In response to Mike Machnik's post of 10/18:
 
>>> The loudest the crowd ever gets at BU, other than a BU goal, is when
Grier
dishes out a clean heavy hit. <<<
 
Actually, the loudest the Terrier fans get in Walter Brown arena is when BU
scores a goal. Trust me on this one. A strong, solid hit on an opponent by
ANY member of the Terriers however, will elicit an eruption from the crowd.
Mike Grier just happens to deliver many of these hits.
 
>>> It is all part of physical play.  It doesn't involve fighting.  And it is
part of the game.
 
Amen!
 
In line with the first statement above, at just about any hockey rink, some
of the loudest roars come after a good, solid play. It's like most sports
where there is a particularly defensive move - sacking the QB in football,
blocking a shot on basketball, saving a goal in soccer - any of these strong
defensive plays will elicit a crowd reaction.
 
However, there is something to be said about how loud the fans get when the
fighting begins. Discarding the under-18 leagues, just about any hockey crowd
will *really* get vocal about a fight.
 
It's quite interesting to notice that during the fight (excuse me, during the
roughing altercation) the crowd is making noise, but it is not necessarily
cheering; it's usually a lot of shouting, almost as if everybody feels the
need to let everyone else in the arena know that there's a fight going on.
 
When the fight ends however, the crowd reacts depending on the outcome. Home
players ejected will always make a crowd ugly, no matter how blatant the
infringement. An ejected opponent will always turn the crowd on. But when the
home player absolutely flattens the opponent, THAT may possibly be the
loudest hockey crowds get.
 
I think it's always very interesting that in these hockey-fighting
discussions, few of us forget that it is we, the fans who truly encourage the
fighting. After all, even the lowliest goons for the home team will be warmly
embraced as a hero if they bloody an opponent.
 
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