Re: Colgate 2019-20
Red, what are the rules as far as throwing stuff on the ice at Lynah? Obviously crumpled-up newspapers are okay. Is it just paper products that are allowed? What about old greeting cards? And, can you do it through the whole game? Or just before opening face-off? Most arenas have signs on acceptable (and unacceptable) behavior, but I have yet to see them at Lynah with regard to the newspapers.
I've seen about 200 games at Lynah so I'll take a shot at this.
This is what you can get away with if you throw sh-t on the ice:
+ crumpled up newspapers during the lineups, almost always
+ fish during the lineups if it's the Harvard game, maybe
+ hats when appropriate, maybe
+ nothing else unless you want to flip a coin on getting tossed or worse
Even in the first two cases, it varies with the usher, and the ushers are completely within their rights to run you if you put anything on the ice. I have seen a lot of people kicked out, but it really varies. I don't think I've ever seen a visiting fan throw anything on the ice in the 40 years I've seen games there. I would strongly advise against it, because road seating tends to be within or next to townie seating where the ushers are Draconian. This is also true of vocabulary -- what passes in the band section will not if you say it in front of Cindy Lou Who.
When idiots throw toothpaste tubes on the ice against Colgate the ushers
will throw them out. You might get away with throwing Big Red gum (if it still exists) because ushers do understand that the road fans don't know the rules. Obviously if you peg somebody you are in deep, deep sh-t, as in a night at the Ithaca PD.
98% of the trash talk against visiting fans is pure fun, but there's always some douc-hebag drunk frat boy who decides it is A Matter of Honor and postures. The main danger for a visiting fan is an altercation with a rockhead that gets you both thrown out. I've seen this and ushers have no f-cks to give if they perceive anything turning ugly in the stands. And they don't care who started it.
So, basically, Lynah is pretty much everywhere else where fans get engaged. It's tighter than Thompson or Meehan but looser than Ingalls or Bright. If a home fan starts giving you sh-t across the line we self-police and make sure they know nobody has their back. If anybody acts up in a threatening manner we
will call an usher. Otherwise, raucous behavior and full throated support of your team is encouraged.
Hope you enjoy your visit.
