Pump up the volume

Mavs fans fill Kings' ears with clanging cowbells

The Mavericks' fans were unsuccessful in attempts to harness the cowbell's energy for good. AP

DALLAS (AP) -- The Sacramento Kings got an earful from Dallas Mavericks fans Thursday night.

From cowbells in all shapes and sizes brought in by fans to kazoos and various plastic noisemakers distributed by the team, American Airlines Center did its best imitation of rambunctious Arco Arena for Game 3 of the Western Conference series.

The decibel warfare began in Game 1 in Sacramento when Mavericks coaches complained to officials about the cowbells clanging behind their bench. Talk about the noise level continued through Game 2, with owner Mark Cuban saying his fans would get even when the series shifted to Texas.

They certainly listened.

Spurred by a team announcement of what was and wasn't allowed -- with cowbells atop the can-bring list -- the cacophony began about an hour before tipoff.

And most of it came from the area behind the Kings' bench.

Not far from where one fan shook a piece of wood with five cowbells attached, Rick Anderson passed out 200 large cowbells along with drumsticks for the loudest possible clanging and another 300 smaller bells.

"I went to Game 2 in Sacramento and right then I knew it was time to get the bells out," Anderson said. "Then I heard Mark on the radio promoting it and I had to do it."

Anderson wouldn't say who paid for the bells, but each had a sticker indicating that at least part of the money came from Taco Bell. He proudly covered the word Taco with his thumb to emphasize the tie-in.

"We're here to let Sacramento know that school is out," said Marty Price, seated next to Anderson.

The Mavericks also provided fans with inflatable banging sticks, plastic hands that when shaken sound like loud clapping and kazoos. The kazoos featured the Mavs' old logo and indeed were pulled out of storage from a long-ago promotion at Reunion Arena, the team's former home.

Dallas officials were so ready for the ruckus that they provided earplugs to their stat crew. Ushers carried plugs for any fans who wanted them.

To help make sure they were needed, the overhead monitors played a clip from an old "Saturday Night Live" skit in which Christopher Walken plays a music producer who tells a band, "We could use more cowbells."

Kings owner Joe and Gavin Maloof took the noise in stride, laughing and joking about it with Cuban prior to tipoff.

 

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