UND foes chant "Smallpox blankets!"

College hockey: Duluth fans again warned over 'offensive' chants

For the second time in three years, fans' chants at Bulldog hockey games draw complaints. This time, North Dakota players are targeted.

By: Christa LawlerStudent season-ticket holders for University of Minnesota Duluth men’s hockey games were warned last week to clean up their acts after complaints to the athletic department about racist chants during UMD’s series against the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux on Feb. 10-11.

“There were some reports on some chants coming from the student section that certainly would have been considered inappropriate,” Athletic Director Bob Nielson said. “We decided it was an opportunity to reinforce our policy … to focus on cheering for our team and avoid comments that are considered inappropriate.”

Nielson sent the students a letter dated Feb. 17 that warned “any profane, racial, sexist, or abusive comments or actions directed at officials, opposing players or teams will be grounds for removal from the arena” and could result in a forfeiture of season tickets.

North Dakota fan Chad Czmowski said he was adjacent to the student section during Saturday night’s game when students began chanting “smallpox blankets” and what he described as other racist phrases and actions directed at the university’s mascot. Czmowski said other derogatory statements were specifically directed at the goalie’s mother.Three days later:

Duluth hockey fans make public apology for chants, take vow of good cheer

By Kevin PatesRepresentatives of the University of Minnesota Duluth student cheering section for men’s hockey games say they’re working to improve their image after stepping over the line of good taste two weeks ago in games at Amsoil Arena.

Racist chants directed toward UMD’s opponent, the University of North Dakota, which has Fighting Sioux as a nickname, were officially admonished last week by UMD Athletic Director Bob Nielson in an open letter to the students.

UMD junior Eric Fastner, 21, a political science-economics major from Woodbury, Minn., helped craft a letter of apology Wednesday and helped set up a web site where students could sign a pledge, agreeing to not use foul, sexist, racial, obscene or abusive language at UMD games.

“We understand we crossed the line with our chants and that that wasn’t right,” said Fastner, who has had UMD student season hockey tickets for three years. “We thought an apology would be a good place to start to let the community know how we feel.Comment:  Thanks for proving the NCAA right, idiots. Mascots create a hostile and abusive environment and this is it.

You're publicly advocating the death of a race. This is why Americans think of Indians as pests to be exterminated, not as people with meaningful lives and rights.

For more on the Fighting Sioux, see "Sioux Suck" and Mascot Foes Want to Destroy Lakota?!

Below:  Not the UND mascot, but roughly what UND's opponents have in mind.