http://blogs.denverpost.com/sports/2009/01/27/fsns-rizzo-not-a-fan-of-sioux-fans/
Jan. 29, 2009
FSN Rocky Mountain reporter Alanna Rizzo covered last weekend’s DU series at North Dakota, returning to Denver on Sunday with mostly bad memories from her first trip to Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks.
“Honestly, if I’m not covering Denver the next time they go there, I would never have any reason in the world to ever go to a North Dakota hockey game,” she told me Tuesday. “(Sioux fans) need to realize they leave a bad taste in an opponent’s mouth, or anyone that’s going to see the arena for the first time.”
Rizzo’s angst stems from obnoxious and seemingly uncontrollable Fighting Sioux fans — particularly adults.
“It was a little too much for too long,” Rizzo said. “It wasn’t the student section as much as the older crowd, right on top of the DU bench, and I stood in the hallway going into their locker room.
“There were a lot of derogatory comments . . . from men and women, young and old, asking me about Coach Gwozdecky’s behavior, calling him a ‘Little Man,’ asking me ‘Why are you really here?’ and ‘I vote for last night’s outfit.’ It’s one thing to cheer for your own team, I’m all for that, but to constantly berate college athletes that are not being paid to play a sport for the constant length of the game was a little much.”
Apparently some members of the Grand Forks police department were in uniform with Sioux fans, not officers.
On Friday, Rizzo said she asked a police officer about one obnoxious fan who was getting out of control — including acting like he was going to poor beer over the glass and onto the DU bench — but the officer did nothing. On Saturday, and after DU coach George Gwozdecky was ejected, she watched Pioneers assistant coach Derek Lalonde ask the referee to stop fans from banging against the glass on the DU bench.
“The referee looked over at the officer standing there, and (the officer) kind of just shook his head,” Rizzo said.
Rizzo said she was treated “extremely gracious, extremely polite and extremely friendly” outside the arena.
“It’s definitely a home-ice advantage, it’s an amazing building, they are very passionate about Sioux hockey, but enough is enough,” she said. “Maybe I’m a little sensitive, but I think the (DU) players responded like champions. It was extremely emotional and there was a lot on the line with the WCHA. I thought Denver played with great professionalism despite all the stuff that was being said to them.”
