Penalty for Throwing Fish

[Beeeej]

[Q]calgARI '07 Wrote:
 [Q2]Beeeej Wrote:
 A wonderful worthy cause, yes.  But if delay of the start of the game by throwing objects onto the ice is cause for a penalty, how is it that toys aren't in that category?
Beeeej[/Q]
I was thinking the same thing, but I'm sure Nighman et al would argue that stuffed animals can be picked right up, like newspapers, as opposed to fish, which make the ice bad and take much longer to pick up.[/q]
...except that the message included "candy" - which I presume includes unopened bags of Swedish fish, and the like - which can be picked right up as well.

Beeeej

[jeh25]

[Q]Beeeej Wrote:

 [Q2]calgARI '07 Wrote:
 [Q2]Beeeej Wrote:
 A wonderful worthy cause, yes.  But if delay of the start of the game by throwing objects onto the ice is cause for a penalty, how is it that toys aren't in that category?
Beeeej[/Q]
I was thinking the same thing, but I'm sure Nighman et al would argue that stuffed animals can be picked right up, like newspapers, as opposed to fish, which make the ice bad and take much longer to pick up.[/Q]
...except that the message included "candy" - which I presume includes unopened bags of Swedish fish, and the like - which can be picked right up as well.

Beeeej[/q]

True, but you know some assclown will throw an opened bag...

[billhoward]

[Q]jeh25 Wrote:

 [Q2]Beeeej Wrote:

 [Q2]calgARI '07 Wrote:
 [Q2]Beeeej Wrote:
 A wonderful worthy cause, yes.  But if delay of the start of the game by throwing objects onto the ice is cause for a penalty, how is it that toys aren't in that category?
Beeeej[/Q]
I was thinking the same thing, but I'm sure Nighman et al would argue that stuffed animals can be picked right up, like newspapers, as opposed to fish, which make the ice bad and take much longer to pick up.[/Q]
...except that the message included "candy" - which I presume includes unopened bags of Swedish fish, and the like - which can be picked right up as well.

Beeeej[/Q]
True, but you know some assclown will throw an opened bag...[/q]

Right. He (one assumes this is going to be a he; probably a safe bet) will scarf down the cherry red and tangerine orange ones but leave the green- and purple-colored and licorice ones for the bag-toss.

[jy3]

anytime i have seen swedish fish thrown they have:

1. been thrown in an open bag -> fish everywhere

2. been thrown in a closed bag/box -> rupture and fish everywhere

NOT A GOOD IDEA!

[beanmaestro]

Just playing a hunch here, but Mr Nighman is being awfully vague about this threat of a penalty.  I have to wonder whether this year's officials will actually treat it any differently than they usually do, or whether Mr Nighman is taking the usual "don't throw fish after warmups" ruling, and trying to convince people it means something else.

And if they're going to call a minor for any fish on the ice, we might as well throw several thousand.

[KateWithThe8]

I was going to mention this on the forum when I saw it in Maryland's newspaper, but feared "beating a dead horse".  Since it's been directly mentioned again, thought people might be interested:
This article in Sept. outlines a brief history of UMDs battle with the song:
http://www.inform.umd.edu/News/Diamondback/archives/2004/09/02/news1.html

Along with the student reaction:  http://www.inform.umd.edu/News/Diamondback/archives/2004/09/02/news2.html

And finally a more recent update on a student petition:
http://www.inform.umd.edu/News/Diamondback/archives/2004/10/26/news5.html

[Jordan 04]

[q]"Win or lose, we should be at the games to have fun, not to discourage the other team," said senior accounting major Fiya Lee. "That will look better for us." [/q]

Oh boy.  Exactly what's needed at a sporting event.  A crowd full of people with no intention of "discouraging the other team." ::rolleyes::

[DeltaOne81]

While the toy idea is a lovely sentiment and a great idea, it is also a great example of the hypocrasy. They should at least be honest.

They don't want to ban the fish because it delays the start of the game, they want to ban it cause its gross and "inappropriate". If 5 people threw fish they'd get tossed (if they caught them). If 3000 people threw toys everything would be fine. And clearly the later is more a delay than the former.

Being honest with us might be a good way to start. But  to pretend that delaying the game is the issue, and then proceed to suggest another way to delay the game, lacks all credibility.

Give us some credit for having the ability to connect the dots - we're Cornellians not Ohioans (sorry, I needed SOME reference there :-D ).

[beanmaestro]

Frankly, and I'm just playing a hunch here, I don't think the ECAC has handed Mr. Nighman a formal warning.  If they had, he probably would have quoted and attributed it... I think he's just stating the existing rule in an imposing way to dissaude people from throwing fish.  I think he's full of crap.  And if I weren't in Santa Barbara right now, I'd be loading up on fish heads.

[A-19]

there's another problem with throwing toys/stuffed animals: they get fish all over them when landing on the same ice at the same time.

[French Rage]

I love the contradiction.  Throwing "objects" is prohibited.  But throwing toys, which by definition are objects, is encouraged.  Newspapers are thrown every game, despite the fact they too are "objects", yet seem to be not prohbited.  Isnt there something more productive for them to do each year other than trying to scare everyone into stopping an important tradition?

[RichS]

[Q]French Rage Wrote:

 I love the contradiction.  Throwing "objects" is prohibited.  But throwing toys, which by definition are objects, is encouraged.  Newspapers are thrown every game, despite the fact they too are "objects", yet seem to be not prohbited.  Isnt there something more productive for them to do each year other than trying to scare everyone into stopping an important tradition?[/q]

Yep.  I see they are encouraging fans to bring toys to donate to kids for the holidays instead of bringing fish.

Sounds like the idea is to do something nice for someone in need rather than selfishly make an ass of yourself by throwing fish and delaying the proceedings.

[Robb]

They're also very cryptic about whether there will be a penalty or not.  It does NOT flat-out say that if any objects are thrown on the ice, there will be a penalty.  It says there will be a penalty if the game is delayed because of it.  So get the fish on the ice quickly so the poor rink-rats can get them cleaned up, and there (theoretically) shouldn't be an issue.  I doubt that Nighman has had discussions with the referee for tonight's game, so he doesn't know what the ref's opinion (the only one that matters) is.

[duffs4]

This is what it said on the Inside college hockey site:
 
[Q]• Donato will lead his team into Cornell's Lynah Rink this weekend. The normally hostile environment for visiting teams becomes downright raucous when hated Harvard comes to town. This marks the second straight year that Cornell administration is asking fans not to throw fish on the ice prior to the start of the game, instead recommending that fans shower the ice with stuffed toys. The toys will be collected and donated to the "Cops, Kids, and Toys" program.[/Q]  

It says cornell admin. not NCAA or ECAC, interesting.

[Jordan 04]

Just throw the fish.  We're not getting a penalty.