To the Editor:
Re: “Newman Nation Stand Up,” Sports, Feb. 18Friday morning, [Sun Sports Editor] Alex Kuczynski-Brown asked why the ushers in Newman couldn’t cut the student section a bit of slack. At the hockey game Friday night, it appears we received our answer: Some imbecile from section A threw a water bottle on the ice after Cornell’s third goal, drawing a penalty at a critical stage in the game. Even though I have no idea who the culprit is (and for his safety, I hope he remains anonymous), I was personally embarrassed by the selfishness and lack of understanding this displayed.The reason we ask for more leniency to cheer and heckle is that we want to support our athletes. We feel, if we can distract a goalie or a shooter, it will help Cornell win. Similarly, the fish thrown at the beginning of the Harvard game express our displeasure with the Crimson, highlight the game on our calendars and emphasize the lengths the Faithful will travel to support our team. Any fish or object thrown after the puck dropped did exactly the opposite: Revealed our fans as selfish fools who put their own amusement over the support of our team.If we can’t be trusted to reasonably follow our own traditions, how can we rightfully expect leniency in more creative terms of support? As for the culprit, I’d like to congratulate him. Even if that penalty wasn’t the ultimate cause of the Harvard loss, it was most certainly a contributing factor. I hope you are pleased with that legacy at your Alma Mater: You can look at an L to the Crimson on our record and know it was all your fault.Drew Grossman ’11