Yost Arena no more?

[MichVandal]

Maybe they finally "woke" up and are ready to admit Yost never played hockey, and yet he was their best option for naming a hockey facility. Shows you were hockey ranks on the Michigan campus (and pretty much any BIG campus other than Minnesota). If Gophers football continues to turn things around, even Minnesota hockey is going to find themselves displaced from the #1 sport on their campus in the state of hockey.

Just as a reminder, it was Yost Field House from 1923 to 1973. So for 50 of the 98 years, it wasn't a ice anything. It turned into Yost Ice Arena because the coaching staff needed something other than the tiny coliseum, and one of the assistant coaches realized that an ice rink would fit perfectly in the then barely used Yost Field House. (the BB team moved from Yost Field House to Crisler in 1967)

It was pretty easy to transition from Yost Field House to Yost Ice Arena.

Also, I would say that Michigan Hockey fans fully realize that we are #3 on the athletic depth chart. I'm ok with it.

[Hockeybuckeye]

I'm curious of the opinions of hardcore Michigan hockey fans here like Wolverine Trumpet on how pis*ed they'd be if the name Children of Yost was banned?

[MichVandal]

I'm curious of the opinions of hardcore Michigan hockey fans here like Wolverine Trumpet on how pis*ed they'd be if the name Children of Yost was banned?

Before they were the Children of Yost, the Athletic Department told the student fans to not be so obscene with their words. That didn't go over well, then, but eventually the language was cleaned up. We were not the CoY when I was a student- and I'm pretty sure that the time that I have been a fan, the minority of that they were called the CoY. So a minority of alumni and fans would be that upset.

I'm not 100% convinced, but I do at least understand the message that is trying to be put out. I'm betting that some of the fans may realize that, too, when they look back on the history.

[MichVandal]

BTW, I looked into the Michigan Daily, and no real reference to the news. Interesting.

One more thing to add- the University is currently asking for community opinions- so it's very much in the hands of Michigan fans and alumni for what happens.

[Lost_Husky]

I think Split-N said it well. Knowledge and attitudes evolve with the passage of time and to hold earlier eras to standards of a later era can't be done rationally. The University leaders at the time who honored Yost obviously no problems with him because they had the same mindsets as it was the norms of the society they lived in. Do we remove their names from the buildings on campus as well? There are no wrongs to be righted here or social justice to be championed.
Old sayings stick around because there typically is an inherent wisdom in them and I think the saying "It's best to let things stay in the past" should be heeded.

While not a Michigan Hockey fan, I don't have a problem renaming an almost 100 year building, especially one that has been re-purposed. They do it all the time in cities with streets and other things. Time marches on and items named after people should be allowed to be changed. There is no need to drag said person's name through the mud and, pardon the pun, turn them into a political football. Step up and say something PC while saying how great Yost was, and move forward. Let the alumni, donors, and community select a new name and be done with it.

No person is perfect and no person should be treated, dead or alive, as a demigod. There is nothing wrong with wanting to rename something.

[Hockeybuckeye]

While not a Michigan Hockey fan, I don't have a problem renaming an almost 100 year building, especially one that has been re-purposed. They do it all the time in cities with streets and other things. Time marches on and items named after people should be allowed to be changed. There is no need to drag said person's name through the mud and, pardon the pun, turn them into a political football. Step up and say something PC while saying how great Yost was, and move forward. Let the alumni, donors, and community select a new name and be done with it.

No person is perfect and no person should be treated, dead or alive, as a demigod. There is nothing wrong with wanting to rename something.

Call me a traditionalist but campus buildings and facilities at every university used to be named for faculty and athletes who brought prestige and recognition to the school through their success and efforts.
In todays world naming rights are bought by whoever waves the biggest wad of cash under their noses. We've talked about changing attitudes over time, this one went in the wrong direction in my opinion. Do the Michigan fans want something like say Varsity Ford Arena? Trust me, you don't want to sink down to Ohio State's level with our tacky named Value City Arena!

[MichVandal]

Call me a traditionalist but campus buildings and facilities at every university used to be named for faculty and athletes who brought prestige and recognition to the school through their success and efforts.
In todays world naming rights are bought by whoever waves the biggest wad of cash under their noses. We've talked about changing attitudes over time, this one went in the wrong direction in my opinion. Do the Michigan fans want something like say Varsity Ford Arena? Trust me, you don't want to sink down to Ohio State's level with our tacky named Value City Arena!

So you didn't notice that there's an entire business school named after a donor? Or that Harbaugh's official title also includes a donor?

There have been recent "honorable" things, like naming the School of Public Policy after Gerald Ford. But dollars = names.

None the less, what's the real harm of renaming a building when people realize that the person it's named for isn't that great? I'm not sure why that is so horrible.

[Maznblu]

This is ridiculous. The stupid "woke" generation makes the classic mistake of applying today's values to a different era in time. It's not a fair comparison. Compare what he did to the values of the time period he lived in. Period. Please let them come to their senses and not rename one of the most iconic buildings on campus. Yost Ice Arena forever!

[MichVandal]

This is ridiculous. The stupid "woke" generation makes the classic mistake of applying today's values to a different era in time. It's not a fair comparison. Compare what he did to the values of the time period he lived in. Period. Please let them come to their senses and not rename one of the most iconic buildings on campus. Yost Ice Arena forever!

You can express those opinions to the athletic department.

BTW, a side comment- using "woke" as some kind of indications says that we've been asleep all of this time. And waking up and understanding is more good than bad- if I wake up this morning and realize how to solve a problem, that's a good thing.

If you don't like how people look back on people who are being honored in some way and realizing that the bad is worse than the good- find a different adjective to insult it. Unless you think sleeping and ignoring is perfectly ok as we travel through life.

FWIW, I personally think that the "compare to the era" is pretty weak. All it really does is pretend that it was ok at the time to be a racist. It's never been ok. Being "accepted" does not make it ok. Having laws that made it ok also does not make it acceptable. Back in the same era, Hitler's views were considered OK, too- but I doubt you would object to all references of him being taken down.

I think it is fair to compare the good vs. the bad and see if the good side is enough to outweigh the bad. But to brush the blatant racism under the carpet is just lazy to me. You should be able to do better than that. If that's your only argument, I would totally vote against that.

[Lost_Husky]

This is ridiculous. The stupid "woke" generation makes the classic mistake of applying today's values to a different era in time. It's not a fair comparison. Compare what he did to the values of the time period he lived in. Period. Please let them come to their senses and not rename one of the most iconic buildings on campus. Yost Ice Arena forever!

What is your definition of the "woke" generation? Your implication that it is a "classic" mistake invalidates your generational argument as classic implies that "mistake" has been made multiple times by many different generations.

I am all for preserving history, but having the repurposed building that houses hockey named after a football coach is unique. U of M just had a legendary hockey coach retire who has a resume and history with U of M hockey that is fitting of his name on the build. Talk about a fitting lifetime achievement award. One would assume if you wanted to honor history on would name the place where you play hockey after someone who meant something to U of M hockey.

[Split-N]

...Hitler's views were considered OK, too...

Nothing could be further from the truth. The western world was convulsed by the rise of Hitler and the only reason he came to power was that the European democracies, led by Britain and France (google Neville Chamberlain), chose to sit on its hands rather than step in militarily while it still could. Start by looking at the list of nations that formed the World War II Allies. It's a lot longer than the US, UK, and France. Even Brazil was an ally. You also apparently are ignorant of the fact that tens of thousands of non-Jewish Germans were executed by the SS for treason against the Hitler regime.

This is absolutely the dumbest, most ignorant, and wholly absurd comment I've ever had the misfortune or reading on these boards.

[MichVandal]

Nothing could be further from the truth. The western world was convulsed by the rise of Hitler and the only reason he came to power was that the European democracies, led by Britain and France (google Neville Chamberlain), chose to sit on its hands rather than step in militarily while it still could. Start by looking at the list of nations that formed the World War II Allies. It's a lot longer than the US, UK, and France. Even Brazil was an ally. You also apparently are ignorant of the fact that tens of thousands of non-Jewish Germans were executed by the SS for treason against the Hitler regime.

This is absolutely the dumbest most ignorant comment I've ever had the misfortune or reading on these boards.

Uh, no, not fully. There was a lot of support for Hitler in the US, then, too. Chamberlain tried to subdue Hitler, not fight him- had it not been for the invasion of Poland- which had treaty agreements with Britain and France, the war would have not gotten going, and the submission of Jews in Germany would have gone overlooked. You forget Mosley in the UK (along with the anti-war behind Chamberlain), the Bund here in the US, etc. Had it not been for the internal support within the Allies for Hitler, there would have been more done to prevent it before it got going.

But thanks for missing the point- racism wasn't ok back then anymore than it's ok now. To anyone. So just pretending that it's ok because it was part of the era is a very, very weak argument.

BTW, the small amount of non-Jews (relatively) that were murdered in by the SS were fighting Hitler- either by trying to save Jews or just end Hitler's power. So I can't see how that even matters in the face of the millions of Jews murdered.

[Hockeybuckeye]

Based on some of the responses here it's obvious to me that some of you don't see the problem because you subscribe to the mindset that is the problem. You say racism but who's definition? I see all across the country these days people screaming racism but people across the board have different interpretations of it and some are so extreme it make all guilty of it which is not the case. If you want to pick out people of the past and feel the need to dissect them looking for anything that doesn't match YOUR ideals then you're an idiot. To want to cleanse the past is a fools errand and serves no meaningful purpose. These are the retards who get their kicks in tearing down a statue. Hitler was mentioned and to me those who want to pursue and attack people like Yost are like Hitler in removing anyone from society who did not meet his exacting standards.
U of M has for some time now pushed an agenda of "political correctness" that is NOT in the best interests of the University and has resulted in multiple lawsuits against them which the University has all lost but still don't get the message it seems! It's clear to me the wrong people are in charge there.

[TalonsUpPuckDown]

Based on some of the responses here it's obvious to me that some of you don't see the problem because you subscribe to the mindset that is the problem. You say racism but who's definition? I see all across the country these days people screaming racism but people across the board have different interpretations of it and some are so extreme it make all guilty of it which is not the case. If you want to pick out people of the past and feel the need to dissect them looking for anything that doesn't match YOUR ideals then you're an idiot. To want to cleanse the past is a fools errand and serves no meaningful purpose. These are the retards who get their kicks in tearing down a statue. Hitler was mentioned and to me those who want to pursue and attack people like Yost are like Hitler in removing anyone from society who did not meet his exacting standards.
U of M has for some time now pushed an agenda of "political correctness" that is NOT in the best interests of the University and has resulted in multiple lawsuits against them which the University has all lost but still don't get the message it seems! It's clear to me the wrong people are in charge there.

What if I truly don't give a turd what the University of Michigan names their hockey rink? Where do I fall on the continuum?

[MichVandal]

Based on some of the responses here it's obvious to me that some of you don't see the problem because you subscribe to the mindset that is the problem. You say racism but who's definition? I see all across the country these days people screaming racism but people across the board have different interpretations of it and some are so extreme it make all guilty of it which is not the case. If you want to pick out people of the past and feel the need to dissect them looking for anything that doesn't match YOUR ideals then you're an idiot. To want to cleanse the past is a fools errand and serves no meaningful purpose. These are the retards who get their kicks in tearing down a statue. Hitler was mentioned and to me those who want to pursue and attack people like Yost are like Hitler in removing anyone from society who did not meet his exacting standards.
U of M has for some time now pushed an agenda of "political correctness" that is NOT in the best interests of the University and has resulted in multiple lawsuits against them which the University has all lost but still don't get the message it seems! It's clear to me the wrong people are in charge there.

Ok, you are very welcome to stay in Ohio.

The fact that you project YOUR view if racism into people who are the receiving end of it, and have NO concept of how it makes them feel and react, and contribute to society is the real problem here. You can bother to wake up and see the effects of chronic racism- it's in Columbus, too.

People are not having demonstrations just because- they are having them for reasons. Statues are being torn down because of the reasons they were put up in the first place, and the tiny fact that they also represent losers.

This isn't "political correctness" it's about respecting everyone, regardless if who they are. And seeing where that isn't happening, or when it was the exact opposite of respecting other people- and then dealing with it.