In article <[log in to unmask]> Mike Machnik
 <[log in to unmask]> writes:
>T-BALLS REVISITED
>Part of me wants to ignore this because it was so despicable, while part
>of me wants to applaud the fans for being so enthusiastic at other times
>during the game.  But the part that feels the story should be told has won
>out.  (Guess I feel like Sybil tonight.)  Forgive me if I sound angry, but
>I am.
>
>Merrimack drew *two* penalties for delay of game tonight as the fans threw
>tennis balls four separate times.  Folks who were at odds with me last week
>over whether the tennis balls were a good thing or not, told me after this
>game that their view had changed.  "Tacky" was one of the words they used.
>several yelled at the fans.
 
Mike, I'm sorry to hear about this.  I've said that throwing objects on the
ice is one of the poorest ways of expressing oneself at a hockey game.  Despite
that we still had the recent incident at the Union game with the oranges.  I
fail to understand the mentality of some people.  Isn't bad enough that they're
already involved in those "negative" cheers such as "You suck"?  I guess not.
 
[stuff deleted]
 
>Needless to say, I was livid at this ridiculous display tonight.  Bill
>Fenwick's comments about the fans being liable to go too far were proven
>true.  I don't yet know what will be done to prevent this in the future, but
>all I can say is that the Merrimack personnel appeared quite upset at what
>had happened.  I don't think it decided the game, but it absolutely
>affected the team and caused them to be shorthanded for four minutes
>unnecessarily.  If the fans want to show up and hurt their team like this,
>they should go and sit on the other side, although I'd prefer they didn't
>show up at all.  As far as I am concerned, if anyone still thinks the
>tennis balls are a good thing, they can get lost.  It's bush league and
>there will always be some idiots who will take it too far anyway.  Merrimack
>needs fan support, but what we saw tonight was not support by any stretch of
>the imagination.
 
I feel the same way.  Maybe it's just the way I was raised, but I'm really
starting to get upset with people who throw things on the ice, abuse officials
verbally (this is not to say the occasional ref slandering is totally uncalled
for), and generally seem to think the game is their own little playland.  I
don't want to get into another long drawn out discussion about this subject,
but I do think that there are more "positive" ways of expressing school spirit
and support for the team.  Of course, I'm sure we'll see those red seat
cushions they handed out for Freakout out on the ice tonight at the RPI/Brown
game.
 
>Mike Machnik    [log in to unmask]   Color Voice of the Merrimack Warriors
 
 
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Daniel Orchard-Hays        Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute             '95
"Wise men store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool invites ruin."
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