[log in to unmask],NNTP writes:
> Why is it that this team 'needs' another 42-1-2 year???  Do you know
>how hard that is to achieve, considering the evenness of teams
>nowadays... (granted, you could use Michigan this year, but...)  Fans
>should be happy for 10 wins, should that be all that a team can earn,
>and shouldn't EXPECT to win 30 games a year and then, heaven forbid,
>fail to cheer or support because of an 'unsuccessful season'.  Have
>Maine fans been so spoiled that they sit on their hands BECAUSE they
>expect to win???  Many programs would love to have a facility such as
>the Alfond and the success that past Maine teams have had.  I'd sure
>have like to play in the 'old' Alfond when the crowd impacted as the
>7th player (many often leave out the goalie in that tally)...  BUT,
>contrary to popular belief, the NEW alfond can be incredibly loud, the
>people just need to make noise!!!
 
I can remember the wonder of a 24-16 year in 86/87 during which we TIED
MICHIGAN (!!!!!!!!), and then an "impossible" win over Minnesota in
87/88 - Webber Oil gave out a white banner to everyone in the Arena,
and together with the noise, the atmosphere was unbelievable.  I can
remember another game a few years later, when, with Maine down 4-2, the
entire crowd stood on it's feet and cheered non-stop for 5 minutes
(which we won, by the way - don't ask me who we played).  The greatest
Maine game I ever saw was the 5-4 win against BC in the HE finals at
Conte (yes, at Conte), when Bruce Major, from behind the net, knocked
the puck in off of Scott LeGrand's skates for the game winner.  The
fellow next to me was hyperventilating because he forgot to breath.
There seemed to be more Maine fans  at the arena than BC fans.
 
So, what's my point?  Well, we continued through a long string of 30
win seasons, most of which are a blur to me.  I CAN'T REMEMBER ANY OF
THE DETAILS.  Then came the 42-1-2 season.  It seemed so easy to the
fans that year.  It was the Kariya-Montgomery-Ingraham circus.  The
stunts Kariya pulled took the fans to a level that they really didn't
belong.  When you see that kind of stuff night in and night out you get
spoiled.  Nothing was impossible anymore.  The wonder of it all was
gone.  And there were NO surprises, no difficult games, FOR THE FANS
THAT IS.  The old-time magic didn't come back for me that year until
Lee Saunders pulled a rabbit out of a hat in the Michigan game.  The
Lake Superior game was like old times.  The roller coaster ride.  Down
in the depths, back up on top, and then hold your breath at the end.
That's what the fans want, not 14-2, 11-3 blowout weekends.  Those are
embarassing for everyone.
 
The NCAA violations weren't what caused the fans to quite down.  The
fans think they've done it all and seen it all.  But every so often the
magic comes back.  I was in the Yankee the night Maine beat Michigan in
that crazy overtime game a few years back.  There was no shortage of
fan support that night.  Why?  Because Maine did the impossible again.
 
Oh, and one more thing.  I'm 12 years older than when I first saw a
Maine game in '85, and so are most of the long time fans around me.
The year I came here I was amazed that a colleague of mine would sit
quietly with his arms crossed while everyone around him screamed
themselves hoarse.  He said that he'd been going to games since "the
beginning" in the '70's, and he mellowed with age.  He's still out
there going to games, as I am.  But maybe I've mellowed a bit with age
myself.
 
Larry
 
 
>Danny
 
>X-Gateway: NASTA Gate 1.17 for FirstClass(R)
>Received: from MAINE.MAINE.EDU by MAINE.maine.edu (IBM VM SMTP V2R3)
>with BSMTP id 6333; Fri, 07 Feb 97 12:07:00 EST
>Received: from MAINE.MAINE.EDU (NJE origin LISTSERV@MAINE) by
>MAINE.MAINE.EDU (LMail V1.2c/1.8c) with BSMTP id 8812; Fri, 7 Feb 1997
>12:05:42 -0500
>Received: from MAINE.MAINE.EDU by MAINE.MAINE.EDU (LISTSERV-TCP/IP
>release 1.8c) with spool id 1449 for [log in to unmask]; Fri, 7
>Feb 1997 12:05:39 -0500
>Received: from MAINE (NJE origin SMTP2@MAINE) by MAINE.MAINE.EDU (LMail
>V1.2c/1.8c) with BSMTP id 8806 for <ME-HOCKEY@MAINE>; Fri, 7 Feb 1997
>12:05:39 -0500
>Received: from voyager by MAINE.maine.edu (IBM VM SMTP V2R3) with TCP;
>Fri, 07 Feb 97 12:05:38 EST
>To: [log in to unmask]
>From: Dan Shermerhorn <[log in to unmask]>
>Date: Fri, 7 Feb 1997 12:04:01 -0500
>Subject: Re: good old days
>Message-ID: <[log in to unmask]>
>Organization: University of Maine
>MIME-Version: 1.0
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit