Steve Klein wrote to the list asking for opinions of those who attended last
night's Miami-MSU game and witnessed the brawl that ended the game.  As the
one who wrote the original post to the list with the box, I've had time to
sit back and reflect on what happened last night on the ice.  And I've come to
one simple conclusion.
 
It's still bush league.
 
John Kohlstrand wrote:
>I think your sense of things is colored by the fact that Michigan State lost
>to a historically-awful school that Spartan faithful may have wanted to
>look past (trust me, I feel almost the same way after the Falcons' debacle
>in Sault Sainte Marie).
 
Considering the way Michigan State has played since the beginning of February,
no, we weren't looking past Miami.  The Redskins in the last few years have
come away with their share of wins at Munn Ice Arena.  Since we were in a
battle (and still are) with Bowling Green for second place, every game is
HUGE for MSU.  There's no way we were looking past Miami.
 
As for historically awful, I shouldn't have to remind you that Miami WON the
CCHA two years ago.  Michigan, for a period of time, was what you would con-
sider to be "historically awful."  Nobody looks past them now, either.
 
>As for ``bush league,'' the Spartans are members of the same league. In
>the grand scheme of things, all of college hockey is pretty bush league.
 
I think you might find a number of people here who would disagree with that.
 
>Dumping on Miami for this is  pretty uncool, especially when you can't beat
>them on the ice. I'm sure we could find some bush league tradition up at Munn.
 
I don't consider what I did to be "dumping on Miami."  I suggest you read
what I wrote again.  It was, and I quote:
 
and the Redskins may think twice before
>continuing this bush-league tradition, the only blemish on a fine hockey
>program.
 
You consider that "dumping on Miami"?  Mazzoleni should be proud of the work
he's done with a team that many expected to finish no better than fifth or
sixth in the CCHA.  Miami is a hard-working, blue-collar team that puts wins
on the board.  But there's a thing called winning with class.  As heated as
the Michigan-Michigan State rivalry is, you don't too often find (at least
in the games I've seen played between the two, both at Munn and at JLA) where
the teams are taunting each other AFTER THE FINAL WHISTLE.
 
And exactly what were you referring to by "bush league tradition up at Munn"?
I draw a definite distinction between how the fans in the stands act and how
the players on the ice act after the game is over.  While the fans may act
rude to the opposing team (and I defy you to find an arena in the US where
they don't), it is extremely unprofessional (or unacademic, if you prefer)
for players to be taunting each other on the ice after the game.  And I'm
sorry if you don't think this way, but Miami'
s tradition of "scalping the ice" is exactly that, TAUNTING.
 
Matt Bressette wrote:
>Miami's coach, Mark Mazzoleni, attempted to
>eyes.  Mazzoleni held two fingers up obviously referring to Miami's sweep of MS>U at Munn.  Keyes then use his stick to throw ice at Mazzoleni.
 
I'm not sure that this was Mazzoleni who Keyes had words with.  The most
egregious act came from Miami assistant coach Dave Lassonde, who was giving
Ron Mason the choke sign and a rather obscene gesture after Mason had come back
to the bench.  Many of the Spartans had gone to the locker room after the game.
 
From where I was, the first Spartans who went over to the circle of Miami
players were Steve Suk and Sean Berens, who from the looks of it were just
asking the Redskins not to "scalp the ice."  Tempers flared when Tuzzolino
got into it and later the fight between Harlton and Carter broke out.
 
I applaud Mazzeloni for trying to get his players off the ice, but his post-
game comments dulled some of my respect.  From Neil Koepke's article in today's
Lansing State Journal:
 
"'We did nothing to start it.  It's a tradition we have and they came over and
responded.  I did ny darnedest to get my kids off the ice.  I didn't see
anyone from their bench do anything.  I got my team off and if he (Ron Mason)
would have been out there, with the respect his kids have for him, they would
have come back.'"
 
Mason responded: "'I've been in enough of these to know that there's not much
a coach can do in most cases.  What if I'm out there and I bump one of their
players?  It could get even worse.'"
 
As for Lassonde's action, Mason said: "'He's running around out there gesturing
at me, yelling for me to get on the ice.  I think that ignited it even more.'"
 
>I have yet to hear what the actual suspensions are so if anyone hears,
>please post them.
 
For Michigan State: D Tyler Harlton
                    C Richard Keyes
                    C Anson Carter (someone's going to have to explain that
                                   one to me)
 
For Miami: LW Dan Carter
           G Eustice King
           C Kevyn Adams
 
All will miss Friday's games, Western Michigan at Michigan State and Miami at
Alaska-Fairbanks.
 
Deron Treadwell wrote:
>I have to agree with John.. it's a pretty cool tradition.  Miami had a great
>weekend against a pretty good team, there is no place for MSU to go after
>Miami players, they should just settle it on the ice.  Miami won that
>battle, doesn't mean they've won the war.  Maybe next time MSU plays in
>Miami's rink they should just beat them, and then "scalp" their ice.  I
>think it's a really cool thing.  For the opposing teams who don't like it,
>just beat them, not be poor sports and jump them.
 
I'm sorry Deron, I usually enjoy your posts, but I think you're absolutely
dead wrong on this one.
 
You don't consider scraping the ice of the opponent to be "poor sportsmanship"?
You don't think teams have the right to defend their home rink?  How many
Maine players would sit idly by and watch a visiting team come to Orono, win
the game, and then rub salt in the wound by scraping up the ice surface?  How
would you as a fan of Maine enjoy watching BU or UNH or Northeastern scalp
the ice in Orono after a win?  If it's such a cool tradition, why doesn't Maine
do it?
 
Michigan State has never been known to "scalp the ice" at an opponent's arena
(unless someone knows something I don't, which happens occasionally).  Should
they start at Miami on March 4, that makes them no better sports than Miami's
action did last night.  Do you think the Miami players would sit idly by and
watch that if it happened to them?  Do two wrongs make a right?
 
I'm sorry, but in my view it's worth it that somebody finally stood up and
fought this kind of BS.  Maybe now the CCHA will step in and start levying
some long-lasting penalties against this kind of "cool tradition," independent
of whose ice surface it happens on.
 
G. M. Finniss
Michigan State University 12-6-3, 17-9-3
WVU '87, UTenn '92, MSU who the hell knows when?