Can't wait to go to Yost!

[BGSUfanatUT]

McDonalds doublecheese burgers $1 a pop buddy

I could eat about 24 of those. Wonder how many McMetz could eat? Sounds like a fun contest there.

I am in full support of this idea.

[Falcon Fanatic]

"Show me a person even twice my age in the ice arena that has watched this team more than I have and I'll buy them dinner."

Karen and I will be delighted.

BGFan and I would love to join in on this too!!!

[FindlayFalcon]

Back to the matter of the cheers/chants/yells etc. All right, I will admit it, I'm an old fuddy duddy. Do people still use that word??? I started watching BG hockey 22 years ago--back in the days of Section A. Even though I had season tickets, Falcon Fanatic and BG Fan would save us seats in A just so we could be part of the "action". It was great fun. And I'm sure those who sit in Section E today feel the same way. I loved the cheers and the banter between Sections A and H. But I also remember going to Yost (before the weasels were good!!) and actually being able to sit and enjoy a game there without being offended or harrassed. Then U of M became a power house and suddenly they had filled houses--mostly filled with students who would sit behind the visitors and throw things such as coins at us, yell obscenities at us, harrass the player's parents and on the whole make life miserable for the visitors to the point that we couldn't enjoy watching our team.

The last time I was there I sat behind the goal up at the top (lousy seats as was mentioned before). A couple of rows in front of me was a couple with their two sons ages about 8 and 10. Every obscene yell that the students yelled, these two young kids yelled too. And they would look right at us, pointing their fingers and screaming obscenities. The parents said nothing. And if these two were doing it, I wonder how many other young kids were--and are-doing it. I'm not sure, if I were a hockey fan at U of M, that Iwould want to take my kid to a game. They learn all the obscene words soon enough. I don't think they have to learn them at a hockey game where they think this is what you do at a college hockey game. They look up to college kids and think that if the older kids are doing it then they should too.

My point is, I just hope that BG's arena and Section E don't turn into Yost and their student section. Our youth are our future fans. If they grow up yelling obscenities, how much worse will it get as they add their cheers. Don't get me wrong, I'm not stuck in Section A. We do need new cheers. Let's just show some class and taste when we add them.

OK, I'm off the soapbox now. Someone else can use it. Falcon Fan, where are you?

[FlagCityFalcon]

OK, so I was harsh in my judgment, but I think you can all see my point (at least Findlay falcon does). In my opinion, ff we continue the trend I see/hear, we can end up like Yost. BGfanatUT - since you do remember the good old days, you should be able to understand where I'm coming from. Back then, we didn't have the Sucks cheer, or the Jackass, etc. My concern is simply that it's now happening and if we want to continue with the class we've grown to know and love, we need to be careful. It's not a matter of cheering and trying to "get into the opponents heads", it's a matter of doing it clean. I'm all for being loud and creative (the what smells chant is pretty good, I hope that continues!), I just wish we could leave the "vulgarity" out of it.

[transfer2BGSU]

I remember hearing about Duke President Terry Sanford telling the Cameron Crazies to clean up their act or he would ban them from the arena.

If Cameron Crazies are known for anything, it is for being witty and ruthless, but not vulgar. One infamous day in the winter of 1984, however, the Crazies crossed the line, prompting Duke’s then-president, Terry Sanford, to write his legendary "avuncular letter" to the student body. In it, Uncle Terry gently chastised the Cameron Crazies:

It is generally assumed that a person resorting in conversation to profanity and obscenities is short of an adequate vocabulary. That is doubly true of public utterances.

Resorting to the use of obscenities in cheers and chants at ball games indicates a lack of vocabulary, a lack of cleverness, a lack of ideas, a lack of class, and a lack of respect for other people. We are, I am sorry to report, gaining an unequaled reputation as a student body that doesn't have a touch of class.

I don't think we need to be crude and obscene to be effectively enthusiastic. We can cheer and taunt with style; that should be the Duke trademark. Crudeness, profanity, and cheapness should not be our reputation, but it is.

I suggest we change. Talk this matter over in your various residential houses. Think of something clever but clean, devastating but decent, mean but wholesome, witty and forceful but G-rated for television, and try it at the next game.


The Crazies rose to Uncle Terry’s challenge. At the next game—against archrival UNC, no less—they wore angel costumes complete with tinfoil halos. They held signs saying “Welcome Fellow Scholars” and “A Warm and Hearty Welcome to Dean Smith.” When they disagreed with a foul call, they eschewed obscenities in favor of chants of "We beg to differ! We beg to differ!"

http://www.beggingtodiffer.com/about.html

[BGSUfanatUT]

I do understand where you are coming from. And I agree with you to an extent. No we didnt always have the jackass cheer, but it has stayed at just that. In what 10 years(???) it is still the same. Thats not a long period of time, but I think that the fact that it hasnt gotten any worse is a sign that it wont get worse.(In theory, but communism works in theory too)

I do think that to an extent it is still OK to say. 'Jackass' really isn't that bad IMO. And I don't think 'suck' is a problem at all. What UM says is way off the wall though and is quite offensive, but we are nothing in comparisson to that, nor could be even "hope" to be for years. It would take a long time to turn our student section into theirs.

I think that our 'vulgar' chants are actually quite subtle and do get into the opponents heads quite well, and thats also why I dont think they will grow to something worse. They are already doing their job. All they need now if more sets of lungs behind them.

If is ain't broke, don't fix it.

I don't have a problem with our current taunts and until they become a concern I don't think there needs to be anything done. Students are warned if they drop an F bomb or somethign really bad so the Univ. is doign somethign to control it. But making a big hoopla or somethign about "jackass" and "suck" will only make the students irritated and feel smothered. This could lead to 1) even lower attendance 2) the student lashing out in protest by doing exactly what we dont want, and becoming similar to UM fans.

I just think that until it becomes a real problem there is no need to but effort into stopping it. Especially when they could use those resources to try to increase attandance.

[Bleeding Orange]

How is it I'm always the one that starts these kind of debates...

I was just hoping that we could all have a little fun at Michigan's expense before we have a LOT of fun at their expense in two weeks!

Michigan sucks (I know, I know...). We rule. End of story!

[TheKa]

I'm not sure how old BGfanatUT is, but I'm pretty sure I'm not twice his age, so I think I qualify too! Given that he'd only be 14! HAHA! I missed 2 home games last year and that's the most I've missed in ANY of my 28 seasons of watching the team. I travel to most of the away games too!

As far as the chants go, I have problems with adding the "they still suck" to the end of the that's debatable cheer. Given that I have pretty clear memories going back at LEAST 25 years, the cheer has stood alone, and I don't think that anything needs to be added to it. Before 25 years ago, I can't remember much, but then again...I was only 3 years old. My first clear memories are of the "WALLY...WALLY" cheer!

I've always had problems with the "See Ya" cheer too, not only because of the "jackass" part added, but also because it was stolen from Michigan.

And, that is where my fears lie...where does this end? I would hate to see Pooch having to stand with his children at center ice and asking the students to calm down, like Red Berenson had to do last year at Michigan. I felt for him and his family...I can't imagine what it would be like not to go see a family member at a hockey game because your parents can't and won't allow you to be in that environment. I wouldn't take my kids (if I had any) to those games and I don't want to see BG turn into that. I want to be able to take my kids to the games in the future and I just see us on a slippery slope.

It seems like the crowd has become disconnected from the student section and I just wonder if that is because most people can't bring themselves to yell "suck" or "jackass?" When I was young my parents and the other "adult" fans around me cheered WITH the students in sections A and H and encouraged me to do so as well. They felt safe doing that, I'm not sure they would feel the same way today, if I was still young. The ENTIRE crowd did the "who's he? NOBODY!" cheer and the goal cheer. It was LOUD and extremely intimidating to the opposing players, so hopefully, we'll get back to a time when EVERYONE can feel comfortable to cheer together. A good example of this is going to the Bowling Green High School hockey game...the parents and fans cheer WITH the students...with no vulgarities and with some creativity...although they are still using the cheers we used over 10 years ago!

I'm not saying anything negative about the student section, other than this...I would LOVE to see a HOCKEY 101 for them. It would make their cheering so much more effective. I would love to see them learn that fighting in college hockey is NOT a good thing! For instance, we NEED all of our players for these next 4 games and fighting will make someone miss a HUGE game. Also, I would love to see them LEARN the game, because, like I said, It would make certain that ALL of their cheering was effective!

To all students reading this...PLEASE continue to support this team, be loud, be crazy and above all BE CREATIVE!! There is no need to steal cheers from another team, make up your own...that's what happened back in the "glory days." We can make the future into the return of the glory days, not only on the ice but in the stands!

SWEEP THE EVIL GREEN THINGS!!
Erika

[FindlayFalcon]

Erica,
Wow!! All I can say is "What she said!!!"

[Hockey John]

I will weigh in on this topic.

I agree with Flag City Falcon, Erika, and Findlay Falcon about the cheers. You can be very creative and have an intimidating environment for the visitor to play in without the obscence comments. I have to attended many games at Yost Arena. I used to enjoy the enviroment, but the last 5 -10 years it had become my least favorite place to go see a game. Last year I had a 5 year old curse me because I was wearing orange and his father did nothing. I have been attending games at BGSU since the 1976 - 1977 season. I have watched our miracle olympians of 1980. I was at Lake Placid in 1984, and have been to most of the CCHA arenas to see games. The BG Ice Arena used to be a place where other teams dreaded to play at because of the fans. And they didn't use obscene language. I remember having a visiting goaltender so rattled in a game that he through his stick into the crowd when he was taken out of the game. All the fans did was constantly chant his name "Rudy" after every goal he gave up. It was funny. As a teacher of middle school aged children, they are very impressionable. I would hate to have the behavior get worse. Be creative, be loud, but be smart.

Go BG beat the Spartans this weekend.

Hockey John

P.S. I sit two rows in front of Erika and have watched her grow up at BG hockey games.

[FlagCityFalcon]

So I get on my soapbox, cause all kind of ruckus and finally Erika comes to my rescue. That's basically what I was trying to say. Back in the day, when we were known around the league/nation for the class we had (and the hockey knowledge we exhibited), we didn't have to yell sucks to be loud and in the game.

BTW - Bleeding Orange, your signature is awesome...I just wish I would have thought of it!

[BGFan]

As for the See Ya cheer......we used to point continuously at the perpetrator in conjunction with "You! you! you! you! you!"! 3000+ fans doing that in unison as the player went to the box was quite intimidating. Much more so than the See Ya cheer, IMO.

[transfer2BGSU]

The more I get disgusted by Casualobserver over in the football threads, the more I am now convinced "SEE YA' JACKASS!" does have an apporpriate use.

[Falcon Fanatic]

I have to finally chime in here. I have read the posts, but haven't had a ton of time to sit down and write something substantial on this topic. But thanks to FlagCityFalcon, FindlayFalcon, Hockey John and Erika for posting everything I would have posted!!! I agree with EVERYTHING they have said. We can get back to what we used to have (fans in unison, screaming our lungs out!!) without the vulgarity. I know it won't ever be EXACTLY the same, and that change is good for all of us, but I do think we can do some Hockey 101 education to help us build a new and just as powerful identity. Paluch already has taken a step in that direction when he had the players bring friends to the Alumni lounge at the beginning of the season. We need an organized effort to do this and it will take some work, but I am willing to put the time in to help it happen. Anyone here want to help? I am willing to set up a meeting with a core group of people, get something organized to hand out to the fans at the games, and see what we can get going. One thing that will have to happen is getting the announcer and the people running the music on board to coordinate things.

Your thoughts?????

[bgbill]

Quite a bit of both hockey instruction and BG hockey traditions and chants could be accomplished on a couple of webpages.