No More Townies

[Ben Rocky \'04]

As a person born in Ithaca, I was happy to sit in the townie side growing up.  Now I sit in the student section as a cornellian.  Have a turned my back on my town in shame? Do i considered it an insult to be called townie?  No!  I am damn proud of being a townie.

"Townies up" is a comunication between the sides of the rink: its a message, telling the townies how exicted we students are.  Perhaps sometimes those sitting on the townie side of lynah could get up and show us students and student-townies how proud they are of our team in the closing minutes of a close game.

-Ben Rocky
Cornell '04
Ithaca High '00

[Dave]

I lost a LOT of respect for townies when I saw a fairly decent amount get up to start leaving with about a minute left during the game last night and us down by 2. That showed a lot about how much some townies care. When Cornell scored to pull within one with 30 sec or so to go, I didn't want to see those people who left back.

[distressedClapper]

i think a larger problem is the clapping delinquency of section ~D to ~G +/- 1 or 2 sections.  JUST WATCH THE FOLKS IN SECTION A.  its not that difficult.  not only is the clapping at the WRONG frequency, coming in and out of phase with the band's beat, it is sometimes just completely WRONG, like during the Gonna Fly Now/Gary Glitter cheer in the 3rd period of Friday's game.  Maybe we need Clapping 101.

[Jim Hyla]

For those who didn't understand my first post, I'm happy with being called a townie (even though I live a hour away). I totally agree with Lowell, it's just been used too much. This past weekend was an exception. Friday was perfect ly timed, although I thought Saturday's call to stand with over 4 minutes to play was too soon for the desired effect. You are just not goting to sustain the enthusiasm for that long.

In regards to clapping, it's just too hard, at the other end of the rink, to mantain the rhythm. It would be alot better if the band and students were in the middle. But fat chance for that. There is the same problem after a goal with the counting 1,2,3,etc.. Being across the ice I find it easier to watch the clapping of A, to keep on time, but for those in D,E, & F it's harder, especially since C interrupts the pattern.

[Evan \'02]

I've tried to avoid posting to this thread, but I can't resist because I've been on both sides. Here is my perspective as a student/townie who has been going to games since before I could walk (season tickets since I was . I've had seats in Townie land and in section B.

1.   distressedClapper is right, section D – G look like they are applauding during Gary Glitter, not clapping in rhythm, but it is hard for them to see section A and B.

2.   Being called Townies is fine, although there a few people who would rather the chant be "Stand Up" instead of "Townies Up" as mentioned earlier I'm not sure it is likely to change. Many townies don't have a problem standing up, but sometimes when you are standing up in front of someone who is older they really might not want to stand up for a long period of time or stand up, sit down, stand up. This causes the section to look like one of those games where you hit little guys that pop up and down with hammer. (Half the section stands then they sit, then one guy stands, so the guy behind him stands, then the first person sits etc.) In a close game the townies will eventually rise to their feet, but it might be a few minutes after the first chants of "townies up".

3.   You should not lose respect for townies who leave early. Some of the individuals who leave early are some of Cornell Hockey's most devout followers / benefactors to the hockey program. They leave early because, age, or health conditions, make it easier for them to walk up the stairs before the masses. I know of at least a few people who leave the home games early, but you also will see them at almost all of Cornell's away games.

4.   I'd say most townies are just as crazy about CU hockey as the students are they just can't express it quite as well as the students at the games, a good number are alumni that probably were loud and crazy as students. When you are surrounded by people who know you in a professional context, since most townies work in Ithaca or at Cornell, you can't quite be as rambunctious. I mean do you really want to see your professor or your doctor with their shirt off yelling "Hey goalie your Mom called..." ?
That said there are some people in the townie section who yell loudly and with quite amusing things at opposing players, coaches, and refs. Since it isn't the whole section, the student side probably misses many of these hilarious outbursts. It isn't just younger townies or kids either, the funniest comments usually come from the older individuals who have been yelling at the other teams for decades. If you want to see/hear townie enthusiasm go sit in section O on a night when the visiting team brings a band. Watching "mature adults" see who can toss more popcorn down a tuba is almost as much fun as watching the game.

5.   Here's an idea lets start take a townie to section B day and take a student to section M day.
:-}


Evan '02
Dryden High '98

[DeltaOne81]

I agree with Lowell as well. I didn't join in last night (well, I may've after it gained traction, but I remember thinking at first it was just silly timing). 4 minutes left, down by 2? Come on, if we were within one, absolutely, with like, a minute or two left.

I know we say this team needs some seasoning, but I get the feeling the crowd does as well. "Good goalie, bad goalie" does NOT MAKE SENSE when we're down 2-1... it just doesn't. May as well chant scoreboard, for crying out loud. Any form of sieve, on the other hand, is always appropriate.

Entertaining crowd note of the night: There was this guy towards the back of B who was clearly a parent or something... a bigger guy with a light beard, somewhat deep, somewhat gravely voice. Apparently he comes from the boxing-school-of-hockey, cause he was constantly saying "HIT HIM!... That's it!" Over and over... "HIT HIM!... That's it!", "HIT HIM!... That's it!", "HIT HIM!... That's it!". He musta said that phrase nearly 100 times last night.  Interesting cat ;-).

[avhchica]

I must say that after having season tickets for four years as an undergrad, as a vet student, I am now sitting in the "townie" section of the rink because of the line number fiasco.  However I am proud to be in the "townie" section of Lynah because at least most of the "townies" are actually at the rink in time for the playing of the national anthems and the annoucing of the starting line ups.  I was really disappointed with how few students there were in D, E, F and even half of B for the start of the games on Friday and Saturday nights.  Guess that's what happens when most of the student season tickets go to people who aren't really that devoted to keeping up the Lynah traditions.   :-/

[Will]

Hmm, this seems to be the thread where different factions of the Lynah Faithful get to bitch at each other.  I don't know about the rest of you, but my twisted sense of humor finds all of this really funny.  So, I guess I'll just jump in and be heard.

First, my history with the Faithful: This is my fifth year having seats in the student sections at Lynah.  In order, I've been in G, E, D, F, and now again in G.

Since the clapping thing is relevant to me and my seat location, I'll address that.  Personally, I do try to watch those in A and B to try to synchronize clapping.  However, it's difficult, mainly because: (1) D and E can't really see A and B that easily, so they develop their own rhythm, which is ultimately at the right tempo but is off by half-a-second from the band--that's the speed of sound for you, I guess; (2) F and G tend to go along with D and E in what to clap to, because they are more easily visible than A and B (although A and B are visible from F and G); and (3)F and G--and D and E, unfortunately--have more facetimers and/or undereducated freshmen than current true Faithful would like, and they don't know the routine.  So, you guys closer to the band keep on doing what you're doing for the most part, and those of us among the Faithful trapped on the far side of Lynah this year will do our best to educate the ignorant.

For what it's worth, I do try to watch A and B in order to synchronize clapping (being that light travels faster than sound, of course), which brings me to a question for those in B.  What's with the throwing your hands up in the air during Gary Glitter?  Where did that come from?  How did that start?  Not criticizing, so much as wondering what's going on.

[ice the puck]

So if Nieuwendyk comes to a game at Lynah, he's a townie? ::screwy::