A college baseball fan finally said what SEC fans have been waiting a long time to hear on Tuesday night.
During the SEC’s late-night first-round matchup between Ole Miss and Vanderbilt, Barstool Sports personality and writer Ben Mintz decided to take action against one of the SEC’s most high profile fan-related stories. Mintz went toe-to-toe with the Vandy Whistler, and he certainly (and hilariously) let him have it.
“I’m going to keep this short and sweet,” Mintz said as he walked down the steps. “You should be ashamed of your behavior and you put yourself above everybody in the stadium. You’re a disgrace to the Southeastern Conference.”
The Vanderbilt fans were quick to respond with their own fiery words.
The entire verbal joust between the fans can be seen below and involves strong language.
Mid Game Update
I found the Whistler & let him know what a disgrace he is to the Southeastern Conference! pic.twitter.com/5EMUlJVcET
— Mintzy (@BarstoolMintzy) May 25, 2022
Vanderbilt’s Enrique Bradfield Jr. even took notice of the situation from the on-deck circle.
The Vandy Whistler/Whistlers, Jeff Pack and Preacher Franklin, are wildly known for the infamous “whistle” during Vanderbilt baseball games. The three-whistle/three-clap call and response with fans have garnered a significant amount of complaints and attention online from opposing SEC fanbases, especially during the conference postseason tournament. Love it or hate it, the whistle is a consistent nine-inning staple for the biggest Vanderbilt games. Often times it can even be heard through the television broadcast.
Pack is the more well-known of the Whistlers and is often recognized with his long, grey, slicked-back hairstyle and mustache. While the two do look somewhat similar, the Whistler that Mintz confronted on Tuesday looks to be Preacher Franklin, who has darker hair.
If you aren’t familiar with the whistle itself, here is a clip from Vanderbilt’s 2021 postseason run.
See Also from RTI: Tennessee Athletics Were The SEC’s Best In 2021-22 School Year
As seen in the video, it has always looked to be something that Vanderbilt fans rally behind, although some seem to just tolerate it. It could be anywhere on a wide range of thoughts. However, opposing spectators have seemingly had enough.
As soon as the rain and storms slow down in Hoover, No. 1 Tennessee is set to take on Vanderbilt in the second round of the SEC Tournament on Wednesday. The Vols and Commodores will square off for the fourth time this season, with the regular-season series taking place in Nashville. The Vandy Whistlers didn’t seem to bother Tennessee too much, though, with the Vols sweeping Vanderbilt on the road. In fact, Tennessee quieted down Vanderbilt’s stadium quite a bit by the end of the series.
According to Tennessee on Wednesday, the time for Tennessee and Vanderbilt’s contest on Wednesday is still to be determined.
UPDATE: Tennessee and Vanderbilt will NOT be playing on Wednesday night.
Vandy 3 Ole Miss 1 7th Inning Stretch
First time I have almost gotten tossed from a sporting event since the 2002 Ole Miss/Nebraska Indy Bowl & Rebs still NEED to get some runs! #SECTourney pic.twitter.com/UylMNU757r
— Mintzy (@BarstoolMintzy) May 25, 2022
3 Responses
Don’t forget about the cow bells from Mississippi State!!
His butt wasn’t whistling last week when LSU cleaned their clock with 46 runs in 3 games. That’s how you shut those idiots up. The most disliked individuals in all of the SEC.
Our security people confiscate them if they see them at Ole Miss. They can get them back after the game.