Banner-Raising Ceremony Date Moved

Fans cry, ask why in the process
By Chris Aliano

Let’s face it. If there is one thing to look forward to in the month of October, other than overrated MLB playoffs and the kickoff of NHL and NBA seasons, and maybe even some overhyped NFL games, it’s the beginning of the men’s ice hockey team’s season if you’re on the campus of Boston University.

This year’s home opener, scheduled for October 20, promised to be more meaningful than in years past. Perhaps it has something to do with the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame, a team who danced with the Terriers for the top spot in the national polls all season long in 2008-09. Maybe it has something to do with all of the intrigue surrounding the very talented freshman class. Hell, it could even be seeing the BU Band perform in all its glory.

Or maybe, just maybe, it has something to do with that SHINY RED BANNER that will be dropped from the rafters before the game gets underway.

Well, get over it. In a questionable move by the athletics department that leaves a number of fans and alumni asking “why,” the banner-raising ceremony has been pushed up to October 10, a Saturday night exhibition against the United States Under-18 Developmental Team.

Now before any more obscenities are yelled across the rooftops of South Campus, let’s try and break down this decision and figure out if any good can come out of it, along with the repercussions of such a move.

First, the bad. It’s obvious that this Tuesday night opener against ND has been the most anticipated sporting event since the Frozen Four, and there has been plenty of hype surrounding the game. After BU travels to the University of Massachusetts-Amherst on October 2, returning to the safe confines of Agannis Arena against the Fighting Irish by no means promised a victory.

To be honest, the Terriers could start the year 0-3. The Mullins Center, home of the Minutemen, is not an easy place to open the season. Home dates with the Notre Dame and then the University of Michigan is going to be a test as well. This is why the dropping of the banners for the home opener seemed like such a good idea at the time. It would have added to the intensity and created a surreal scene for the fans in attendance. Last year Boston College, the defending national champions at the time, opened their season and dropped the banners against a very tough Wisconsin squad. While both schools faltered by the end of last season, it was a highly anticipated matchup and BC wound up winning the game in overtime. Imagine the excitement if BU coming from behind and stunning the Fighting Irish in similar fashion on the same night the banners were dropped in Agganis? Me too.

You also have to feel bad for the countless alumni who had already planned to make the trip back to Commonwealth Ave to see their Terriers take on the Fighting Irish and be a part of the ceremony. Instead, they will either have to make the difficult decision of switching around their travel plans—made even more difficult by the fact that the October 10th game happens to be Columbus Day Weekend—or attend a somewhat less meaningful Notre Dame contest. And let’s not forget how many students decide to pack up and head home on Columbus Day Weekend. It would be quite a shame to see those beautiful red banners fall before a half-full Agganis.

Of course, there is some good that comes out of all this. Moving the ceremony to before an exhibition game means that those who are involved in the pregame planning will have all the time they want to celebrate and revel in the success of last year’s squad. NCAA rules prohibit contests from starting late due to ceremonies—even banner raisings. What this means is that Terrier fans can expect a longer, more drawn-out celebration - only appropriate for a team that did the unthinkable last April.

Additionally, you can’t forget about these recruits on the Under-18 team. If one remembers correctly, Colby Cohen ('11), Kevin Shattenkirk ('11), Vinny Saponari ('12), Luke Popko ('10) and past greats such as Colin Wilson and Brian Strait were all members of the developmental team. With several more top-level prospects comprising this year’s US-18 roster, the sight of the National Championship banner being dropped before an electrified crowd should be more awe-inspiring than anything else. I certainly would not be surprised if the pregame ceremonies alone convinced some of these on-the-fence recruits to commit to BU in the near future.

So yes, while head coach Jack Parker and company go on to make statements about the decision being “business-related” and so the team can “focus” on the tasks-at-hand instead of being distracted by the ceremony, there will still be some benefits to the decision. I admit that I’ll still be sorely disappointed when the green-and-gold Fighting Irish make their way onto the ice with the banner already hanging over them, but as long as the end result of that contest is the same as the last time the Terriers were on the ice, I’ll bite my tongue, swallow my pride and get over it.

And so should all of you.