Wow! I can't believe they throw dead animals in at UND.  This subject,
throwing stuff (not dead animals), was touched on briefly a few weeks back
with the oranges at the RPI-Union game.  Throwing things on the ice out of
tradition appears to be a group mentality thing.  It's something that
will be hard to stop.
 
I remember going to a UNH game about 4 years ago, and a friend who was an
alumni told me about 'the fish' after the first home goal.  Well, UNH
scores late in the first period. As soon as the light goes on, here
comes the rink attendants onto the ice to clean up the fish that has not
even been thrown yet (it did makes its appearance a few seconds later).
The announcement is made, and nothing else is thrown.
 
As was posted a few weeks back, Union throws oranges (a D-3 carry
over tradition) at the RPI goalie after the first goal.  The College has
tried for at least the past 4 years to curb this action (the dining halls do
not have oranges available the week before the game).  The efforts to police
the matter have ranged from additional security, personal searches
entering the arena, public announcement before the game regarding
ejection from the arena, and even a letter from the team this year asking
the student not to do it.  But the oranges still came.
 
I recall being told that the student at Union feel that throwing oranges is
a 'safe' thing.  The student feel because they don't make a mess by
sticking to the ice and they are easy to clean up, it's OK.  Someone on the
list, [Tony?] has challenged that notion.  I have to agree, from the
safety of the fans perspective, I was hit last year by an orange that was
shot back into the stands by the RPI players.  I believe that it was a
few of the freshmen players who just lost their composure.
 
Finally, for my last throwing things on the ice story (I saw this one on
TV), last season, at a D-3 school, the fans shower the ice with trash
(including a live squirrel)  for several minutes after the home teams
first goal of the season.  As a penalty, the school banned all fans
(except family) from attend the next home.
 
Should the penalty for throwing this on the ice be so harsh to make it
stop??  I've never understood the whole idea of throwing stuff in the
first place, but as I said at the beginning, some traditions are hard to
kill.  It just seems to me that people (myself included) are/were more
offended that dead animals were throw on the ice.
 
This is just one person's opinion
 
KP
 
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