First of all, thanks to Erik for correctly identifying me as a male.
 
On Tue, 8 Feb 2000, Erik Biever wrote:
 
> Sample travel distances and times
> (information drawn from www.mapquest.com):
> Nope, I just can't figure it out.
 
OK, you win the geography prize. :-)  But please explain to me why the
attendance at the Joe Louis Arena has been so dismal it has virtually
dropped out of the running.  The Detroit area probably is the #1 market in
America for hockey, and boasts a plethora of D1 and D3 programs.  And
other areas which are more centrally located to the programs, like
Chicago, are also apparently DOA.  I am not discounting anything that Erik
and the Western H-L people ( and like H-L in general, steadily dwindling)
say.  Campus arenas apparently are the only way you can guarantee
satisfactory attendance at the West Regionals.  I just don't understand
why any neutral site venue, other than Grand Rapids, can't generate
satisfactory attendance, especially when the local area has sufficient
number of fans to support it.
 
And also, I believe the Pepsi Arena's capacity is about 14,200, but I'll
check on it.  The only time it has sold out for a sporting event was the
Sub-Regionals B-ball tournament in 1996.
 
Doesn't anyone think it's a travesty that the NC$$ grabs all the seats at
center ice for the big shots?  It's become a slap in the face for all the
fans like us out there who have supported the Tournament all through
the years and built it into the success it has become.  It's particularly
galling to go to one of those big arenas (Bradley 1997) which "sold out"
in May of the previous year and see all those empty seats.  I couldn't
even sell an extra seat (at face value) for the championship game.
(Soapbox off)
There, I feel much better now.
****************************************************************************
Brian Morris                       RPI Engineers--A February to Remember?
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