Sitting in the stands of Jack Trice Stadium during Saturday’s football game, something came to me.

It had nothing to do with the actual game taking place on the field, it had to do with the people in the stands.

As I stood and watched the Cyclones get beat by Baylor, I was forced to listen to the annoying, pointless and downright stupid things being yelled from the stands to the field.

So this is what I propose: For someone to have the right to yell during a football game, they must pass a simple football IQ test. Five or six questions at the gate should be more than enough to determine whether people will be allowed to say anything during the game.

Here is a sample of the things I heard Saturday in the stands:

From behind me, someone yelled to the Cyclone defense, “Come on, get some pressure on the quarterback!”

What they failed to realize was at that very time, Baylor quarterback Shawn Bell was attempting to pick himself up off of the field after being drilled by an ISU defender.

A simple look out of the stands would have been enough to stop that comment dead in its tracks and save my ears from hurting.

Later, I heard someone berating ISU coach Dan McCarney’s play calling. The call was a third-quarter run, with Greg Coleman gaining four yards on first down.

Please explain to me why this particular play was a poor call? The Cyclones held a 13-10 lead and were driving, trying to put more points on the board. A run game opens up the pass down the field and vice versa. To completely abandon the run game is stupid, even if you are using your third- and fourth-string backs.

Later in the quarter, this same person went at it again. On a punt, one of the Baylor players went down, holding his knee. He attempted to limp off the field, couldn’t make it and had to be carried off by two of his teammates.

“Suck it up,” the person yelled. “You’re supposed to be a football player. Get tough!”

Yes, get tough. Shake that off, Nancy.

His knee just exploded! Give the guy a break.

Not to beat a dead horse, but the same person proposed a remarkable idea late in the fourth quarter. Reaching the conclusion that, because the fan’s cheering wasn’t making the team play better, we should all be quiet. Maybe the silence would inspire the Cyclones, she thought.

My friend Sam was in favor of her idea. He turned around and said, “Maybe we should all try that.”

Unfortunately, she didn’t take her own advice.

Finally, this is directed to whatever group of geniuses run the cannon. After every Cyclone score, the cannon sounds, helping the fans celebrate.

So explain this to me: Why did the Cyclone cannon boys fire a shot after the game ended?

Iowa State just lost at home. Never should the Cyclone victory cannon sound after a loss.

– Grant Wall is a junior in journalism and mass communication from Fort Dodge. He is the sports editor of the Daily.