Re: Boston University 2010-11 part II - The Hunt For Red November
The whole "students aren't interested" thing for me doesn't really work as an argument. I have many friends who came to BU and did not know a thing about hockey. They came to hockey games originally because I and some of my friends dragged them there, and then they kept coming because they had so much fun at the games. The student section that year (it was mainly only 118 . . . 108 hadn't been born yet) was witty and sarcastic. They may not have been able to keep up with the game on the ice, but they enjoyed taking part in the cheers 118 started. If it takes a national championship caliber hockey team to create at strong student section, then why have teams like Maine and UMass and Northeastern consistently had loud student sections? Why is Northeastern more witty than BU fans at the Beanpot every year?
First, don't make the mistake of thinking BU games at UMass and NU are anything like the average game there. Those schools are lucky if their student sections are half full when someone other BU or BC is in town.
Second, Maine is a standard 99% of student sections in any sport are going to fall short of in terms of organization. And one of the reasons it's so organized is because it's much smaller than BU's student section. A lot easier to coordinate when you have half as many bodies (that's an estimate, but I think a pretty good one).
Third, I don't really know why NU is better than BU at the Beanpot in recent years (note the word "recent," not "every"- I remember going to the Beanpot as a kid and never even noticing the Doghouse, if it was even around then). Better leaders? More to drink before the game? Who knows.
Fourth, it does take a national championship caliber team to elevate the student section to another level, especially at a place with the history that BU has. NU's students were phenomenal night in, night out two years ago because their team was first in HE and one of the top-ranked teams in the country. Where were they before that year? Where have they gone since? BC is just now starting to get a very good student section after winning three national titles in the last 10 years. Even last year and the year before, it was mediocre at best. Maine, as I mentioned above, is something of an anomaly, but even they haven't been selling out every game the last few years (although that has more to do with the general population than the students).
BU still has one of the best and one of the biggest student sections in HE, especially if you look at the whole season and not just one or two big games. They're better than UNH, which is probably a pretty good comparison given the size of the student section and the fact that hockey is also their No. 1 sport. Overall, I think you'd have a tough time arguing that any student section other than Maine's is definitively better. NU's is at the Beanpot, BC's might be catching up, but it's not like BU has just a run-of-the-mill student section now.
Could it be better? It could always be better. Is it as loud or as crazy as it was at WBA? Nope, and it never will be. But that doesn't make it bad. And yes, being a national title contender (whether we're talking two years ago or perhaps next year) makes a big difference.
) but you also has to keep in mind how many "routine" chants seemed new when you were actually immersed in that environment for the first time, chants that are boring by the time your a senior were funny enough to make you laugh as a freshman.