Pre-Frosh Back Again

Hi,

As it can probably be inferred, I am a pre-frosh. Suffice to say, I plan on getting season tickets next year.

Now, about the Harvard games, I know we are *supposed* to throw fish at them. are we allowed to do some thing more memorable and unconventional, like another variant of marine life? Like eels? Or lobsters? Or swordfish?

If it's OK, I'm seriously considering the lobster plan.

I threw an octopus once. Good distance. Throw it like a frisbee.

If you throw a swordfish, throw it javelin-style at Noah Welch.

I met a pre-frosh from Hood River on the flight back from Buffalo. Cute, smart, and a helluva lot more prepared for Cornell than I was. Oh, and she knew exactly how Cornell hockey had performed this year, right down to losing to UNH. The kids are alright.



Post Edited (04-16-03 17:37)

What's gate security at Lynah like? How closely do they inspect your pants, jacket, shoebox tucked under arm, etc.?

Don't ask the cops what they are doing later when they pat you down. Right Rico?

Greg wrote:
If you throw a swordfish, throw it javelin-style at Noah Welch.

In case it's not obvious, Greg is just kidding.

Also, the problem with lobster is that the hard shell might hurt someone or mess up the ice. Or maybe not compared to a fish that smears its guts all over the ice.

During the first intermission of the UNH game, ESPN aired a bit where the Cornell team had a video camera for their trip to Buffalo. One of the parts they aired was where the team was at dinner and they were relating a fish-tossing story where they saw a student swing a swordfish over his head before slinging across the ice. At least that's what I think they said.

To the prefrosh...you'll learn all about the traditions on your own as you become initiated. The important thing is to be creative and have fun!

During my years at Lynah in addition to fresh fish (and some not so fresh), I saw the following thrown:

- handfuls of shrimp
- a box of Mrs. Pauls
- a can of tuna
- a baby shark stolen from a bio lab
- a tin of sardines

Be creative. That's what being a member of the Faithful is all about.

JH

Oh, I forgot.

Add to the list a 5 foot long phallus with "Harvard Sucks" painted on the side of it.

It's not a fish, but....naaah I won't go there.

JH

Swedish fish were popular this year too; made the ice look all nice and colorful

[q]Swedish fish were popular this year too; made the ice look all nice and colorful[/q]

Not to be a jerk or anything, but aren't swedish fish stetching it a bit much? They have nothing to do with the Boston area seafood fetish which IIRC was the initial reason for throwing fish. It just seems to me that they are the choice of students who either don't want to pay money for a fish or don't want to get caught with a fish.

Forgot about them.

JH

Oh - I just figured they were another Murray reference. Whichever.

Couple comments:

It's highly adviseable *NOT* to throw something that will spread or break into little pieces. The swedish fish are a cute idea at first, but think of the poor guy who has to go around picking up 25 of them on ice. The can of tuna is okay so long as it's a light, sealed can of Tuna - we don't want that on the ice and we don't want to crack it either. The shrimp seem to fit into the same category. Be creative, but keep the clean up crew in mind and throw something that'll stay in one, easy to pick up piece.

As for the security, it varies year by year. Generally, they'll do a quick patdown. So if you're holding it under your shirt or something, you'll get caught. In the recent past though, that has always just meant giving up your fish and preceeding in. But, if someone decides to be an ass next year, it's not worth missing the game for. Wrap it and tape it to your leg in the area where they'd get sued for patting, and you'll be fine.

On a related note, it looks more and more likely that I'll be at Cornell for an MEng next year. 5 years of season tickets and counting?? Gotta edit my name on eLF soon too, I guess.

-Fred

It's too bad crawfish will be out of season the next time Harvard comes to Lynah...

Yeah...now I didn't actually throw the Swedish fish, so I don't think you're a jerk for saying that

However, I'm pretty sure they had something to do with the big Swede on our squad. And perhaps it worked, since Doug scored his ONLY career goal against Harvard that very night.

In case you're wondering, and I'm sure you're all not, in the 13 career games that Doug played against Harvard, he had 1 goal and 4 assists for 5 points.

Vesce, by the way, has already surpassed that total, as he has six career points against the Crimson. Not quite like Paolini's 17 though (including at least one in EVERY game he every played against Harvard - remarkable).

Damn it. I am NOT putting a lobster near my crotch.

Tao Tan '07 wrote:

Damn it. I am NOT putting a lobster near my crotch.

Then stay away from HumEc'ies.

Kidding, kidding, ouch, quit it, sorry..!

I thought a shark was a mammal, not a fish (and please tell me the baby shark was already an ex-parrot, even if it wasn't.)

[Q]Damn it. I am NOT putting a lobster near my crotch.[/Q]
Freshmen

I think you are confused... Dolphins=mammal, Sharks (no bone skeleton... all cartilage, have gills) = kind of fish.

I want to know how a freshman can AFFORD lobster?

BTW, is a lobster red or crimson?

JH

Well, a raw lobster is dark green IIRC.

Someone threw a lobster at the Harvard game last year, didn't they? Or was it this year?

Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure it was the year before, because it was the game where I was getting an especially large amount of shit for wearing my Patriots hat (it was Super Bowl weekend) from members of the Faithful who took the fact that I'm from Boston to mean that I'm a Harvard fan.

I clearly remember a lobster being tossed after the game was over, though, which I thought was hysterical. It was already cooked, so it was bright red.

I've seen cooked lobsters thrown onto the Lynah ice, and it aint pretty -- the shells fragment into a zillion pieces and you can hear the rink staff cursing out the students as they sweep it up.

I think I'm mixing up "Jaws" with "Kirk goes back in time and saves the whales". Nuclear wessels.

Maybe you're also confused by the fact that "dolphin" is the name of both a fish and a marine mammal?

Well, I can attest that at least one lobster hit the ice during Fish & Fowl this year. (Greg, in my experience, using a "shot put" style -- rather than a high, arking throw -- avoids shell breakage and gives you a nice spinning finish on the ice.)

Search the archives for "fish schlong" and you'll get all the info you need.

How'd they get that lobster in? How carefully do they pat you down and where?

You can't make a "lobster shlong". You just can't.

[Q]Rich Hovorka '96 wrote:
During the first intermission of the UNH game, ESPN aired a bit where the Cornell team had a video camera for their trip to Buffalo. One of the parts they aired was where the team was at dinner and they were relating a fish-tossing story where they saw a student swing a swordfish over his head before slinging across the ice. At least that's what I think they said.
[/Q]


I believe he said it was a "hammerhead shark." I would have to question the truth of that story, however. While I've seen some rather large fish thrown on the ice (inlcuding a nice long eel-type thing that one guy smuggled in around his waist like a belt), I think I would remember a hammherhead shark.



Post Edited (04-17-03 14:06)

Well, there was the 19-pound tuna head in 1995.

[www.amurgsval.org]

As I recall, it was Palahicky at the table who was describing this "hammerhead shark." The way he was relating the story, and the way it seemed like the other players were sort of snickering, I think he was just kidding. Besides, how on earth do you get a hammerhead shark into Lynah Rink?!

But you can.

A lobster has one long thick part and two smaller oblong parts at one end of the long part symmetrically oriented about the long axis of the long part.

You take it from there.

JH

[Q]A lobster has one long thick part and two smaller oblong parts at one end of the long part symmetrically oriented about the long axis of the long part.[/Q]

I'm Asian. I don't have a shlong that large.

My experience has been that they'll search your bag and maybe pat down the sides of your body, but they'll never go anywhere that might get them sued. Last year I snuck in a whole fish, and this year a smallish octopus, both times in my bra, with no problems at all.

You put an *octopus* in your *bra*?

*glad he's going to Cornell*

My buddy the octopus was well-wrapped in plastic at the time...

Did you bring in two octopi by any chance?

Or was it one octopus and one fish?

I don't see how they could miss just one. Or did they not miss it, but were just afraid of making sure?

Heh heh, yeah, exactly... "Stop staring at my chest! I have a DISEASE!" No, I wore a sports bra to create a shelf-like effect and then put the (smallish, remember) octopus in the middle of the shelf, as it were. If you wear a loose shirt it hardly shows. Foolproof plan, ladies.

LOL.. right...

Hmm.. How high is the plexiglass partition at the Lynah? If there's any chance at all, I want my lobster to crawl out on that ice. If there's no chance the critter will live, then I'm not gonna take the risk of sticking a live lobster into my pants.

Solid move staying for the MEng. The job market is pretty sad right now anyway.

I stayed for an MEng also. Besides the better job opportunities a year later, the most important benefits were being in the first group in line for season tix for two straight years and seeing an ECAC championship.

Becca wrote:

Heh heh, yeah, exactly... "Stop staring at my chest! I have a DISEASE!" No, I wore a sports bra to create a shelf-like effect and then put the (smallish, remember) octopus in the middle of the shelf, as it were. If you wear a loose shirt it hardly shows. Foolproof plan, ladies.

Is anyone else mildly turned on by this exchange?

Hehe, sorry Becca.

Even if he lives, he aint gonna try to move. Consider yourself in the same relative circumstances. Wouldn't you stay put and hope the Gods would get tired of taunting you and move on to impersonating bulls?

BTW, the glass is pretty high, so your choices are a drive from 5-6 rows up or a short iron chip from the bottom. Either way, it's probably splat city.

Umm....maybe I'm insane, but I actaully remember seeing the hammerhead shark. It was small, about 1.5 feet long, and I remember thinking "WTF?"

Jordan

Now that I think about it, an enterprising student could probably float a live lobster down over the glass using a model rocket parachute.

Another way to get a live lobster on the ice would be to bring a long cardboard sign that could also serve as a slide, then just slide him down onto the ice surface. Riskier than parachute as it may get slide holders tossed, but a small price to pay to be remembered forever.

Tao Tan '07 wrote:
sticking a live lobster into my pants.

"Stick a lobster down his britches,
Stick a lobster down his britches,
Stick a lobster down his britches,
Earlye in the morning!"

The *easiest* way to sneak in your seafood is to go in at the section O (sucks) townie door. There was zero inspection at that door last year. As for your lobster....Have you considered the lobster necklace w/ large sweatshirt so the lobster will hang at your stomach and only makes you look fat?

Erin 2002 wrote:

The *easiest* way to sneak in your seafood is to go in at the section O (sucks) townie door. There was zero inspection at that door last year. As for your lobster....Have you considered the lobster necklace w/ large sweatshirt so the lobster will hang at your stomach and only makes you look fat?

Erin's right. I'm a big guy and the cops at the Section O door didn't even touch me. Instead, they decided to make a joke with me:

Cop #1: "Have you got any fish on you?"
Cop #2: "Nah, he already ate his fish." *points to my mid-section*
Me: *silent groan* "Thanks."

Lamentably, I had no time that day to make fish preparations (stuff having to do with my then-new girlfriend), though in retrospect I regret not making the attempt that night.

I got five good size fish in this year. Four were about 8-9 inches long, the last was about 13-14 inches long. I had two in each of my shoes (the heads 'popped' literally), and the last around my waist. I was a bit inebriated when I got to the game, so my memory is a bit blurry, but lets just say some authority figures knew I had fish and were cool with it. I got a half-assed pat down but the cop at the door. He felt the fish at my waist, looked up with a slight grin and said, " Do you really have to do this? I don't want to catch you later!!!" Yeah, and all the ushers knew we had fish, they just turned around. As much as the university says that they are trying to stop this tradition, they love it as much, if not more than the students. They just cannot openly condone the practice. Don't worry about getting the sea life in to the rink. Your biggest concern at this point should be getting tickets not on an isle, or behind the netting, and how you plan on throwing the fish without getting caught and ejected. Oh yeah, and not being a flaming pussy, holding onto your fish for to long, then throwing it when you get an inkling in your toes, costing the team to go a man down. You have lots to look forward to. I'd say learn the words to the alma mater before you worry about any of this.

PS... A wonderful splat and streak result if you you take a small pocket knife and gut the fish before you throw it. Though there is a possible risk of getting fish guts in the hair of those in front of you, but what can you do?



Post Edited (04-18-03 14:01)

Becca wrote:

Heh heh, yeah, exactly... "Stop staring at my chest! I have a DISEASE!" No, I wore a sports bra to create a shelf-like effect and then put the (smallish, remember) octopus in the middle of the shelf, as it were. If you wear a loose shirt it hardly shows. Foolproof plan, ladies.

During this exchange, I couldn't help but think of a certain brown haired soon-to-be alumna. She could probably hide the octopus from 20,000 leagues under the sea in her bra and get away with it.... ah, Ithaca.

[q]I'd say learn the words to the alma mater before you worry about any of this.[/q]

Got it memorized.

Also, where's the best seating? Mid-section B or front section B. I've never seen the inside of the Lynah before.

Wow - if the rest of the incoming freshman class is as into the hockey team as Tao, Lynah will be in good hands for years to come. But while you're still so impressionable, please note the following things:

- During Swanee River (more commonly known as "Tubas", the correct second line is "Die!" Not "Diiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!" Axl Rose is not a member of The Faithful.

- When you tell a goalie that his mom called, and that she said he sucks, leave it at that. His brother didn't call, his sister didn't call, and the guy who pimps his mom out down on the corner sure didn't call (even if they did, you don't chant it ).

- "Frus-tra-ted" should be drawn out: "Fruuuuussssss-traaa-ted... Fruuuuussssss-traaa-ted" - not "Frustrated... Frustrated..."

- If you're starting the "(opposing team)... SUCKS!" chant, do it three times, yell "Let's Go Red!", and end it. Not four times. Not five times. Three. That's it.

- And for god's sake, don't tell the goalie to "bend over!" over and over and over again - wait until he actually starts to bend over. And then tell him to suck.

Argh - sorry to vent, but in the seven games I've seen at Lynah since I graduated, those are the things that really tick me off. I know 2000 isn't quite "the good old days," but it does seem like a lot's changed. Damn, I'm getting old...

Sully, I agree with all of those sentiments except for the "Your mom called" etc. cheer. I kinda like the three-line way it is now, so long as the third person that called is actually cleverly done instead of something stupid and unoriginal like "Your boyfriend called", which, I'm sorry to say, happens far too often.

[Q]When you tell a goalie that his mom called, and that she said he sucks, leave it at that. His brother didn't call, his sister didn't call, and the guy who pimps his mom out down on the corner sure didn't call (even if they did, you don't chant it ).[/Q]
This is the one I disagree with. I like the three time chant of this nature, at least if you're creative. Mother, sister, fill-in-the-blank with something that hasn't been done 100 times.

I know the person who said this reads this board, but it can lead to classics like:
Hey Dov, your mom called...
Hey Dov, your sister called...
Hey Dov, all 6 of your jerk fans called...

I know I've heard some great ones. When someone does "your boyfriend called" as the third one for the 2nd time this game and the 50th time this season, I agree it gets tiring.

And I don't hate the repeated bend overs, so long as you don't ignore taps, sweeps, and chugs in the process.

And then there's the time-honored Carrie-blood-bucket delivery system, whereby you could probably shower the Crimson with thousands of sardines.

Honestly, undergrads should bring at least as much thought and energy to this as they do to the egg drop contest.

This year, during the Union game, this consistently funny kid 2 rows in front of me in Section A yelled, "Hey Seel, your mom called, she said...(pause)...." and then he started doing his impression of a seal's voice, akin to a dolphin's, I suppose. There's no way to "type it out," but I still find myself laughing just thinking about it.

[Q]
"Frus-tra-ted" should be drawn out: "Fruuuuussssss-traaa-ted... Fruuuuussssss-traaa-ted" - not "Frustrated... Frustrated..."
[/Q]

I think this might be what you're saying, but for some reason this year what was "Frus-TRA-ted" became "FRUS-trat'd," which sounds a little strange.

Also "you lose" instead of "you goon." Although the point could be made that that is just as appropriate.

[q]Wow -- if the rest of the incoming freshman class is as into the hockey team as Tao, Lynah will be in good hands for years to come[/q]

LOL.. thanks. I had a "dress rehearsal" at the Cornell-Princeton game (I live there, and yes, I brought my newspaper, yelled "RED!!" during the national anthem, taunted their goalie, etc., etc., etc.). You guys are unbelievable.

I had two friends with me. During Swanee River ("HEY PRINCETON!! DIE!!", they just cracked up. They told me that they couldn't believe how... umm.. direct that was.

They also couldn't believe that all the Cornell folks drove 4+ hours just to cheer on the hockey team. At Princeton's Baker rink (isn't that big, seats maybe a few hundred people?), we honestly couldn't find more than like two or three dozen Princeton fans. And that place was jam-packed.

At Princeton the very well received third "verse" was "The Ghost of Hobey Baker called. . ." I agree that if done with thought, the three verse version is great.

[Q] I know the person who said this reads this board, but it can lead to classics like:
Hey Dov, your mom called...
Hey Dov, your sister called...
Hey Dov, all 6 of your jerk fans called...[/Q]

Woohoo! I get to take credit for that one again. It was in response to all six jerks coming over and starting fights with the Faithful at Lake Placid last year.

My friend came up with the street-corner one, and I made the mistake of yelling it once at Lynah and once at Placid where everybody who heard it the first time heard it again and didn't like it.

Too bad I won't be around to make up more of them...

I heard through the grapevine (i.e. not in person) that at one game this year someone yelled:

"Hey ___, your mom called. She said 'you suck.' (pause) And that's it. Nobody else called. Nobody likes you."

Or something to that effect. I wish I could have heard it in person.

[q]Also "you lose" instead of "you goon." Although the point could be made that that is just as appropriate.[/q]

Which, unfortunately, simply became to sound like "You Goots" by the 2nd half of the season

The meanest one of those was at SLU (in the pre-ham-sandwich days): "Hey Eric, your mom called. She said 'I HAVE NO SON!'"



Post Edited (04-18-03 18:13)

> in the pre-ham-sandwich days

Mama Cass reference?



Post Edited (04-18-03 20:46)

Greg wrote:

> in the pre-ham-sandwich days

Mama Cass reference?

Now, now, that's just a myth! ("Yeth?"

[www.snopes.com]

crodge2k wrote:

I heard through the grapevine (i.e. not in person) that at one game this year someone yelled:

"Hey ___, your mom called. She said 'you suck.' (pause) And that's it. Nobody else called. Nobody likes you."

Or something to that effect. I wish I could have heard it in person.

I was there for that. That was classic.

crodge2k wrote:

I heard through the grapevine (i.e. not in person) that at one game this year someone yelled:

"Hey ___, your mom called. She said 'you suck.' (pause) And that's it. Nobody else called. Nobody likes you."

Or something to that effect. I wish I could have heard it in person.

That was at the Brown game, it was the guy who wears the Jason mask in section E, who was great all year. That was one of the best things I've heard at Lynah in my three years there.

[Q] Big Ben '03 wrote:

I get to take credit for that one again. It was in response to all six jerks coming over and starting fights with the Faithful at Lake Placid last year.
[/Q]

Um, yeah, I probably should get my share of the blame for those "six jerks" ending up in the Cornell section. Myself and three of my friends decided it was a good idea to go over to the Harvard section at some point during the finals and give it to their (lack of) fans, and I'm pretty sure they made the return trip as a direct retaliation. Sorry about that - it seemed like a good idea at the time, after a few trips to the beer garden...

Funny story, though. After we yelled down at them from the balcony for a few minutes, they came up and confronted us, and one of them, I swear to god, started yelling at us over and over "HAAAAARRRR-varrrd!" to which we, obviously, shot back "SUCKS!" each time. And this kid, clearly a Harvard, um, "honors" student, kept doing it, even as his friends tried to shut him up. I know that doesn't translate well in print, but trust me, it was hilarious taking part in a "Harvard... sucks!" chant that was started by one of the few Harvard fans on this planet.

As for the "Your mom... your sister... miscellaneous humorous third person called" chant, I can see the inherent comedy, I'm just a little slow to conform. Only being able to see seven games at Lynah over the past three years, I guess it just hasn't grown on me yet. But I'll give it some more time...

There was a hammerhead shark thrown, I was the one who threw it! It was in the 99-00 season. It was just under 5 feet long, but skinny enough that it was able to be wrapped around my friends waste a couple times pretty easily. And it only cost $5 at wegmans, they have everything there. Though it didn't knock anyone over, not sure where that little extension to the story came from unless theres another hammerhead I don't know of...

[q]but skinny enough that it was able to be wrapped around my friends waste a couple times pretty easily.[/q]

You wrapped a shark around your friend's waist?

Thin shark.. Whew.