http://www.cardinalpointsonline.com/opinions/letter-cheering-helps-editorial-misguided-1.2511351
A response to last weeks stupid Cardinal Points article.
A lesson on cheering:
Let us start this by making it very clear that there is no room in hockey for insults using obscene profanity directed at opposing players' mothers. The incident that happened at the Plattsburgh hockey game vs. Potsdam was uncalled for and does not reflect the majority of the student section. That being said, the rest of the article in last week's Cardinal Points was extremely naïve.
In all sports, especially college hockey, fans are passionate for their team and for the game. In Plattsburgh it is no different, and while the casual fans who are there to see hockey games as a social events are more than welcome, there are also a great deal of fans whose desire is set on one thing: a national championship.
Hockey student sections are meant to be rowdy, and they are meant to get into the opposing goalie's head and break his focus on the game. Home ice advantage includes energizing our players and disrupting the opposing players. This means rooting for Plattsburgh and trying to throw the visiting team off balance. You can ask any of the Plattsburgh players: the chants of "Let's go Plattsburgh!" can be heard for the bench and the energy can be felt. Any goalie will tell you they are ware of the "It's all your fault!" chant after they let in a goal.
The author of "Cheering irresponsibly hurts school's, team's image" made it sounds like the students at Plattsburgh are hell-bent on making the opposing team cry. In fact, you couldn't be further from the truth. With the exception of the last few games, the atmosphere at the rink is similar to a library, provided that students even go. If you go to any other hockey game in the North Country, you will notice that schools such as Potsdam, St. Lawrence and especially Clarkson have fans that make heckling an art form. If you want a real example of how rowdy students can get, check out any Clarkson game video on youtube.
The bottom line is this: While cheering for the home team and getting into the opposing goalie's head are a long-standing tradition of any hockey game, there is a very delicate line between being supportive and being offensive. After seeing AHL, DI and DIII games, we can easily say that Plattsburgh has one of the least offensive crowds in the area. If anything, cheer on Plattsburgh fans; it does make a difference.
Sincerely, two fans who want to win!
Andrew Desmaris - PSUC Senior
Meghan Keough - PSUC Senior
