Hi -
 
On Wed, 6 Nov 1996, Greenie wrote:
> So the question is... if I go pick up one of those DBS (dinner-plate)
> dishes, would this help in picking up college hockey games (I'm not
> expecting local Boston or N.H. stations, just Prime sports, maybe the
> Midwest Sportschannel), or should I just save up for one of those "real"
> dishes?
 
   Well, speaking from my own experience, the Sports Package offered by the
"dinner-plate" (love that :-) dish providers is like Manna from heaven to
college hockey fans.  I don't own one myself, but last Spring I persuaded
my neighbor (with a dish) to sign up for the Sports Package from January
through March.  The "package" included Prime/MSC, NESN, and ESN, which
meant there was a game on every Fri. and Sat. night, primarily Gopher games
on the Minnesota Sports Channel :-) and a full slate of Hockey East contests
(including my beloved UNH Wildcats) on NESN.  But the real payoff came at
playoff time; NESN covered the HEA playoffs from Boston, ESN the ECAC play-
offs from Lake Placid, and MSC the WCHA Final Five and CCHA play-offs.  I
deleriously channel-surfed between 3 play-off series going on more-or-less
simultaneously in two time zones.  And to top it off, NESN then covered
the NC$$ Eastern Regionals from The 'Knick in Albany, and MSC the NC$$
Western Regionals from Munn in East Lansing.  What a weekend !!!  I took
Friday afternoon off and settled in at 3:00 PM to watch the Eastern Regionals
kick off, than watched the Eastern Regional 2nd round and the Western
Regional opening round (4 games total) on Saturday, topped off by Mike
Legg's incredible lacrosse-style goal vs. Minnesota.  20 spectacular games
spread out over three weekends - it was heaven !! (Note: this will be
compressed into just two weekends this year, as all four conferences will
stage their Championship Tournament on the same weekend).  And all this
for $8 / month !!  It's not the same as being there (which I surely would
have been had UNH been in Albany :-) but to a college hockey starved fan
in Southern Maryland it was the next best thing.  I've already put my
neighbor on notice that January is just around the corner; now it's up to
him to subtly let me know which brand of beer will be most effective as a
bribe this time around :-)
 
   Cheers from the Chesapeake - Jim
 
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