The Clarion-Ledger reports today about a lawsuit filed against the Southeastern Conference by an Ole Miss fan who was allegedly beaten with a cowbell at last year’s Egg Bowl. The Clarion-Ledger reports:

The suit, filed late last month in Oktibbeha County Circuit Court, seeks unspecified damages from the SEC and commissioner Mike Slive because it says the league had a “knowing refusal” to enforce its own rule on artificial noisemakers that dated to 1974.

In the suit, William Matthew Brasher alleges that Brent Vowell knocked him unconscious with the bell at last year’s game at Mississippi State’s Scott Field, causing a 4-inch laceration that required staples and resulted in “a concussion, memory loss, mental and emotional distress and anguish, depression, paranoia, anxiety, loss of enjoyment of life and inability to pursue prior educational and professional goals,” according to the complaint.

Here is an exclusive photo of the individual defendant (right):

Anyone who has ever attended a State game and had the person sitting directly behind them ringing a cow bell probably thinks that Brasher was lucky to be knocked out. When someone sits behind you in a stadium they end up holding the cow bell at your ear level—and close to it.

I am still recovering from the mental and emotional distress and anguish, etc… from sitting in front of a cow bell at a 1982 State vs. Bama game in Jackson. The lady behind me slowly rang that damn thing the whole game. I would have preferred to have been knocked out. Thank god Bama beat the crap out of State or she would have been doing it louder.

I hope the plaintiff converts the case to a class action on behalf of all us cowbell victims.

Meanwhile, SEC Commissioner Mike Slive has had a terrible week. He has been repeatedly misquoted after the NCAA cleared Cam Newton to play in the SEC Championship game Saturday:

“The conduct of Cam Newton’s father and the involved individual is unacceptable and has no place in the SEC or in intercollegiate athletics,” said Mike Slive, Southeastern Conference Commissioner. “The actions taken by Auburn University and Mississippi State University make it clear this behavior will not be tolerated in the SEC.”

The word “not” that is scratched out is contained in all the media quotes. Slive couldn’t have said that. The actions taken by the NCAA and SEC make it clear that shake downs by recruits’ parents will be tolerated by the SEC. That has to be what Slive really said.

Otherwise, it would be like Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt starting his post Egg Bowl press conference by saying: “the results on the field tonight make it clear that State can’t beat Ole Miss in football.”