Other views: Behavior at UND arena has improved markedly

Talk about it

When the Fighting Sioux men’s hockey team plays at home, the Ralph Engelstad Arena has been the scene of fan behavior at its best and worst.

At its best, the fans and the raucous atmosphere they provide give the Sioux one of the best home ice advantages in Division I hockey.

At its worst, the vulgar cheers at some games spoiled the atmosphere for families, some parents complained. “There’s a word to apply to UND hockey fans. It starts with the letter C,” the Herald editorialized in October.

“But it’s not ‘cool.’ Instead, the word is ‘crude.’”

Can a university act to encourage the best and discourage the worst behavior among fans?

The answer is yes, as UND’s own experience now has shown.

To their great credit, UND and The Ralph responded promptly and decisively to the concerns that fans had expressed in October.

The changes were evident as recently as the Subway Holiday Classic hockey games. The big screen TVs now show the lyrics as the band plays the UND fight song, encouraging fans to sing along. Pregame videos aggressively highlight the UND team but without insulting the visitors.

Sportsmanship messages show up on the big screens, over the public-address system and elsewhere to help fans remember the importance of civil behavior. The actions made a difference, inspiring a boisterous atmosphere but one that fans could take real pride in rather than feel ashamed about.

UND and the arena deserve great credit for taking these positive steps.

Tags: other views, opinion, editorials, und, arena, engelstad