The recent unruly behavior of UW-Madison hockey fans prompted the UW Athletic Department to send an e-mail to all season-ticket holders Thursday night, requesting sportsmanlike behavior beginning with the two-game home series vs. Minnesota this weekend.
'We just think sometimes with these heated rivalries [UW is] developing with Minnesota in hockey and Illinois in basketball, this is a good time to make sure that we're being supportive in a positive manner,' said Senior Associate Athletic Director Vince Sweeney.
According to the e-mail, verbal abuse and personal attacks have occurred at home games.
UW-Madison alumnus Pete Schramm, who some call 'Hockey Pete,' cheers in the front row of the student section and has seen examples of such behavior.
'The students used to do cheers where they would basically insinuate that they had had promiscuous relations with the goaltender's mother,' Schramm said. 'That cheer was banned in December 2003 during this game against Minnesota State-Mankato when the goaltender's mother was present and complained to security quite vociferously.'
Schramm added that fan conduct has improved since then.
'There's still of course stuff that gets yelled, but it's much tamer, and it tends to actually be more creative,' he said.
Dale Burke, assistant chief of the UW-Madison Police Department, said he has seen an increase in unsportsmanlike conduct and said there is danger in allowing it to go without discipline.
'If you let that go unchecked, people feel empowered,' he said. 'It's the whole mob mentality.'
Schramm said the e-mail is an overreaction on the University's part.
'We could always sit on our hands and be very polite and not make any noise, but then why would we bother having crowds'? he said. 'We could just closed-circuit camera the whole thing.'
Sweeney said despite the e-mail, the athletic department appreciates student fans.
'They've been great'there are colleges around the country that would love to have our fans,' he said.
The Athletic Department plans to send a similar e-mail to basketball ticket holders Monday in anticipation of Tuesday's basketball game between the Badgers and Illinois.
Burke said the request for good behavior is intended to uphold the sterling reputation Badger fans have generally had.
'We're pretty special when it comes to fans,' he said. 'I think a lot of people don't want to see us lower ourselves to someplace where we really don't belong.'
