Reflecting Lights

Last night, I had the opportunity to attend an Indianapolis Ice hockey game. It was the first time I had done so since about 1993, when I attended a game or two with the “Adventure Club” at my middle school. The difference was pretty glaring, starting with the venue. The game I went to was at Market Square Arena (R.I.P.), and I remember there being a fairly large crowd (although, that could just be my imagination). However, Saturday night’s game was in the Pepsi Coliseum at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, a venue that didn’t seem to seat too many more than my high school’s football stands. Moreover, not even close to half of the seats were even filled. Needless to say, there wasn’t much electricity in the crowd.

My experience with the sport of hockey as a whole is pretty limited. Aside from one or two previous Ice games a decade ago, I’ve also watched a bit of Olympic hockey, but that’s it. However, I do find it an enjoyable sport to view occasionally, and thought the game itself was quite fun. The problem, however, was twofold. First was the interruptions by the P.A. system every 2 or 3 minutes with some random and meaningless “announcement” or “contest”. Every time it would go off, I’d lose my focus on the game, and find myself watching the meager crowd and thus get bored. If I could simply watch the game, I would have had much more fun, but those blaring announcements really break one’s concentration. Not to mention, they have nothing to do with anything. One in particular had me both annoyed and utterly bewildered at the stupidity of it. There was an announcement about the “lucky section” for the game. The section number was announced…and that was it. Apparently those people are just lucky. Congratulations?

While the obnoxious P.A. system “contests” and announcements were the most annoying part of my viewing pleasure, there was also one of the most random and idiotic fights on the ice that I’ve seen, and nearly resulted in me just plain leaving the game. Now, I know fights are a big part of hockey. I’ve seen a few games as well as a few scuffles. However, there was usually a reason for this, such as an extra hard check or perhaps some dangerous highsticking, etc. At the Ice game last night, there appears to have been no reason for the fight. The pair was up against the boards and randomly started throwing punches.

Just that would have been alright, I suppose. I mean, it was stupid, but I could have just assumed I missed something due to not being able to see that precise spot of the rink. What followed, however, was what completely turned me off. Once that little scuffle ended, I was turning my attention back to the rest of the ice. That’s when I see a helmet and gloves laying on the ice. An Ice player and a Roughriders (Grand Rapids) player skated out to the center of the rink, made a big scene of taking off their equipment, and then started pummeling each other. The referees just skated around, until the Roughrider got the Ice player on the ice, at which point the “broke it up.” Can we say staged? Oh sure, the punches certainly appeared to be real, but the nature of it was entirely fake (including the referees literally just skating around and doing nothing). To add to it, two young, unsupervised children behind me stood up on their seats and began screaming “Fight! Fight” and the rest of the crowd was going wild. It was disgusting.

I came to see a hockey game, not to watch an episode of WWF on ice. I have no problem with skirmishes, they happen in every sport. But something that was almost certainly staged and promotes violence, well that’s where I draw the line, especially when young children become so excited over it. I know that writing this will have no impact anywhere. And I know that if I don’t like it, I don’t have to go to the games, but it still bothers me. I was disturbed by what I saw happening, and the drunken crowd’s reaction. I suppose I just happen to spend too much time watching tennis. It’s a more refined sport, to say the very least.

I’ll be going to another Ice game, possibly next month. I really enjoyed the game itself. But if there is another outbreak like last night’s that appears to be staged, then the next game I go to will most certainly be the last one I attend.