Just a quick response, Greg:
 
My criterion is that for most of us, save a few UNH rooters who are
still pissed about losing to Maine, the hockey was great, the fans were
great... yes, the roads were torn up and places nearby were not very
good for eating/drinking, etc... but dont diss the place just because it
is located far from the heart of college hockey.... believe it or not,
there are plenty of hardcore hockey fans out here... during the NCAA, I
arranged a TV setup in the union at Cal Poly and many students dropped
by and enjoyed the game. They were curious and even spotted differences
from the pro game (both rules and skill level) immediately. So dont diss
the place just because it is not in the North or East. If, indeed, the
game is to gain some wider range of acceptability, I claim Orlando,
Seattle, San Jose and Atlanta once in a while is not  a bad thing.
(Just for the record, the weather in Anaheim sucked.. it was, to us
Californians, very cold and windy.)
 
As for the people in Anaheim giving a s**t (whatever that is) I dont
know. And frankly, I dont care. I doubt if most folks in Providence
actually gave a s**t.
 
I consider 14 000 better than 12 000 in Providence.
 
And I saw no one there who didnt enjoy themselves and the games. to me,
that was the bottom line. If groups of rabid fans have to skip a tourney
once in a while because of distance, well, what can I say, most of us
skip them almost every year. I suppose we should just hold the tourney
in New England every year.
 
Tony Buffa
RPI '64
 
==================
[log in to unmask] wrote:
>
> I guess I'm one of those naysayers but, I'm curious.  What criteria are you
> using to describe Anaheim as "not that bad".  That it didn't snow (like it
> did in Milwaukee in '93) or that the freon didn't explode (like in
> Cincinnati).  On the other hand, no one in Anaheim gave two s**ts about
> college hockey.  We stayed at the Westin, once of the host hotels and had
> to confirm that, yes, colleges actually do field hockey teams.  And how
> about the numerous choices (not!) for dining between semifinal games.
>
> And as for the games drawing very well.  None of the three games was sold
> out.  The afternoon semifinal probably had no more than 8-9,000 people in
> the stands and, no matter what the NCAA has for a "paid attendance", the
> final had no more than 14,000.  It seemed to me that it was a long way to
> go to prove a point that Southern California (or Orlando or San Jose) is
> not the place for the hockey finals.
 
HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey;  send information to
[log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.