UND Athletics looks at addressing hockey crowd behavior problems

Richard V.
10/26/2009 8:26 AM

Although I do agree with all of you about the F bomb and the foul language being used at ALL sporting events, I must speak out. The sissifying of good old sporting events is horrible. When we were in little league we were encouraged to jeer and sneer at the opposing team. I can remember standing in left field yelling "hey batter weeeney batter not hitter SWING!" As a catcher behind the plate in high school I use to tell the batter where the pitch was gonna be and tell him swing!. Some times they would swing and miss and once they were lied to enough about where the pitch was gonna be they wouldnt swing at all and still strike out. It is called competition. Sports is not only a physical trial but also mental. If your sissy can't stand the heat and ends up being called a loser KEEP HIM/HER OFF THE FIELD! I know a girl in middle school football with thicker skin than a lot of the high schoolers! The PC crowd of today has gone to extremes to build the esteem of our youth and all they have done is turn them into whiners! Hockey sticks and pucks will break my bones but names will never hurt me.

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M. S.
10/26/2009 12:51 AM

Mike J.'s comment really bothers me, because the attitude behind the comment is the same attitude so many young parents have in raising children -- THEY ARE AFRAID OF THEM !!....... ie: "and act out even more aggressively" You hear the same line of thinking in caring for a young child. "Oh, if I try to discipline him/her, they get even worse." That is just a symbol of the LAZINESS that is pervasive today. It takes THINKING, it takes PATIENCE, and TIME, and MORE THINKING.... I would kick out those who go too far with the foul mouth, and if they needed to be kicked out a second time, I would ban them for the rest of the season. I don't think one would need to do this to TOO many students (or other fans) before the message would be loud and clear. HAVE FUN, have robust enthusiasm, cheer loudly if you wish, BUT have respect for others and foul mouths (swearing, etc ) are out the door. "eventually go away" - Yeah, right. Go ahead, Mike, stick your head in the sand. It is very hard to believe that all these people who feel a need to resort to swearing, being stupid, using foul language, do not have a clue how PATHETIC they are.

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Michael J.
Grand Forks, ND     10/25/2009 10:52 PM

Just to clarify, edict should have been spelled etiquette.

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Michael J.
Grand Forks, ND     10/25/2009 10:38 PM

I invite you to look up a youtube video demonstrating the atmosphere at Michigan & Michigan State hockey game. Although our current situation of the so called bad game "edict" doesn't compare, what is to say it might not get to that level. With that being said, I feel you walk a fine line when you try and tell your fans what to do and how to behave. These fans, especially students, will take offense to this and act out even more aggressively. Case in point, when the Darcy Zajac video announcement in the Friday night game was played asking fans to stop with the abusive language, it prompted them to start up the F the gophs chant once again. Although this being the worst I have seen the swearing chants at a sioux game, it is not the first time I have heard them at the REA. I want to bring up the fact that I have noticed this issue being brought to discussion more often in each passing year and it is not out a my realm of thinking to state that there maybe a correlation. It may sound strange to a majority, but I feel that the best course of action to keep the behavior from escalating and eventually go away would be to not draw drastic attention to it. In the mean time, to leave with a simple thought for those of you bothered by the vulgar language, what is to say that the crowd isn't chanting "CHUCK" the gophers?

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Todd B.
Roseau, MN     10/25/2009 10:28 PM

A few years ago my wife and I went to a Sioux / Badger game. A Wisc. player, Robbie Earl, was hit from behind and went head first into the boards... Three women in the upper bowl in the row behind us felt it important to shreak for him to "Get up Earle you (slang for a lower female anatomy part)" as he laid injured on the ice. True UND Fighting Sioux class displayed by the fans of the ralph. Reading an article like this, comments and articles about fights outside the arena that lead to a serious injury do not surprise me... It all supports the image I keep of the arena and the "fans"... those three women proudly making their way back to their seats two fisting beers up the steps with the empties proudly stacked under the full beers as trophies, shreaking about nothing that has to do with one of the best sports you can watch all equals why we don't go back.

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Colleen A.
10/25/2009 9:06 PM

Oh Petra...whoever you are here in Warroad...good comment!!!

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ND O.
Grand Forks, ND     10/25/2009 8:51 PM

If we go on a college campus to watch college hockey we have to expecr college behavior. We want the crowds to be enthusiastic even rowdy as that provides rhe home court advantage and creates a fun atmosphere for all. The "F" bombs are not necessary, but that will stop if we make it clear anyone chanting those is shown the door.

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Chris S.
Grand Forks, ND     10/25/2009 8:31 PM

I think people need to grow up and accept the chants that occur. I went to games in the old arena and the cheers are still the same. The difference, it is now a SOCIAL EVENT to go to a hockey game. People go now to be seen, not to watch the game. For those of you who do not like the cheers, stay home, you did when the game was in the old arena.

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Matt B.
10/25/2009 7:15 PM

Destroy the arena is the best solution! Goodbye Ralph!

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Doug M.
10/25/2009 6:30 PM

Been going to Sioux games for almost 50 years (my earliest childhood memory). Love a good, rowdy crowd! Can't say that I really appreciate the "f... the gophers" cheer. On siouxsports.com they don't spell it all the way out due to rules set up by the administrator. If you use vulgar language you get the boot. Why not the same rules at a hockey game? Clean it up, keep it loud and god bless the Fighting Sioux!

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