Avalanche Home: Etiquette Guide for Wild Fans

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Jan 30, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog (92) and defenseman Jan Hejda (8) fight Minnesota Wild center Kyle Brodziak (21) in the third period at the Pepsi Center. The Avalanche defeated the Wild 5-4. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

The Colorado Avalanche host the Minnesota Wild for opening night on October 8. This is a date that Avalanche fans have had circled in our calendars since the ignominious end to the 2014-15 season. (Ok, actually the ending was pretty good, but you get the point.)

I don’t know about other Avalanche fans, but seeing that the season opener would be against the Minnesota Wild created a mixture of feelings. I’ve made no bones about my hate for that team, and admittedly a lot of it stems from frustration. I felt a little nervous since Colorado had so much trouble scoring against them last season, and our young snipers are ever so mental.

However, once I considered that the Wild have nothing new to do to us — they injured one of our best players, booted us from the playoffs and gave us a horrible start to the Avs New Age season — I decided to allow the anticipation to build naturally. Like the rest of Avs Nation, I’m just excited to get the new season rolling.

As we near opening night, though, I would like to offer some advice to Minnesota Wild fans attending the game at Pepsi Center. This is not part of my usual Minny hate — this is genuine advice.

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1. Wear your jersey with pride.

There is an etiquette to attending games in someone else’s home arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

If you are a Minnesota Wild fan, you should naturally wear a Minnesota Wild jersey. Wear the green one, wear the away one — heck, wear the Christmas tree one. It’s your team, and you should feel free to wear a Zach Parise-Mikko Koivu-Ryan Suter sweater with pride.

If you don’t have a jersey, wear a t-shirt, sweatshirt or paint on your face. You’re there to support your team.

I assure you, I wear my Avalanche gear with pride everywhere I go. I’m going to be wearing my (almost) 20-year-old Patrick Roy jersey, homemade Avs earrings, my brand new Avalanche headband, my ancient Avs leather and a fanicure. If I were attending a game the Avalanche were playing in Xcel Energy Center, I would wear all the same gear.

Wearing a Matt Cooke sweater might be a bit awkward, but my understanding is he doesn’t have a ton of fans, and anyway, he’s not a Wild anymore.

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2. Cheer your team.

Apr 6, 2015; Saint Paul, MN, USA; Minnesota Wild fans support Minnesota Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk (not pictured) during the second period against the Winnipeg Jets at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Marilyn Indahl-USA TODAY Sports

It’s perfectly natural when you’re watching your favorite team play that you shout encouragement. Typically this takes on some form of “Go team!” Perhaps you’ll get specific about your favorite player. Perhaps you’ll let out a wordless cry of excitement when one of your players makes a fantastic play.

I assure you, I intend to scream any Colorado Avalanche player’s name when he has the puck. I will praise Semyon Varlamov when he makes athletic saves. I will do this in Pepsi Center the same as I would in any arena.

You, as a Wild fan, should do the same. You bought a ticket. Enjoy yourself.

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3. Enjoy libations.

Apr 6, 2015; Madison, WI, USA; Beer is served at the University of Wisconsin Memorial Union in Madison Monday night during the game between the Wisconsin Badgers and Duke Blue Devils in the NCAA Final Four Championship game. Duke defeated Wisconsin 68-63. Mandatory Credit: Mary Langenfeld-USA TODAY Sports

And those tater tot nachos — those tater tot nachos are delicious. The regular nachos at Pepsi Center are pretty good, too, and I saw a fan with street tacos at the preseason game against the Anaheim Ducks. Stay away from the hamburgers, though — they’re really not a great value.

I’m not going to tell you to drink responsibly. If you want to pay $7 to $9 a drink to get drunk, more power to you. The canned margaritas are a pretty good value. Just, you know, download the Lyft or Uber app first.

If you do get drunk, though, try to keep it cool. That actually brings me to the next etiquette advice.

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4. Don’t be an ugly drunk.

Sep 29, 2015; San Francisco, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers teammates spray champagne and beer on starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) in the locker room after clinching the NL west after a win against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park.The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the San Francisco Giants 8-0. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

This rule absolutely works both ways. However, here I’m going to start a theme to carry us through the rest of this post. Remember — you are not at home. If you are attending the October 8, Colorado Avalanche vs Minnesota Wild home opener at Pepsi Center as a Wild fan, you are not at home.

The Pepsi Center is the home of the Colorado Avalanche because it is in Denver, Colorado. (See the connection between locale and local team?)

Now, I fully admit there will probably be plenty of drunk Avs fans. They are going to be whomever they are when drunk — happy, silly, sexy, argumentative, aggressive… We all have our drunk personas.

I’m not going to justify their behavior except to say people at home should feel free to act naturally — within reason, of course. If an Avalanche fan is acting unruly, please look around for one of the security personnel in blue jackets and ask for assistance. I believe there’s even a number to which you can text for assistance.

Please do not feel free to follow suit in drunken meanness. You are not at home. You should not act as a guest how you would act at home. I would expect Avalanche fans in Minnesota to accord you and your home the same courtesy.

Let’s move on a little more with courtesy.

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5. Don’t disrespect our players and our team.

Colorado Avalanche players raise their sticks to the audience after the 5-4 win. Phot credit: Nadia Archuleta

As I remarked in a previous guideline, you should certainly feel free to cheer on your team. You bought your ticket, you certainly have that right.

You do not have the right to disrespect the Colorado Avalanche, though. You do not have the right to heckle Avalanche players, our coach, our plays — anything Avalanche.

Sorry, but this holds true even as we disrespect Minnesota Wild players, your coach, your plays — anything and everything Minnesota Wild.

Again, this is our home barn — this Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado, home of the Colorado Avalanche. Every team has the right to having unwavering support in their home barn. Every team’s fan base has the right to freedom from hearing their team heckled in one place — their home arena.

I’ll get to the rationale in a moment, but please remember a couple things. First, I would absolutely expect any Avalanche fan in Xcel Energy Center to mind those same manners. Second, that type of bad behavior is what incites the fights in the stands. (That and the drunkeness — see above.)

Third, it may seem like you outnumber us, but you don’t. Even when the Chicago Blackhawks come to town, the ratio is still roughly 65% Avs to 35% Hawks. Don’t incite a riot.

Last etiquette rule coming up with the promised rationale.

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6. Don’t disrespect Colorado Avalanche fans.

Apr 30, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Minnesota Wild and Colorado Avalanche fans pose for a photo before the start of game seven of the first round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Once again, I’m going to drive home my point — the Pepsi Center is our home. Please don’t disrespect us, and please don’t start fights with us. Remember — you’re the visitor, and every etiquette in the world requires visitors to be on their best behavior.

Now, I get as the hosts we’re supposed to be a little bit courteous on our own. Let me explain something, though. Avs Nation is a small but proud fan base. And it’s mostly comprised of native Coloradans, or those who have been here a long time.

When we walk into Pepsi Center and see a sea of opponent fans, it reminds us of all the out-of-state plates we see on our streets.It reminds us of how clogged those streets have become, especially when we’re trying to get out and enjoy our mountains.

Seeing all those opponent fans reminds us of how fast our rents are skyrocketing — certainly much faster than our wages — as outsiders come in with their inflated real estate prices. Speaking of wages, it reminds us of how far fewer jobs there seem to be as up to 2,000 people a month invade our home.

Coloradans in general are a pretty mellow people. But when you confront us with your otherness, it reminds us of all we’re losing to that otherness. You don’t realize how much red we see in your green Minnesota Wild t-shirt.

Except now you do.

So, come to our state. Enjoy yourself. Bring your team alliances with you. But please remember that you are not at home.

In short, mind your manners, because the passions run much deeper than Av Nation’s love for the Colorado Avalanche.

Next: Avs Season Opener v Wild

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