DULUTH, Minn. (AP) — The University of Minnesota-Duluth has scolded student fans of its hockey team after receiving reports they peppered the University of North Dakota's Fighting Sioux with offensive chants at a recent game.
Minnesota-Duluth
Athletic Director Bob Nielson sent student season ticket-holders a
letter Feb. 17 saying "any profane, racial, sexist, or abusive comments
or actions directed at officials, opposing players or teams" could lead
to their ejection from the arena or cost them their season tickets.
The Duluth News-Tribune reported on the letter Tuesday.
North Dakota fan Chad Czmowski told the newspaper that students made war-whooping noises and chanted
"Hi, HOW are you?" and "smallpox blankets" during the Feb. 10-11
series. The latter refers to some historical claims that Indians were
given smallpox-infected blankets by white settlers.
"I thought it
was over the top," Czmowski said. "I'm all for rowdy cheering and rowdy
student sections. Personal attacks, it was too much and there is no
place for it."
Dave Zentner, a season ticket holder since 1955,
said he didn't hear anything he considered to be offensive from the
student section.
"I'm sure we've heard some dumb things over the
years," he said. "I'm not sure if they were racist or bad sportsmanship.
We've been road warriors and have been subjected to a lot of profanity
and abuse in the league. I think overall, everybody has a few silly
fans."
The reported chants followed North Dakota's return to using the Fighting Sioux
nickname. The school has tried to drop the name, but supporters of the
mascot recently gathered enough petition signatures to temporarily
restore a state law that had required its use. The question will
ultimately be put to state voters.
University of North Dakota
spokesman Peter Johnson said in an email to The Associated Press that he
wasn't aware of similar instances at previous University of
Minnesota-Duluth games. But he said North
Dakota's "name and its imagery have been used at other schools in ways
that are inappropriate." He did not provide details.
Johnson said the university agrees that "inappropriate chants
or cheers" have no place in college athletics and supports any
"institution that works with its fans to bring some civility and focus
on positive cheering."
In his letter to students, Nielson said the chants were hostile and racist.
"We
decided it was an opportunity to reinforce our policy . to focus on
cheering for our team and avoid comments that are considered
inappropriate," Nielson told the News-Tribune.
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Information from: Duluth News Tribune
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
