Photo: C.P.StormEvery time an opposing player is penalized at a University of Michigan home hockey game, the student fans begin chanting long strings of obscene epithets. After the first few times this happened, the band began playing loud music (lots of drums) to drown this out. This is a repeated game, with the students as the first-mover (strategy: chant/no chant), and the band a follower (strategy: play/don’t play).
By now, with many rounds (penalties) having occurred during games, other fans can’t hear the students at all; the second they begin to chant, the band begins playing.
This is not a desirable equilibrium for the students. What should they do to have some impact (assuming they aren’t just chanting to hear themselves)? They will always be first-movers, which is a disadvantage in this case; but perhaps if they randomize chanting (chant only at random penalties) they can surprise the band and have a few seconds of audible chanting.
Of course, after a while the band will simply start playing at every penalty, so randomized chanting won’t work either. I think the equilibrium is that the students will never be heard. Is there any hope for them?
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“I think the equilibrium is that the students will never be heard.”
I hope they won’t. Hearing this sort of thing happens at my alma mater makes me sad.
This is terrible! The best part of going to U of M hockey games (I was a season ticket holder during undergrad) were all the chants. No doubt it made for a less than family friendly atmosphere but it did give Yost Arena a great home ice advantage. And to think, when I was there the band LED the chanting.
If I were still a student, I’d lead a coup that would include bullhorns and maybe signs. Also, part of the chant includes yelling “OHHHHHHHH!!!” until the player enters the penalty box (this sometimes takes 30-45 seconds). Maybe they could vary the length and timing of the begninning of the chant and catch the band off guard?
pay off the band leader – half a case of beer before the game, the other half after if he keeps quiet during penalties. everyone has a price.
otherwise, the crowd could always chant at random non-penalty points in the game. costs to band members of always being at the ready would likely be too high.
Students – think outside the box! One possibility is to work on content. If the content is semi-interesting, the band may hesitate to cover it up. Our local high school does some very creative chanting at bball games and then occasionally slips in an unmentionable.
Put squid in the tubas – that’ll throw the band off.
I don’t believe that band playing would be allowed during the game. Since the opposing team has to regain possession of the puck after a penalty is called before play stops, the chant should start as soon as the ref’s arm goes up. The band can’t play, the students can be heard and no beer (#3) has to change hands. This isn’t perfect because the delay from the infraction taking place until play is stopped isn’t consistent or very long at times but it may be the only workable compromise.
By the way #3, what the heck is a case of beer going to do for the band leader? I would think that a 1/2 keg would be the bare minimum needed to accomplish anything.
You have one of your facts wrong – the band started playing over the student section after years of this chant, not “the first few times.”
I think Steve’s solution is the best one – the band’s not allowed to play during the game.
The students are, of course, achieving their desired result by getting the band to play loudly after every penalty. Stimulus-response. The nature of the response hardly matters – the students still have the satisfaction of gaining remote control over the band.