Who is the Vandy whistler? 5 things to know about loved, hated Vanderbilt baseball fan

Adam Sparks, Nashville Tennessean
·3 min read
2

The Vandy whistler is one of the most divisive characters in college baseball.

Love him or hate him, most fans in the sport have heard the Vandy whistler’s chirps and shrieks at Vanderbilt baseball games, especially on national TV broadcasts during the postseason.

During Vanderbilt's trip to 2019 College World Series, a stadium employee threatened to eject the Vandy whistler for violating a ballpark policy that prohibits "disruptive noise," a TD Ameritrade Park spokesperson said.

Ultimately, he toned down the whistling and witnessed Vanderbilt's second national championship. But there's still plenty of chirping — good and bad — around the Vandy whistler.

Here are five things to know about the Vandy whistler, a high-pitched Vanderbilt fan:

There are two Vandy whistlers, not one

Most college baseball fans think the Vandy whistler is one man, but it’s actually two guys. Jeff Pack is a 66-year-old from Hermitage, Tennessee. Preacher Franklin is a 74-year-old from Smyrna, Tennessee. Both are lifelong Vanderbilt fans who started whistling years ago at sporting events independent of each other. They are often confused with each other.

They are threatened, attacked by fans

Both whistlers often are threatened on social media, mostly in a joking manner. But Pack said he was sucker-punched by a Mississippi State fan after a game years ago, and an Ole Miss female fan smacked him at the 2017 SEC Tournament. Franklin said a Mississippi State fan once got face-to-face with him during a game at Starkville and threatened to knock him out. The fan was ejected.

Fans often shout angrily, and sometimes profanely, at the whistlers during postseason games. They also try different methods to drown out the whistling, but the chirping continues.

Their whistles sound different

Vanderbilt fan Jeff Pack continues to whistle after stirring up some LSU fans during the third inning of Saturday's SEC semifinal game.
Vanderbilt fan Jeff Pack continues to whistle after stirring up some LSU fans during the third inning of Saturday's SEC semifinal game.

The trained ear of a Vanderbilt baseball fan can distinguish between their whistles.

Franklin is a rapid-fire whistler, always letting loose in three quick shrieks — chirp, chirp, chirp. And his whistles are delivered throughout the game and independent of other ballpark noises.

Pack’s whistles are more structured and situational. He often uses them to lead Vanderbilt cheers when the Commodores have runners in scoring position or have two strikes on an opposing batter, and there are a few variations.

Chirp, chirp, chirp, clap, clap, clap, chirp, chirp, chirp.

ESPN has (allegedly) warned and promoted the whistlers

There was a publicized incident at the 2014 College World Series during Vanderbilt’s national championship win. Pack and Franklin were whistling constantly during the game, and the ESPN microphones hanging overhead picked up every shrieking sound during the broadcast.

They both say a security guard and an ESPN staff member threatened to toss them out of the ballpark if they continued whistling. An ESPN spokesperson denied that claim at the time.

In the 2019 SEC Tournament semifinal, the ESPN-owned SEC Network featured Pack prominently during the broadcast. Stadium security guards questioned him after a fan complained about his whistling. Pack stayed in the stadium, but he said he was moved to a nearby section because his ticket didn’t match his seat. SEC Network followed the drama, as Pack and some Vanderbilt fans celebrated when he was allowed to continue whistling.

Vanderbilt coach and players support whistling

Jeff Pack, one of the two Vandy whistlers, whistles during Vanderbilt's 2019 SEC Tournament semifinal game against LSU.
Jeff Pack, one of the two Vandy whistlers, whistles during Vanderbilt's 2019 SEC Tournament semifinal game against LSU.

Some Vanderbilt fans don’t like the whistling and often complain about it. Others like it because it irritates opposing fans.

Coach Tim Corbin has said numerous times that he supports the whistlers because they are loyal and engaged. Past and current players have echoed their coach. They’re not bothered by the whistling, and some like that opposing fans and players hate it so much.

“Anyone who has the passion and energy to sustain that type of noise throughout a game, more power to them,” Corbin said.

Reach Adam Sparks at asparks@tennessean.com and on Twitter @AdamSparks.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Vandy whistler: 5 things to know about Vanderbilt baseball fan