I agree with Deron on this one!

The two games in Portland is such a good idea!  Especially since Alfond is
pretty much a closed arena except for the few who can afford season tickets
and who also live close enough to Orono so that it's worth it to buy them.

Ten years ago I could call the Monday before just about any game and get
tickets for my son and I for the game(s) that weekend.  In those days we
would always go at least to the BU games and we could ALWAYS get tickets
with no difficulty at all.  It was worth it to make the long drive a few
times every season.  I guess it's still possible to get tickets for some
games if you're willing to buy a "rival pack".  Having to buy a ticket to a
game that I will not go to is just wrong.  I really object to this "forcing"
kind of tactic.  I truly believe that this is the wrong approach if the goal
is to encourage basketball fan support.  And besides with 3 children in
college I just can't afford to buy tickets to games that I'm not going to go
to.

Let's face it; Maine is a national hockey power.  Maine has a LOT of hockey
fans and not just in the Orono/Bangor area.  The games in Portland make
Maine Hockey accessible to many more people in Maine.

And, there are many Maine Alumni in the Portland area and throughout New
England that are hockey fans and who make significant financial
contributions to the University.  To have the opportunity to go to a couple
games in Portland is good, important, and right!

And don't forget, the University of Maine is a Maine taxpayer supported
institution.  Maine taxpayers should have equal access to all events
including hockey.




-----Original Message-----
From: Deron Treadwell [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Wednesday, October 06, 2004 10:00 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: never hurts to try...

> surprised if it hasn't.  And, let's face it -- it's not as if the
> Portland people are overwhelmingly supportive of Maine athletics ...
> still can't quite believe that two games are going down there this
> year.


You can't have your cake and eat it too. You have criticized the
attempts to promote the state university's hockey team in the part of
the state with the most people and most wealth/disposable income (that
can be used to make donations to our beloved program).

Yet you also cry poverty and in other posts you explain to us (which we
appreciate, thank you!) how the financial side of things work and how
critical donations are.

To me, playing a game or two in Portland is a small price to pay if it
makes the southern part of the state feel involved and if it is done
right (as it has been in my opinion under Whitehead) you get the team
and the guys out in the community and it fosters all kinds of good
will, just like the events in the local Bangor area.

The problem is not the fans in Southern Maine, but the media who
doesn't give them the coverage.  We are starved down here, honestly, as
posts here have indicated.

Portland has packed a 6900 seat arena the last few years to see this
team since they've returned to Portland, (and I'll bet on two-sellouts
this year), so I find your comment about southern Maine not supporting
the team laughable, not to mention that if you don't ever come to
Portland, don't ever ask for those people to donate to the program.

Just my southern Maine retort.

- Signed: Life-long southern Maine resident who went to college in
Orono because of Maine hockey.