> From: Billy Lustgarten <[log in to unmask]>
>         At Cornell during the last home weekend, Coach Mike Schafer made
> his views known on the issue of "questionable" chants.  During an
> intermission of the Dartmouth game, Schafer took hold of a microphone
> and basically took the student section to stop using obscene chants  (I
> think Schafer was particularly upset at the comparison of the referees to
> ummm sheep performing ummm certain activities).
 
I've been going to Lynah Rink since 1988 and that one has always been there, as
far as I can remember.
 
I do heartily agree, however, that the vulgarity has increased over the last
five years.  Not sure why, exactly, that this started to occur.  I do know that
Cornell fans picked some stuff up at Yost Arena in 1991 during the NCAA
Tournament.
 
For example, Cornell crowds had always done the "C'ya" thing when opponents
went into the penalty box.  But they added the "...you a** hole" part after
playing Michigan that year.
 
Some of the standard Cornell fare, however, is tremendous.
 
There was one tremendous addition at last year's quarterfinals, however, that I
must admit, despite the vulgarity, was thoroughly amusing because of the
creativity and quick-thinking it took to come up with it.
 
Colgate's Mike Harder was having an awful series, as was the rest of the Red
Raiders. The Cornell crowd was getting on him real good and starting chantig
"F**K ME HAR-DER"
 
Now, maybe some people hate the vulgarity no matter what the reason, and I
respect that, but I found that to be pretty amusing.  In fact, I recently
talked to Harder about it, and he laughed -- He said, "They can do some pretty
creative things with my name, I guess." (Harder, by the way, has recently
joined my top 10 nicest guys in hockey list).
 
I nevertheless agree with the general sentiment and comment Coach Schafer for
trying to limit the vulgarity. And since the fans consider a god by now, they
may listen.
 
AW
 
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