Get your drunken ass out to the game
Carson Jerema Staff
I was ashamed after recently attending a Bison women’s basketball game, followed a few days later by a men’s hockey game. I felt ashamed because I realized how pitiful the experience actually was.
The performance of both of the teams, however, was anything but pitiful. The Bison women were playing their cross-town rivals, the Winnipeg Wesmen. After an intense game that rarely saw more than a one-basket lead on either side, the Bisons dominated in the last 10 to 15 minutes, taking the game by about 10 points.
The men’s hockey team defeated the University of Regina Cougars seven to four in a game that was both physical and full of its fair share of nice-looking goals. Bison star and last year’s U of M male athlete of the year, Paul Deniset, scored five goals, only the second Bison ever to do so in a single game.
No, the source of my shame stemmed from the fact that I had never been to a Bison game in all of my four years at the U of M. What’s worse is that, apparently, very few of my fellow students have either. The Manitoban’s sports writers have consistently noticed this trend, with a detailed article addressing the issue of attendance published around this time last year.
After failing to attract the university crowd, it would seem as though Bison Sports has focused on the family. The attendees of the game reminded me of my days playing bantam football for the Transcona Nationals — moms, dads, grandparents and personal friends of those playing.
To top it off, at the hockey game, the stands were filled with young children, with prizes being handed out for the best fan under 12. Half-time entertainment consisted of five- and six-year-olds playing hockey. Now, with all due respect to those who bring their kids to the games, their presence demonstrates something fundamentally wrong with how sports are perceived on this campus.
The stands should be filled with raucous, rowdy and, yes, even drunken university students. Bison teams on the whole are good and do well at the national level. The men’s volleyball team has gone to the nationals 25 times out of the 26 years head coach Garth Pischke has been with the team. The women’s hockey team took bronze last year in their first-ever appearance at the national championships. Incidentally, the men’s volleyball, women’s hockey and women’s basketball teams all won their playoff series this past weekend.
And given that they do so well and that there is an abundance of students with nothing better to do than get wasted at Monty’s, the OC or even Wiseguys, it is more than a little disheartening that few show up to games.
The fact that each hockey game, which features a canteen that sells beer, does not feature at least one loud, obnoxious fan being escorted out by security should be enough to illustrate that something is seriously wrong.
And while not all events sell beer, they provide a good opportunity for people to get together and take in some entertainment. Hell, who’s to say that you can’t guzzle $9 pitchers at Wiseguys before the game (or after, for that matter).
Sadly, this doesn’t appear to be something that will be happening anytime soon. Bison Sports, with its admittedly limited budget, does a poor job of promoting sporting events to students. I mean, ask yourself: do you know when the next game is?
The students’ union also fails to adequately promote and market Bison Sports. And while the union does sponsor sporting events, they don’t spend much — a mere $7,500 was allotted this year out of a budget that approaches $10 million.
Our benevolent student leaders should take more initiative to effectively support events in which hundreds of student athletes are involved. Bison Sports should realize that spending a little more to market sporting events, say through pep rallies, would bring in more people, and hence, more money.
And students themselves should open their eyes to what is happening on their campus. Sporting events at which the crowd resembles that of your little brother’s pee wee hockey game should shock the conscience of any and all students who otherwise spend their time drunk in a ditch. The lack of enthusiasm, riots and ruckus is something we should all be ashamed of.
