I think Boston and St. Paul are locks, so that leaves everyone else to
fight over the third one.

If Detroit (you know, Hockey Town USA.. gag) had submitted their bid
with Joe Louis Arena as the venue, I'd probably give them the nod.  But
they've left the door open by using Ford Field.  (No thank you).

So DC has as good of a shot as anyone.  I would rather go to Tampa or
Washington before Detroit or Philly.

-Deron


--- "D. B. Doucette" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> To update everyone, the finalists are already named for three berths:
>
> http://www.uscho.com/news/2005/04/14_010593.php
>
> Summary:
>
> Boston, in the TD Banknorth Garden; Detroit, at Ford Field;
> Philadelphia, at
> the Wachovia Center; Tampa, at the St. Pete Times Forum; St. Paul,
> Minnesota, at the Xcel Energy Center and Washington, D.C., hosting at
> the
> MCI Center.
>
> NY City did NOT submit a bid.  One now has to wonder where AD Nero
> was
> coming from to even mention that in part of comments to the
> press....oh,
> well....
>
> Perhaps even more odd is that a bid was retained into the final group
> to
> play the game on a temporary surface at Ford Field (home of the
> Detroit
> Lions in the NFL).
>
> I'm torn on my third preference past Boston and (gasp) St. Paul.
> While I am
> very familiar with the DC group bid, I might like Tampa for the
> Tortorella
> connection.  Thinking, though, that a Tampa bid might be for hosting
> 5+
> years from now, I wonder where the coach might be after such a long
> time.
> I'll stick with DC.
>
>