n Oh, how I have been waiting for a letter like Lauren Antocci’s from Wednesday (“Fans should allow Clay to Dance,” pg. 6, Feb. 4). After Section 8’s “unappreciative” response to Ethan Clay’s return as the Boston University hockey “Dancing Idiot,” it was only a matter of time before one of his Student Union cronies would run to his defense in the pages of The Daily Free Press.
First and foremost, Ms. Antocci, who the hell are you to lecture me and the fans of Section 8 on how to be a good BU hockey fan? I’m a season ticket holder who has been going to Terrier hockey games religiously for the past three years. I have always stood by my team, and support them every chance I get. I take being a hockey fan very seriously, which is why I am writing this letter today.
To me, BU Hockey symbolizes everything that is good about BU’s school spirit; however, I also believe that the Student Union and its stable of resume-padding, perk-grabbing, junior bureaucrats symbolize everything that is wrong. Ethan Clay has no business using the hockey games to showcase himself, collect a few cheers and then maybe get on NESN. If he wants attention he can get it through his website (www.ethanclay.com).
Walter Brown Arena is one of the few places on campus where BU students come together and act like a school. Our hockey team is the last bastion of school spirit left on campus. Clay did not create it — it was here long before he came to this school and it will be here long after he leaves. Ms. Antocci insinuates in her letter that hockey fans should support Ethan because he fosters this unity. In that sense she is right — Ethan does promote unity, in that we are all united in our vehement dislike of his antics.
Clay’s shameless self-promotion has got to stop — enough is enough. Last year, hockey fans merely tolerated his gyrating and general idiocy and then breathed a sigh of relief when the madness finally ended. This year, however, we are sick and tired of it, and we’re not going to take it anymore. Every home game we are forced to watch Clay act like a fool, embarrassing the fans as he prostitutes himself for attention. Clay’s dancing has no place at a hockey game — if he wants to jump around and wave his butt at people, he can go do it at Avalon where it will be better appreciated.
I also draw offense at the opinion of the unnamed “fan” in Ms. Antocci’s letter. This person (probably a member of the “True 2” slate) claims that booing a person in a Terrier jersey is as bad as booing the team itself. Frankly, I will boo egotists of all jersey colors; this is a hockey game, after all. In fact, whenever I go to Chestnut Hill to watch BC home games, I always boo Clay’s counterpart: a tight-shirted male cheerleader in a Mardis Gras mask, who leads the crowd in spelling out “Eagles” during the second period.
In conclusion, if Clay continues to dance, we will continue to boo, tell him he “sucks” (an honor usually saved for BC) and turn our backs to his little show. But, since Mr. Clay is a fellow fan of BU hockey, I, on behalf of the fans of Section 8, want to offer him a deal: You stop dancing, and we’ll all pitch in and buy you an adult-sized jersey.
Brendan Cavalier
SMG ’04
The author is a former columnist for The Daily Free Press.