not in their house

It's time for me to say something that I've been debating for a couple years now. I usually don't like to criticize people involved with the high school athletic departments. But every once in a while something will irk me more than usual, and it happened the other night at East Hartford High.
But I'm not talking about the Hornets. Despite their reputation (mostly unfair) the Hornets fans caused no problems that I could see at that game. What bothered me came from the Southington side.
More specifically, it rang out from the track, a sound so piercing, so overpowering that it forces one to plug his ears each time he hears it.
I'm talking about the air raid siren. And it's about time it found its way to the grave.
For those who don't know what I'm talking about, the air raid siren has been a relatively short-lived tradition of the Blue Knights football team. From my understanding, it began during the tenure of former coach Jude Kelly (though I don't know if it was his idea).
The siren was intended to be rung each time the Knights took over on offense, signaling to the opponent that they were about to be put under attack by a barrage of deep passing. You see, the Knights for years had the most potent air attack in the state, and their names litter the state record books for passing and receiving yards.
Things have changed, however. The Knights are no longer a pass-happy offense. They have become more and more balanced each season under coach Bill Mella, and in fact have used defense to win games more in recent years.
Furthermore, it has gotten to the point that the siren is now rung more than just to start a drive. It shrieks out first downs. It shrieks touchdowns. It shrieks big gains.
I mean, logically, if the opponent doesn't know it's under attack by the time Southington scores a touchdown, I don't think the siren, symbolically, is going to warn them in time.
Of course, that's not my biggest problem. That lies squarely in the fact that Southington brings the siren on the road, submitting opposing fans to have to listen to its harsh wails on their home field, and quite frankly, it is tactless, arrogant and offensive.
If I were an opposing AD, and I saw them wheel it up to the field, I would ask them to return it to the bus or leave the premises. If I heard it go off during a game, I would immediately ask them to go home.
I'm not joking about this. This runs along the lines of Terrell Owens raising his arms to the heavens... on the Dallas Cowboys midfield star... as a member of the San Francisco 49ers. And while I am a 49ers fan, at the time of that incident, I didn't blame George Teague for sprinting out to clothesline Owens. That was the Cowboys' house. That was like dancing on their altar.
And please, somebody from a Southington opponent, stand up for your school. Don't physically or emotionally harm anyone. But make some kind of statement that such insults will not be viewed kindly. Stand up for your pride.
Better yet. I call on Southington AD Eric Swallow to do the right thing, now that he has taken over the position (with positive results I must add). Get rid of the siren. It makes your entire athletic program look bad.
If nothing else, the siren should remain in Southington for home games. Let your own fans deal with the noise.