Powder prohibited: Baby powder banned from Hodag games after dust-up chafes fans

It got a little dusty in the air last Friday night at Mike Webster Stadium — and that was more than just a handy excuse for any Hodag fans fighting back tears of joy after the Rhinelander High School football team defeated rival Antigo in the Bell Game for the first time in four years.

Rhinelander High School Activities Director Brian Paulson issued a statement Monday announcing that baby powder will be prohibited in both home and visiting student sections moving forward at Rhinelander High School contests, after complaints were lodged over its use by both game officials and spectators.

Both student sections used baby powder to celebrate big moments in the game, the residue from which lingered over the field for much of the contest.  

“The powder was staying low. It was dropping. It was not going up in the air. There was no breeze. And it was kind of lingering over the playing surface,” Paulson told the River News. “You could smell it in the air, and some kids told the officials that baby powder is hard to breathe.”

According to Paulson, game officials requested that fans stop spraying the powder into the air. An announcement was made over the public address system for fans to refrain from spraying baby powder and Paulson said School District of Rhinelander staff tasked with crowd control went to both the Rhinelander and Antigo student sections to confiscate bottles of powder. Despite those efforts, white puffs could be seen from time to time during the game, and afterward. 

“While many students cooperated, some hid their bottles and continued the practice, which was disrespectful,” Paulson stated in a post to the Rhinelander Hodag Athletics and Activities Facebook page. “I want to thank those responsible students who understood the request and stopped doing it. Unfortunately, at the end of the game, some students from the opposing side threw remaining bottles of powder into the air and then threw the bottles onto the track, nearly hitting Antigo’s athletic trainer. I need to thank the responsible Antigo students who cleaned up the bottles off the track and in the student section area and properly disposed of the bottles.”

While students likely saw the gesture as good, clean fun, Paulson said he received several complaints during and after the game.

“I got some feedback from our own Hodag football staff, also the game officials, and then some fans after the game,” he said. “There are people that have asthma. There are people that really need that fresh air to be able to breathe. And we want to make sure that it’s an atmosphere for everyone to be able to come.

“The most important thing is for all students (and) community members to be able to attend games and to be able to enjoy a fun experience. There were some members of the community that were not able to.”

The primary risks of inhaling baby powder include respiratory irritation and risk of aspiration. Most baby powder brands now use cornstarch as its primary ingredient rather than talc, a naturally occurring mineral that has been linked to cancer. A 2023 Time article noted that Johnson and Johnson stopped selling baby powder containing talc in North America in 2020 and now sells only powder with a cornstarch-based formula. 

Paulson said school administration was “very supportive” in the decision of eliminating the use of baby powder to celebrate at sporting events. 

Apart from the baby powder issues Paulson, an Antigo High School alum, commended both student sections for the energy they brought to the contest.

“The unwavering support from the community, parents, and peers creates an electrifying atmosphere that energizes our teams and fosters a strong sense of school pride,” Paulson’s statement read. “Our students go above and beyond by posting on social media, creating fun themes, and encouraging everyone to join in the experience. When the stands are full of cheering fans, it inspires our players and motivates them to perform at their best. This incredible team spirit not only boosts our athletes but also makes attending these games a lively event that everyone looks forward to.”

The Rhinelander-Antigo football rivalry that has been contested 104 times overall since 1917. The Bell Trophy was added to the rivalry in 1935 at the suggestion of sports writers from both the Antigo Daily Journal and the predecessor of this paper, the Rhinelander Daily News.

Rhinelander won last Friday’s contest 54-8, marking its first win in the series since 2021 and just the fourth time the Hodags have lifted the Bell Trophy in the last 19 years.

Rhinelander has only one more home varsity football game during the regular season — the homecoming contest against Medford Oct. 10. Though baby powder will be prohibited, Paulson said he expects the Hodag student section to find different, and positive ways, to display its school pride. 

“We really try to have a fun atmosphere, and we’ll find other ways,” he said. “The students will be creative and find other ways to do something new, because that’s what students do best. They’re very creative.”

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].