2B - Monday, November 9, 2009
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
2B - Monday, November 9, 2009 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom
Why Igot booted from Yost
Yost Ice Arena is home to
my favorite student section
on campus.
It doesn't have disinterested
sorority girls engrossed in a BBM
conversation with their sisters at
the end of the
row, like at
Michigan Sta-
dium.
It doesn't
have spotty fans
who stereotypi-
cally only get
excited for the ANDY
Duke, Michigan REID
State and Ohio
State games,
like at Crisler Arena.
And - on top of all that - it's
rowdy as all hell.
But on Saturday night, my expe-
rience at Yost was not at all what I
would call fun. I was at the game
for about 10 minutes, when after
Miami (Ohio)'s first penalty, I par-
ticipated in what has come to be
known as the 'C-Ya' chant.
For those of you who have never
been to a hockey game at Yost, it goes
like this: "Ahhhhh, C-Ya - chump,
dick, wuss, douchebag, asshole, prick,
cheater,bitch, whore, slut, cock-
sucker." Racy?Yes. But it's nothing
comparedto Maryland basketball
fans chanting "Fucked your sister" to
former Duke star J.J. Redick, whose
sibling went to Maryland.
Like usual, I said the same chant
tons of times Friday night with
thousands of other fans and noth-
ing happened.
Saturday night, I got kicked out.
Not cool, dude.
Amidst an entire student sec-
tion doing the same thing, an usher
grabbed my elbow and told meit
was time to leave, unless I wanted
to be led out of the stadium in
handcuffs.
I will admit that I stood out from
the other Children of Yost. I may
or may not have had a megaphone.
And I may or may not have been,
ahem, dressed up - if you went to
the game, you might have seen a
six-foot chicken standing against
the glass in section 18.
But that's even more reason to
not kick me out. How is the team
supposed to focus and be motivated
without a yellow, fuzzy chicken
standing behind the glass? The
Wolverines lost 5-1, by the way.
So I walked home all by myself,
a very, very sad chicken. Now I
can empathize with you BBM-mad
sorority girls - a walk of shame is
a really embarrassingthing. Ijust
assured myself everyone would
think the weirdo in the chicken
outfit would be a member of the
Residential College and tried to get
home as quickly as possible.
To top it off, my parents, who
were in town for the football game,
just happened to drive by Yost at
the exact same time I was argu-
ing with a DPS officer outside. Ina
chicken suit. With a megaphone.
"That U in a chicken suit w/cops?
LOL" isn't a text message you can get
from a member of your family and
still maintain anybshred of dignity.
I was just trying to have fun
and enjoy a hockey game, but the
usher assured me that my wardrobe
played a major role in his singling
me out amid 4,000 people who all
used the same exact word that I
did. Though none of the other ush-
ers seemed to be following his lead,
he went on to kick out five more
people - and none of them were
dressed as chickens - including
one who stepped into the aisle in
front of him when he tried to enter
the section to find another person
to throw out.
First off, I know the main prob-
lem with the chant is the homopho-
bic slur "cocksucker." To all those
who are offended by it - I agree
with you. It has no place at Michi-
gan, and if you, asa hockey fan,
aren't already happy with shout-
ing douchebag, slut and asshole
at opposing players, the least you
could do is be a little more creative
than a Michigan State frat boy.
As I type this, I realize that I
said the word anyway. I probably
shouldn't have, but I did, and I
got caught up in the spirit of Yost
Arena. I would like to see that word
eliminated, too, but this isa dif-
ferent, more explosive issue. Right
now, I just want to talk about how
the ushers and the Michigan Ath-
letic Department have decided to
try and "fix" the problem.
I think it's completely imma-
ture and inappropriate for them to
single people out in this situation. If
I would have used the megaphone
to yell swear words and hateful
speech at the other - well, I called
RedHawk coach Enrico Blasi a
midget once, but that's not worthy
of expulsion, is it? - that would
have been one thing.
I didn't. I participated in a tradi-
tional Michigan hockey chant, one
that the Athletic Department has
sat and watched get increasingly
more obscene for the last 15 years -
and "cocksucker" has been around
for at least four of those, from my
experiences on campus.
They knew this was happening.
They knew students were adding
more words to it. And you did noth-
ing, other than try to have the band
play over it.
This is not the way to handle the
problem. Singling out students is
not the answer.
Have Michigan coach Red
Berenson address the section
before the game over the loud-
speaker, either live or pre-taped.
Or at the very least, do something
to inform us that you have decided
to crack down on the chant. Post
signs, make an announcement, send
an e-mail out to the students who
bought tickets. Something.
Kicking out six students isn't
going to solve anything. And if you
think the language was offensive
this week, just wait until Michi-
gan State comes to Ann Arbor this
weekend for the first time since
Steve Kampfer was maliciously
attacked by two Sparties last year.
You can't kick everyone out at
once, I know that - but there are
more preemptive ways to address
the problem than having crotchety,
rude old men picking on specific
students.
- Reid will be donning the
chicken suit again. Maybe the
megaphone is a bit much. He can be
reached at andyreid@umich.edu.
REDHAWKS
From page 1B
Miami, Hogan wo
two more RedHa
same fashion ther
With Michigan
sive hockey, Hog
shots on goal in Fr
ing it difficult
to stay focused
during long
stretches of
inaction.
Butafter see-
ing29 shots Sat-
urday, Hogan's
mediocre play
spoke to the
team's over-
all struggles
to beat ranked
competition.
"I think (Hoga
of like our team's!
sistent," Berenson
whole team is. TI
there that are eve
ing at their potent
The loss to h
Wolverines their s
against ranked opl
that dates back to
year. And junior fo
knows that withoi
SOCCER
From page 1B
facing off against
State.
If they pick up
Big Ten Tourna
verines will be o
makingthe NCAA
Michigan could p
their chances oft
nament would inc
With very littl
mulate a plan atl
knowing that O
would change d
derided to make
gan's attack by m
Hamoody Saad ar
Fuzetti to the c
positions.
The shift work
ines got off 10 sho
half, after tallying
first. Fuzetti led
to start the season, Michigan will
have trouble finding momentum
and an offensive rhythm.
"It takes having a little bit of
as victimized by success to loosen up the grip a
wk goals in the little bit," Rust said. "I thought we
next night. had that last weekend before play-
's style of defen- ing Miami. I just don't know what
an saw just 13 it was this weekend - maybe we
iday's loss, mak- were trying to be too cute."
With emo-
tions at a high
in the third
"There's nobody period Satur-
day, it will be
even Close to interesting to
.see how the
playing at their Wlvr°es
will handle
potential. next weekend's
matchup
against intra-
state rival
Michigan State - a series where
n's) game is kind now-senior defenseman Steve
game, it's incon- Kampfer go down with a serious
said. "And our neck injury after a cheap shot from
here's nobody in two Spartan players last year.
en close to play- But for now, senior defense-
ial." man Chris Summers says that per-
iami gives the forming better against teams of
ixth straight loss Miami's caliber starts in practice
ponents, a streak and falls on the upperclassmen's
February of last shoulders.
rward Matt Rust "Everything will be addressed
ut a marquee win on Monday," Summers said firmly.
seven shots in the game, four of
which were on goal
"I can't sit here and say that
we're feeling bad about it," Burns
No. 2 seed Penn 'said. "It's one thing when you play
poorly and you lose, but it's anoth-
one win in the er thing when you play to the best
ment, the Wol- of your abilities and they made the
n the bubble of one play that was the difference in
Tournament. If the game."
ick up two wins, The Wolverines lost to the Nit-
naking the tour- tany Lions 2-0 earlier this season
rease greatly. in State College. But Burns isn't
e time to refor- worried about the draw for Thurs-
halftime, Burns, day, since the team is coming off a
hio State's play 1-0 upset over No. 12 Northwest-
ue to its lead, erylast weekend and an evenly
a shift in Michi- played match against Ohio State.
loving freshman "I think we're in a good place,"
nd senior Mauro Burns said. "As I told the guys,
outside midfield we're really hitting our form rightI*
now. It tookusup'tilthis pointtobe
ed. The Wolver- playing our best soccer and I don't
its in the second think that'llgo away for the Big Ten
just three in the Tournament. I don't think there's
Michigan with anyone who wants to playus."
Wolverines easily cruise in exhibition win over WSU
By JOE STAPLETON
Daily Sports Writer
The Michigan men's basketball
team's 73-54 exhibition win on Fri-
day against Wayne State technically
didn't count.
Somebody forgot to tell Manny
Harris.
The preseason All-Big Ten first-
team selection cruised to 25 points,
five rebounds, four assists and three
steals, exactly the kind of all-around
performance Michigan fans have
come to expect.
The nagging hamstring injury
didn't keep him off the court - he
played a team-high 29 minutes.
"It was my first test in a minute,
because in the Eastern Michigan
(scrimmage) it was still sore," Har-
ris said. "It got a lotbetter."
Though Harris filled out the stat
sheet nicely, it was his presence that
impressed Michigan coach John
Beilein.
"His demeanor the whole game
was so positive," Beilein said. "He
showed great leadership skills
today."
Sophomore Zack Novak fol-
lowed up on last year's success from
beyond the arc, scoring 15 points on
just eight shots, all 3-pointers.
The game also gave fans their
first look at highly touted freshman
guard Darius Morris.
Morris started the game and
played 25 minutes, tallying four
points, three assists and three
rebounds in his first collegiate
contest. The lanky guard was
a presence on the perimeter
defense, hassling the smaller War-
rior guards.
"I like playing at the top (of the
zone), I'm still learning, learning on
the job," Morris said. "I like getting
a chance to get some deflections."
Though Morris said he wasn't
nervous once the game started, he
did have a freshman moment after
he scored his first points.
"I was really excited, like, 'Man,
that's my first college bucket right
there,' " he said. "But then I remem-
bered, 'Oh, we're in three zone.' At
first I was lost, but it was a great
experience."
Redshirt freshman Ben Cronin,
who Beilein described as "70 percent
to where we want him to be," played
just three minutes, scoring four
points and snaggingthree boards.
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