texans have a long and storied tradition of working cattle and general being cow people. In the early days of the University, cattle would even be driven down the streets of Austin past campus during Spring roundup. Further, the Longhorns have a long tradition of football excellence. Texas Memorial stadium is the cathedral of sorts where this all comes together with the traditions of Texas and football and our fans to make for a unique Texas Longhorn experience. A key part of being a longhorn is loving Cowbells. Your predecessor, Deloss Dodds, at the beginning of his last season declared cowbells “illegal” on the premises of Texas Memorial Stadium. This is just like something an old geezer on the way out the door would do. This was done July 29, 2013 through the issuance of a set of regulations for the stadium. texassports.com/sports/2013/7/29/GEN729133817.aspx As this now marks the third football season that the skies above Texas Memorial stadium have been darkened by this oppressive anti-Texas anti-cowbell regulation. It is time for things to be put back right and bring the cowbells back! Per the July 29, 2013 stadium regulations edict, not only are cowbells barred from the stadium once, but twice. Cowbells are cited as prohibited items (along with motorcycles and chainsaws.) AND cowbells art then cited as an illegal noise. You cant either bring the cowbell in or make the cowbell noise!! A cell phone accidentally going off with a cowbell sound could even now cross the line. Further, the regulations cite the reason…”to prevent distracting a player or official”. This sounds like the regulations at the UT law library, not the stadium. Texas Memorial Stadium needs cowbells. The legal attorney language thrown into the cowardly no cowbell rules referenced in the July 2013 edict are just that, cowardly. Other stadiums list rules and then go even to say “bring the bells”. These are stadiums with loud fans and championships to celebrate. I point this attorney thing out as you have two choices, hide behind the NCAA/Big 12 because you don’t have the backbone to tell people that you ve gone “yellow” on us as a Longhorn OR use your attorney know how to cite some kind of right of birth of Texans to hold and possess cowbells. The attorney legal stuff goes both ways, you need to make sure you are on the Longhorn side of this law on this issue- yes to cowbells. A generation of Texas longhorns is at risk of losing all touch with the cowbell. When I went to the Longhorn shop in the stadium to buy a cowbell recently, the young student at the counter did not even know what I was talking about. A longhorn generation is short- 4 years. Every 4 years a new group of students leaves the campus to carry forth Longhorn goodwill. We have but one year to act to keep a class of longhorns from graduating without ever hearing a Cowbell. Mr Perrin, you must act now for the sake of the kids!! The University may as well have issued a statewide ban on cowbells the way things are spreading. I went to the drag to cowbell shop after being turned away at the stadium shop. After searching the shelves of the Texas Coop for a cowbell, I spoke to the Coop manager working that day to ask him to point me to the cowbell section. He reprimanded me for even asking for cowbells citing they were illegal in the stadium and then questioning me why his store would sell something illegal. It is now spreading through Austin and I had to drive to the city limits to a dusty shelf in the back of a general store next to chicken feed (yes chicken feed!!) just to hold a cowbell. I can see in just a few years that cowbells will be searched and seized as you cross the bridge over the Sabine River by campus police. To get a cowbell, you will soon only be able to go online. I went online already and there is bad new there too. I googled Texas Longhorn cowbells and found a site to sell them. But we are not even in the top 10 schools that you can get a bell with a sticker. Schools like Mississippi State and Alabama, schools that have to come to Texas to see cattle, are ranked higher then Texas. It is telling to compare the winning football team records of the teams at the top of the cowbell list from those at the bottom, like Texas has now fallen. Our team mascot is the only cattle mascot in the country and we are not even in the top ten in cattle accessories online. It is embarrassing. Please, put Texas back at the top of the cowbell list. There of course is a small minority of folks that are glad the cowbells are gone. They will cite the “clank” as a harsh sound. But this small lot is exactly the sort you want to run out of Memorial Stadium so they can sign up for cable and Texas Longhorn Network and watch from the safety of their tall Victorian high back chairs holding wine glasses with fingers out. These are the “go horns go” people, vs “OU Sucks” folks. Anyone who doesn’t love cowbells is the same ones that run out of the stadium the first sign of mist. Mr Perrin, you want the cowbells back and you want people who love cowbells in the seats of your stadium. Lastly, the sports metrics are clear on cowbells as well. The 111 football seasons prior to 2013 that had cowbells saw 816 wins and too many championships to list. In the 3 seasons since, the hollow absence of cowbells cost Mac Brown his job and is now weighing heavy on our new coach Strong. The longhorns win with cowbells in the stands. Coach Strong wants to win. Coach Strong needs and wants cowbells! The cowbell issues is a chance to defend a tradition important to the Longhorn Nation and put your stamp on the Perrin era of Texas sports. Please correct this wrong and bring the cowbell back now! Sincerely, Walt Hornaday Austin, Texas Class ‘89 Walt67@gmail.com