Charles F O'Brien writes...
>        I suppose by now we have all read enough about Jacques Joubert.
>I want to comment briefly on those postings that have implied that there
are
>few or no limits to negative cheering.
 
Maybe I missed it, but I didn't get this implication in any posts.
 
>        What Joubert did was wrong; however, the fan addressed Joubert's
>person, not his play.  Many, many court decisions, etc. have established
>that some verbal attacks constitute assault.  On this ground, we ban racial
>slurs.  Surely no one thinks fans can taunt a player over his ethnic
>background.  Joubert has a French name; is it O.K. to use one of the many
>derogatory words the English language has for French people?  Clearly not.
>Except for the fact that he is 11 years old (information not available to
>Joubert at the time), this fan was as far out of bounds as Joubert. BTW,
>courts also have held that so-called "fighting words" may constitute
>sufficient provocation for physical retaliation.
 
Why was Joubert not informed that the kid was 11?  What, does the kid look
22? :-)
 
As for heckling, some things are taboo.  Race and ethnicity are two of them.
 Greg Sorensen also commented on this.  If someone told Anson Carter (one of
the best players in the CCHA, who happens to be black) to "go back to the
jungle" as Greg says, I'd be mighty tempted to pop that person in the
kisser.  I'd at least give 'em a piece of my mind.  As mentioned before, I
also see no need to swear while heckling.  Other taboo topics include
alcohol/drug abuse.  If a player is a recovering alcoholic it's in very poor
taste to refer to it while heckling.  But, having a big nose if fair game,
IMO.  (But keep it confined to the game, not post-game.  I learned this the
hard way.)
 
There was a good quote in THN a few weeks ago from a current NHL player
regarding trash talk in the NHL.  I can't remember who said it, but I'll
paraphrase:
 
  "If a guy has a big nose, you call him big nose.  If a guy is ugly, you
call him ugly."
 
Seems simple.
 
Next topic: UM-MSU tickets.
 
Final go around for my friends at MSU:  I'm pretty well convinced that the
ticket situation for the UM at MSU game was handled just like any other
game.  The visiting fans had decent seats (and more of them than usual, it
sounds), and the parents SRO problem isn't and isolated incident between UM
& MSU.  Maybe, just maybe, the two schools (at least the two ticket
offices), are lightening up on trying to screw each other so much.
 
Thanks again for all the replies!
 
  John H
  U Mich