What defines a Lynah fan?

I was approached by someone at the game who asked the question "who are the Lynah faithful"? I have been trying to think of a succinct answer but so far i don't have one. I think the people who could be confused for statues in section B are not the Lynah faithful but then i might consider the townie who has been going to games for 20 years as Lynah faithful even if he is little more animated.

This seems like a logical group of people to ask the same question. Is everyone at Lynah the faithful or must one travel to away games to earn the title or is there some middle ground here? Thoughts anyone?

I'd say it depends on context. If a reporter writes that "the Lynah Faithful made the rafters tremble," I can imagine that everyone at the game is screaming together - we're all part of the Faithful at that point.

On the other hand, if you're trying to draw a line between the "elite" Faithful and the others in the crowd, my personal rationale would be that you have to take your passion for Cornell hockey to a point where most other people's reaction would be, "For a hockey game???"

This could be a moment of particular fervor (e.g. when I flew from Texas to Michigan to catch the games at MSU) or a lesser level but sustained over a long period of time (e.g. only missed a couple home games during their undergrad years). The gods among men are those who manage both - e.g. when Age had his ridiculous streak of not missing ECAC games, home OR away, and when Greg made all the home games while living in Chapel Hill, NC.

I think it's fair to just say the the Lynah faithful is a term for Cornell men's hockey fans. The word "fan" itself covers a range from "everyone in the venue" to "hard-core fanatics," and since as Robb pointed out that range is used for the Faithful, I think you don't need to go about folding hard-core-ness into the definition of the Faithful. We don't need to be elitist about everything...

You wouldn't call a Duke student who goes to one game a Cameron Crazie or however it's spelled. Collectively, we are the Lynah Faithful, but I would define a Lynah Faithful as someone who knows the cheers. To me, it's an easy distinction: have tickets and come to games, you know the cheers. Townie who's been to a lot of games? You know the cheers. Alum who makes it to a few games a year and lurks on eLynah? You probably also know the cheers. Someone who has B tickets but hardly ever comes and makes no effort to cheer? You are a facetimer.

Well, but you probably wouldn't call that Duke student a real fan of whatever it is they play there (basketball?). I don't see the reason to try to prove how awesome and special we are by defining a completely separate term which has the same range of meanings as "fan." Coining the phrase "Lynah faithful" is fine because it makes things specific and reflects our specific history and traditions, but there's no reason to make the definition any more complex than it is. A Lynah Faithful is a Cornell men's hockey fan. What makes you a member true of the Faithful? Well, what makes you a true fan? It's the same thing.

If you bleed when the boys lose, though you have no visible wounds, you're among the Faithful.

Killer
If you bleed when the boys lose, though you have no visible wounds, you're among the Faithful.

So Jesus is a Lynah Faithful?

Robb
(e.g. only missed a couple home games during their undergrad years)

Facetimers...

He might be, but I'm guessing nail holes count as visible.

Nominalist fallacy. There's no definition and certainly no bill of requirements for membership among the Lynah Faithful. There are probably some things which disqualify you from consideration (favorite college hockey team somebody other than Cornell; contracting syphilis while in Potsdam), but otherwise...

Odds are, if you're reading this and are not covered by either of the prior two exceptions, you're in the club. Bring chips.

i think clapping in rhythm to the cowbell should be a strict requirement, or at least having the good sense to know that the cowbell is not a speed-up-as-you-go cheer a la "LGR" or "seiveseiveseiveseive" (which don't necessarily have to speed up either, they just always do)

mttgrmm
i think clapping in rhythm to the cowbell should be a strict requirement, or at least having the good sense to know that the cowbell is not a speed-up-as-you-go cheer

This eliminates at least 90% of every Lynah crowd since November 1981.

A Lynah faithful is one who looks forward to watching these men skate, who supports the team through thick and thin, and who loves Cornell forever after they become a fan. These are the Lynah Faithful

mttgrmm
i think clapping in rhythm to the cowbell should be a strict requirement, or at least having the good sense to know that the cowbell is not a speed-up-as-you-go cheer a la "LGR" or "seiveseiveseiveseive" (which don't necessarily have to speed up either, they just always do)

Well, that basically eliminates everyone on the face of the earth under 20, as youngun's today seem to think they can speed up any cheer until it's ineffective. See: "De-fense!" in basketball.

mttgrmm
i think clapping in rhythm to the cowbell should be a strict requirement, or at least having the good sense to know that the cowbell is not a speed-up-as-you-go cheer a la "LGR" or "seiveseiveseiveseive" (which don't necessarily have to speed up either, they just always do)

What really annoys me is that I can't hear the g*ddamned bell in G over the out-of-rhythm clapping. I've had to resort to watching the claps in B and replaying the cadence in my mind to get the "fight!" at the right time. It's oddly successful, but still irritating.

Kyle

French Rage
Well, that basically eliminates everyone on the face of the earth under 20, as youngun's today seem to think they can speed up any cheer until it's ineffective.

"You kids get off my lawn!"

krose
What really annoys me is that I can't hear the g*ddamned bell in G over the out-of-rhythm clapping. I've had to resort to watching the claps in B and replaying the cadence in my mind to get the "fight!" at the right time. It's oddly successful, but still irritating.

Kyle

I've been mainly in H (now G) since 2000-01, and that's really all you can do. Watch the claps in A-B for both the Cowbell and Gary Glitter, and fight all you can from listening to whatever the hell D-F does even if it feels as odd as rubbing your belly while patting your head. To Lynah's credit, the joint has been so loud during goal celebrations the past 2-3 seasons that I can't even hear "Davy" anymore...I have to watch the bells and slides of the trombones do a little dip during their last phrase to prep for the goal countoff. That and looking through the net, which has now become 2nd nature...such is life in G-H.

To contribute to the original question; during most of my undergrad years, Lynah was far from full. Section B was cemented as the place known for the most hardcore, insane, and loud fans. It was basically full 40 minutes before gametime as a showcase for individual taunters. If you didn't want to be known as that crazy a fan, or wanted to casually watch the game with friends and be able to talk to your friends, you got tickets on the other side of C. For that reason, I always identified "Section B" as the "Lynah Faithful." Obviously, once the sellouts and randomizing of the ticket procedures happened in the past 10 years, that's changed, and I defer to the other comments contained in this thread. Especially the part of you dang kids getting off my lawn.

mttgrmm
i think clapping in rhythm to the cowbell should be a strict requirement, or at least having the good sense to know that the cowbell is not a speed-up-as-you-go cheer a la "LGR" or "seiveseiveseiveseive" (which don't necessarily have to speed up either, they just always do)

It also helps when the person playing the cowbell doesn't speed up...

mttgrmm
i think clapping in rhythm to the cowbell should be a strict requirement, or at least having the good sense to know that the cowbell is not a speed-up-as-you-go cheer a la "LGR" or "seiveseiveseiveseive" (which don't necessarily have to speed up either, they just always do)

How about having the good sense to know that "Let's Go Red" isn't a speed-up-as-you-go cheer either.

Keith K
Fighting pointless battles over cheers for ten years and counting

krose

mttgrmm
i think clapping in rhythm to the cowbell should be a strict requirement, or at least having the good sense to know that the cowbell is not a speed-up-as-you-go cheer a la "LGR" or "seiveseiveseiveseive" (which don't necessarily have to speed up either, they just always do)

What really annoys me is that I can't hear the g*ddamned bell in G over the out-of-rhythm clapping. I've had to resort to watching the claps in B and replaying the cadence in my mind to get the "fight!" at the right time. It's oddly successful, but still irritating.

Kyle

Well, maybe like the tubas, we could get the cowbell to move to section C when he's to be played. I'm sure there are some familiar fans who would give the bell some space for a few minutes. Just a thought.

Jim Hyla
Well, maybe like the tubas, we could get the cowbell to move to section C when he's to be played. I'm sure there are some familiar fans who would give the bell some space for a few minutes. Just a thought.

The fans might not mind. But would the rink staff?

LGR drives me absolutely crazy, especially since I sit in B and I can hear the drum of the band very loudly. Basically it becomes a choice of clapping with the crowd or with the drum, and either way I feel really off the beat.

las224
LGR drives me absolutely crazy, especially since I sit in B and I can hear the drum of the band very loudly. Basically it becomes a choice of clapping with the crowd or with the drum, and either way I feel really off the beat.

That's the one weird thing I noticed this past weekend while sitting in C. It sounded like even the people in B couldn't hear the Pep Band and were clapping to their own beat. What's up with that? And all the LGR cheers and the sieving sped up to "Really Fast".