2006 Smack

[Jacks99]

Re: 2006 Smack

I've always had a sour taste in my mouth about Augie after attending a game where they were pelting players with carrots, throwing the rabbits, chants implying that they are better people than State. On top of that, just making a trip to the restroom, I felt in danger of the hostility from their fans.

Bottom line: My overall view of Augie (and the U) is tainted by my experiences regarding their fans. That is THE Augie Advantage.

[SiouxFallsJack]

Re: 2006 Smack

I got a chuckle today reading the opinion page in the Argus. A usd student wrote in to complain about the picture of the coyote being tossed in the usd/augie game. He wasn't upset with the tossing of the dead coyote on floor but that the Argus would publish the photo and further promote such behavior.

He goes on to say that this is common behavior at many sporting events at all levels. When Minnesota and Wisconsin play each other do gophers and badgers rain down on the court? I don't think so. I've watched many Duke/North Carolina games and have yet ever to see anything thrown on the court. The only time I've witnessed this is at Sioux Falls and Vermillion and in my 25 years of attending games, once in Brookings.

I am glad the Argus published the photo. Now parents and others can see along with a great education, what other activities your children can particpate in and experience in these fine institutuions.

[jackmd]

Re: 2006 Smack

I got a chuckle today reading the opinion page in the Argus.  A usd student wrote in to complain about the picture of the coyote being tossed in the usd/augie game.  He wasn't upset with the tossing of the dead coyote on floor but that the Argus would publish the photo and further promote such behavior.

He goes on to say that this is common behavior at many sporting events at all levels.  When Minnesota and Wisconsin play each other do gophers and badgers rain down on the court?  I don't think so.  I've watched many Duke/North Carolina games and have yet ever to see anything thrown on the court.  The only time I've witnessed this is at Sioux Falls and Vermillion and in my 25 years of attending games, once in Brookings.

I am glad the Argus published the photo.  Now parents and others can see along with a great education, what other activities your children can particpate in and experience in these fine institutuions.

Common at bush league events perhaps, but not elsewhere.

[West_River_Jack]

Re: 2006 Smack

I've always had a sour taste in my mouth about Augie after attending a game where they were pelting players with carrots, throwing the rabbits, chants implying that they are better people than State.  On top of that, just making a trip to the restroom, I felt in danger of the hostility from their fans.

Bottom line:  My overall view of Augie (and the U) is tainted by my experiences regarding their fans.  That is THE Augie Advantage.

I have to say that I share a very sour taste in my mouth with regard to Augie. One game that I attended at the Sioux Falls Arena comes to mind. It was probably in the late 1980's. Several Augie students paraded a bed sheet around the arena prior to the start of the game. On it was painted a picture of our beloved Jackrabbit mascot bending over receiving a carrot in the manner of a rectal suppository. As they paraded this large picture around, the host institution's security did nothing to stop this disgusting display. The athletic administration did nothing to stop it. The college administration did nothing to stop it. They brought the picture out again at halftime and lay it on the center of the court. The security people, if there were any, did not remove it. The Augie athletic staff did not remove it. The Augie administration did not remove it. One of the Jackrabbit players finally picked it up because it was in the way for the team's halftime warmup/shoot around. I think that the player was Cullen Ober which puts the date of this game into a bit of perspective.

At the time I remember thinking that a school of higher education which sanctioned such activity (By doing nothing the school did santion this activity) and claiming to be a Christian institution had to be regarded as being run by total hypocrites. I see that the hypocrisy continues!

I found the following on the Augie website:

Today, Augustana is a selective, residential liberal arts college affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Central to its mission are five shared core values: Christian, Liberal Arts, Excellence, Community, and Service.

End of quote.

The new Augustana president should address the image that this type of behavior casts upon his institution. To allow this type of vulgar and classless behavior at an event that should be promoting sportsmanship and goodwill is not consistent with my view of the five terms in the quote above (ok, the artwork on the sheet was pretty good so maybe it was consistent with the term "liberal arts&quot. If he does not I will continue with the opinion that I have held for about twenty years now. That opinion is that since Augie does not address this type of behavior it should add the word hypocracy in bold print to their five terms listed above.

Since that game several years ago I have considered Augie to be at the bottom of the list as far as class and character are concerned. It is largely because of that event and others like it that I now support USD as my favorite Division II university sports program.

[Walrus]

Re: 2006 Smack

Even if you ignore the ethical and sportsmanship issues raised by West River Jack, it still seems odd that the Augustana coaches and athletic administration don't attempt to control the behavior of their fans. A technical foul on the crowd can be the difference in a close game. If memory serves me correctly, State won at the Elmen Center 2 years in a row by margins smaller than the number of points that we scored off technical fouls when fans threw dead rabbits on the floor. These "fans" cost their team 2 wins against their arch rival. This would have been in the late 1990's or maybe 2000.

A frozen jackrabbit or coyote could be a dangerous projectile if it stuck someone on the playing floor or in the crowd. You can imagine the criminal and civil liabilities to which these "fans" are exposing themselves and their school. They are not only classless and bush league, they are a hazard.

I have seen people removed from Frost Arena (and rightfully so) on more than one occasion for less dangerous transgressions.

[HoboD]

Re: 2006 Smack

State fans are not without fault. I remember the night in 1975, when one of our cheerleaders. Margie Fiedler, was struck by a frozen coyote smuggled into the game by several Jack fans. She was knocked to the floor and hit her head on the court. Several football players were implicated. Any of you care to confess?

[SDSUFAN]

Re: 2006 Smack

State fans are not without fault.  I remember the night in 1975, when one of our cheerleaders. Margie Fiedler, was struck by a frozen coyote smuggled into the game by several Jack fans.  She was knocked to the floor and hit her head on the court.  Several football players were implicated.  Any of you care to confess?

I was living in Dayton Ohio making a living in 1975, but this incident does come up again and again amongst older alums. The last few years we were in the NCC I was very proud of our students who did not act as Augie and USD students acted during these games,nor as SDSU did in 1975.

I do recall the regional finals of women's basketball at Frost between USD and SDSU, 2003?.  What amused me was President Abbott sitting amongst the USD students in red garb hoping his students would act responsibily and not do something stupid during the game. ;D

I do think the best way to control this non-sense behavior is to have adminstrators to let their students know that they will not tolerate outrageous behavior and will enforce all the student regs and civil regs should they decide to act like as they have.  Whats really mindless about Augie students is that these bright people somehow feel throwing dead animals is some kind of a college tradition.  ??? ??? ??? ???

[SDSUFAN]

Re: 2006 Smack

There is a nice article about the new president at Augustana. No mention of curtailing student activity at athletic events, so the dead coyote tradition will continue despite having two degrees from USD.

http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs...601170302/1001

[SDSUFAN]

Re: 2006 Smack

I see by the Argus that 1450 people attended the UNO-USD game in Omaha. You think a big game like that would draw more than 1450. Also the round number probably means there were less than that darken the doors of the dirty red bannered place called Sapp Field House.
PBS television did not help either as it gave the yote fans all the more reason stay home and not waste their funds driving to that dirty hole called Sapp Field House.


Lets see on a Thursday night in Brookings, SDSU plays a team no one in the upper midwest has heard of namely INDIANA-PURDUE-Fort Wayne and we draw a little over 1700. And SDSU move to D1 was a mistake? I do not think so. ;D ;D

[NorCalJack]

Re: 2006 Smack

Those schools left behind in the NCC think that SDSU and NDSU made a mistake in moving up to D-1. At the end of the day, they will look in the mirror and realize, the only mistake made was staying in D2.

Moving to D-1 was right move all along.

Go State ;D ;D ;D

[bisonbacker]

Re: 2006 Smack

Those schools left behind in the NCC think that SDSU and NDSU made a mistake in moving up to D-1.  At the end of the day, they will look in the mirror and realize, the only mistake made was staying in D2.

Moving to D-1 was right move all along.

Go State ;D ;D ;D

Your absolutely right. That's why undii is looking at it. The problem is finances for many schools, undii included. That and a lack of leadership ;D