STOP THE CHANT
October 17, 2003

Before the Wolverines drop the puck against Quinnipiac tonight, coach Red
Berenson will have a message for the student section: Stop the chant.

The student faithful, known for their rowdiness, will be asked to stop the
profanity laden chant after an opponent enters the penalty box.

"We're concerned with the recent chants, and one in particular that we
think is really obscene and in bad taste," Berenson said. "It's not
something that I want to hear, not something that our fans want to hear."

The effort to discourage this chant is nothing new. For years Berenson has
been asking the students to tone it down. This is just the latest chapter
in the saga.

A few years ago fliers were left in the student section with a message from
the athletic director asking to stop the profanity. Those fliers were
essentially laughed at and probably crumbled up and thrown at the opposing
parents during the introductions.

Last year at the special open practice before the season where students
could pick up their tickets and watch the players, Berenson talked to the
fans in attendance and asked them to once again keep it down. That was met
by a mixture of "Ohhhhh!" and laughter.

Berenson even took the first major step to solve a problem by moving the
opposing parents from behind the bench to behind the penalty box, a move
long overdue. However, that probably means those who sat behind the penalty
box were now in the middle of all the profanity of the student section,
something they didn't ask for. When you consider those are probably
long-time ticket holders, some of whom probably bring their kids to the
events, it's not something they wants them exposed to nor should they have
to explain to their kids what the students are saying.

Simply saying, "Well, they shouldn't bring their kids to the games,"
shouldn't be an option. These are long-time fans, and to many parents
sporting events are often used as a way to bond with their children and
share an experience. Michigan hockey shouldn't be a "Rated R" experience.

The complaints have been pouring in to Berenson's office this year, and
once again the coach addressed the issue by sending out an e-mail to all
the student ticket holders. Again, his effort failed.

Berenson is a legendary coach and one of the most well respected figures in
college hockey. He took a program that was struggling and turned it back
into a national powerhouse which has brought us fans years of great
memories. We owe it to him, and the Michigan hockey program, to stop the
chant. Remember, he's not asking the fans to stop all the chants, just one
chant. Is that too much to ask?

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That's all for now...

Go Blue!

Jason
Michigan Hockey Net
http://MichiganHockey.net/