Tuskegee Marching Band Refused to Yield

The Commissioner of the SIAC, Gregory Moore and SWAC Commissioner Duer Sharp needs to take immediate action to prevent this type of situation from happening again.

Based on the story published today by the Montgomery Advertiser, (if you want to believe everything the main stream press writes about HBCUs), Tuskegee is "alleged" to have performed beyond their scheduled time in the Turkey Day Classic. I said "alleged" because there are two sides to every coin and we haven't received the Tuskegee version.

However, Alabama State Marching Hornets Drum Majors may have been equally as wrong to march onto the field and create a possible confrontational situation -- especially with fans emotionally charged with the homecoming spirit(s) and verbally involved.

What makes this incident bad was the halftime show and game was being broadcast nationally by ESPNU. When it happens twice in a football season, i.e., Kentucky State band did the same thing at Morehouse earlier this year -- its a problem that needs to be fixed!

Mr. Warren L. Duncan, Tuskegee University Marching Crimson Pipers Band and Dr. James B. Oliver, Alabama State University Marching Hornets Band are exceptionally talented leaders and band directors. This may have been nothing more than a lapse in communications, but it should not happen. You would think after 97 years of football competition, "ASU vs. TU", the bands would have gotten their timing down pat for the half-time shows.

Please, let us get the timing of half-time shows fixed -- Tuskegee, Alabama State, Kentucky State, Morehouse and Florida A&M.

Fans, there are no acceptable excuses for booing the band members! The students work very hard to prepare these shows, memorize the music and dance routines to perfection. Generally, more than 40-60 hours of rehearsal time goes into a 10-12 minute half-time show. That's a full-time JOB in addition to the academic workload carried by these outstanding musicians!

Shame on ESPNU!

(beepbeep)

Now, the story from Montgomery Advertiser.com

The Tuskegee band wasn't finished with its halftime show when its allotted time ran out, causing an intriguing confrontation with the Alabama State band in the middle of the field.

The halftime show of the Turkey Day Classic was originally scheduled for 24 minutes, leaving each team 12 minutes, but ESPN officials notified each school just prior to kickoff that the halftime show would be changed to 20 minutes, forcing the Golden Tiger band to leave the field at the 10-minute mark.

The band continued playing past...

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