Misdirected

Sports fans love a heated rivalry—and the annual clashes between the Muskie boys’ hockey team and International Falls Broncos each winter certainly fit that bill.
And clearly a lot of people would love to see these exhibition showdowns resume. Trouble is, too often it was the “fans”—to use that term loosely—who got out of control.
People still remember an incident in the late 1960s when the buses/vehicles carrying the Broncos’ players and fans were vandalized in the arena parking lot here. Perhaps a similar situation happened to Muskie boosters when games were played at Bronco Arena.
The two-game series actually was axed for several seasons some years back over unruly behaviour. It did resume eventually, but again has been dropped for the past couple of seasons now.
Fort High principal Peg Keffer seems to bearing the brunt of the wrath—accused of taking the easy way out by keeping the series on ice. But that’s misdirected. The real blame rests on those who engage in disorderly, potentially dangerous, and possibly criminal behaviour that’s perhaps fuelled, sadly, by under-aged drinking of all things.
Would it be great to see the Muskie-Bronco boys’ hockey rivalry renewed? Of course. Unfortunately, there’s always those few who spoil it for everyone by failing to grasp that the action belongs on the ice, not in the stands or the parking lot.
It’s one thing to loudly and proudly root for your team; quite another when over-zealous support instead targets opposing fans.