MinnesotaNorthStar Posted January 16, 2004 Share Posted January 16, 2004 Favorite Old Ralph Memory-- The final Gopher game in the arena with a greatest bon fire in the history of hockey... A couch went up!!! It was cold as anything but people who you didnt know would be quick to offer up some libations to warm you up. There seemed to be a great fell of camraderie that was done away with at the new ralph. Ah, yes...my favorite old REA memory as well. Though I've never heard any arena get as loud as the old Ralph than during the Saturday Mankato game during the final year. There were something like 80 peanlty minutes in the game. The 2nd period was nuts. During one "disagreement" all five players from both teams were given roughing penalties. There were Mankato players standing in the box because there was no room to sit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forecheck Posted January 16, 2004 Share Posted January 16, 2004 Ah, yes...my favorite old REA memory as well. Though I've never heard any arena get as loud as the old Ralph than during the Saturday Mankato game during the final year. There were something like 80 peanlty minutes in the game. The 2nd period was nuts. During one "disagreement" all five players from both teams were given roughing penalties. There were Mankato players standing in the box because there was no room to sit. I remember that game! Pat O'Leary kicked the crap out of a Mankato player and somehow managed to declothe him of his pads, jersey, and helmet. He was naked from the waist up. It looked like a yard sale with all the sticks and helmets on the ice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goon Posted January 16, 2004 Share Posted January 16, 2004 Thinking of Fights, didn't Commie pummel Brooks and Gaffeny at the old Ralph... Those two things seem to stick out in my mind... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoggy Posted January 16, 2004 Share Posted January 16, 2004 What fun. I've been going to games since I was a little kid in the early 80s. My uncle (who was a student) and grandma (who works at the clinic still) would stand in line all day for tickets. I remember the band playing "na na nana hey hey hey goodbye" with the entire crowd singing at the end of the series sweep. The "start your bus" chant in later years and of course the cups. Even popping the wax cups after the games was fun. I still have the ND plastic ones. The new arena is a palace and a little too corporate. Hopefully seats will start going to people instead of businesses. A lot of new people are watching hockey, but they are seeing it for the first time. It'll get better. Is there anything nicer than having a beer while watching hockey? Only one bad incident so far with beer (on opening weekend when the student fell over the railing in the stair well) and the beer sales have bought us an $8 mill bball/vball arena. Wouldn't even be selling beer if the Ralph was in UNDs hands from the start. Duluth/DECC could fund their new arena if they started to sell. We need a favorite memory book on the Old Ralph with everyone contributing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwing77 Posted January 16, 2004 Share Posted January 16, 2004 I remember the only fond moment in the band that I had was at the Old Ralph. I can't remember who we were playing (I THINK it was UMD) but we started playing nanananana heyheyhey goodbye on the second game when it was sure we were going to sweep and then having some old ladies wearing UMD shirts (I know it was either UMD or UMN because it was maroon and gold. Since I don't remember the arena being full, I assume it was UMD) came over to Brooks (the director) and started yelling at him for being so "rude and inconsiderate." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diggler Posted January 16, 2004 Share Posted January 16, 2004 I was 3 for 3 on Spring break of getting in trouble at the old Ralph. Freshman year I got kicked out by a stupid security guard. Sophmore year I nearly got kicked out because I explained tripping to Robin Anderson and he didn't like it. Stupid catepillar lipped buffoon. Junior year, I busted open one of the seams on the glass. I never got in trouble other than during Spring Break. My favorite memory is 01Grad falling all the way down the steps and bloodying his hand up good. Funniest thing I ever saw, cause he wasn't seriously injured. Then of course there was the students weekly breaking of the door. You think they would've wised up or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goon Posted January 16, 2004 Share Posted January 16, 2004 My favorite memory is 01Grad falling all the way down the steps and bloodying his hand up good. Funniest thing I ever saw, cause he wasn't seriously injured. I am not so sure we want friends like you. That sounds painful. One time I was drunk at a hockey game (no, no, not me) Standing/sitting next to the glass beating on it in the visitors end below the band, I think it was while I was flipping off a Badger player. Well along comes the the big Campus Cop (you know the one that is really big with the bald head) he comes up to me to stop my drunken actions. Mind you I can hardly stand up and he tells me if I beat the glass one more time I am going to out of the arena on my ear. I told him in my drunken state I was still faster then him. For some reason he laughed at me and let me stay in the arena. I never touched the glass again ever... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diggler Posted January 16, 2004 Share Posted January 16, 2004 The big, bald cop came out once to check on us or something I guess while we were waiting to get for a Gopher game. As he was arriving he yelled, "Oh no here comes the cop! Hide your beer!" He became my favorite cop ever with that. I think it was the saturday game of 99-00, because I remember it being the coldest I have ever been. Freaking nearly unbearable when you are on a couch (the same one that got burned a year later ) under 4 blankets and still freezing. Though we had about ten 24 packs along with various other things as foot rests while on the couch. That was a plus. Also the exploding gopher in 99 was pretty nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WPoS Posted January 16, 2004 Author Share Posted January 16, 2004 You guys apparently never look beyond the hockey forum here. you mean there are other sections!??! WPoS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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