If you ever sit in the east side in section EE, it's called the Heckling Section. This is where the hecklers are constantly shouting all kinds of obscenities. Let's just say it's the most unique experience you will ever have at a UI sporting event. Unlike the crowds at Memorial Stadium and Assembly Hall, people actually cheer for the Fighting Illini.

I sat there on a regular basis, which was a good way to let off steam after a hard week at work. There's nothing like shouting and screaming for 3-4 hours on Friday and Saturday night to have a good time and support the local team.

When the visiting team would skate out on the ice, we would constantly flip them off and shout insults at them, just to get under their skin. Our record was 3 minutes against the University of Kentucky, in which we pissed off half of the team when only four of us were up in the section screaming at them. They were ready to kill us, considering some of the material we used.

During the introductions of the starting lineup of the visitors, after each name was announced over the PA system, we shouted "YOU SUCK!!". When the coaches were introduced, we shouted "YOU SUCK TOO!!".

In order to get under their skin, we would use anything possible. It's amazing what information can be found on various web sites of visiting hockey teams. We used everything from their personal information, like their name, to their home town. A couple of us would pass around a large number of copies with the lineups and any good information we could use to make fun of them. Let's just say we had a lot of fun...

Sometimes we went out of line. We started a fight with a couple of players from Eastern Michigan University, who has a hockey team that really, really sucks. They gave up 7 unanswered goals in one game, and we let them have it. Unfortunately, the campus police and ice arena staff needed to be called in to break things up.

One team that really deserved a heckling was the University of Michigan at Dearborn. Their team was filled with a bunch of jokers, er, losers. The coach's last name was Aho (Asshole?) who just couldn't shut up. He was constantly arguing with the referees over stupid plays and after a while, the PA announcer played the song "I talk too much", and we started laughing really hard. The worst part is that one of the players made a racial remark to an asian woman in the crowd during the Friday night game. The next night we let him have it, by pointing him out and shouting "RACIST! RACIST! RACIST!". Here are a few other insults we used:

Hey, Grand Wizard Aho!

Hey, look! It's the UM Dearborn hockey team and KKK chapter!

What's the best wood for burning a cross, Aho? We thought you might know!

If you are burning a cross in the locker room, there will be a cleanup fee!

You forgot your white hood in the locker room!

The best time is when Iowa State University would show up. They are UI's archrival and the place is simply, well, crazy. It's like the "big game" between UC Berkeley and Stanford. The line for tickets starts 2 hours before the game and goes outside the arena for three blocks. After cramming about 2 people for every seat in each row in the heckling section, we get armed with various noise makers to get ourselves ready for the match. It's by far the best time you could have because the entire place became electric. Everyone was going crazy, and the excitement was incredible. It gets very loud in the arena, and win or lose, it's a great place to be.

I'll miss that place...