Roger Spurgeon wrote:
 
>Let's label 1996-97 as the "year to take cheap shots at Michigan."
 
Didja ever stop to think that there is a solid reason so many people are
frustrated with Michigan and their fans?
 
Before this weekend's games, I was fairly ambivalent about Michigan. In
fact, two of my best friends were born and raised in Ann Arbor, attended
UM, and live there still. And yes, they are big hockey fans.
 
However, Berenson's comments throughout the years, culminating in the
tournament, as well as Morrison's comments at the Hobey ceremony, made them
appear to me as very arrogant, stuck-up children who are poor losers.
 
Additionally, the behavior of UM's fans in the past three final fours has
fallen way below that of any other team. When Maine beat Michigan in the
semis in Providence, the majority of Michigan fans took the loss very hard.
This included vandalizing a number of Maine vehicles in the parking lot,
breaking a row of seats in front of me (I was seated with my Mich friends),
shouting louder and longer obsenities than were appropriate for many of the
children in attendance to hear (including many children in the Michigan
section). Of the few that returned for the final between BU and Maine,
cheers for either team's performance were rare, while vulgarities towards
Maine were in abundance.
 
I experienced more of this in Cincy, and still more in Milwaukee. While
roaming the halls of the Bradley on Saturday, NOT ONE fan from North Dakota
attempted to accost me, dressed in my BU jersey. I met North Dakota fans in
bars and had solid conversations with them, and had lunch on sunday with a
few Sioux fans in Mitchell Airport.
 
On the other hand, Michigan fans threw vulgar epithets my way until I got
on my plane Sunday afternoon. The more people I talk to, year after year,
the more negative I hear about Berenson and the Michigan fans. This
includes what many Michigan fans have told me.
 
Last year could have been the "year to take cheap shots at Maine," and in a
sense on Hockey-L, it was. The sheer volume however, doesn't compare to
that which Michigan can own up to.
 
Sure, every school's got poor fans and arrogant players/coaches. Michigan's
fans just happen to be much more visible -- and vocal.
 
 
As for the "best team" nonsense --
 
Roger wrote:
 
>B) Jack Parker and Dean Blais seemed to think that Michigan was the best
>team.  I don't hear you ridiculing them.
 
Yes, they did say that "going into the tournament..." Michigan was the best
team and a heavy favorite. Doesn't mean that they end up the year that way,
does it?
 
Besides, if Parker, Blais, or Lucia had said that someone else was the best
team, they'd be blasted for that too.
 
 
greenie
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Jason Kekoa Greene
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