Hockey chants: Metrics and politics

The University of Wisconsin has a "raucous, jeering, taunting student section" at home hockey games, as it was put here by the Anchorage Daily News. Last night, the University of Alaska – Anchorage Seawolves skated against the Badgers in the Kohl Center. The Badgers took a 3-0 lead and won 3-2. It was a 'physical game', as the euphemism goes, with two key Badgers injuries, one that looked bad.

I've noted the creativity of the student section before, chanting 'racist mascot!' when the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux come, and 'cite your sources!' when an opposing goalie had been kicked out of an earlier scholarship for plagiarism. These exemplify the metrical patterns that's clearly preferred:

x . x .

That is, two trochees – four syllables strong/weak, strong/weak. I knew that we'd hear "Whát's a Séawolf?", and was hoping that we'd get some Sarah Palin chants. Certainly she made an impression on folks who follow the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (which Wisconsin and Anchorage belong to).

Sure enough, when a Seawolf was ejected for a play that left Blake Geoffrion — yes, he's the son of Bernie 'Boom Boom' Geoffrion — writhing on the ice, the students just pointed at the Seawolf and chanted "Sárah Pálin", maybe calling him a loser. Shortly thereafter, they started a call and response:

Call: Sarah Palin. Response: Sucks.

Then:

I see Russia!

And finally:

Russian rejects!

The missus was hoping for this one:

You're no maverick!