<<If I were a Union College hockey fan, I'd be hopping mad right now.>>
 
Having spent 5 years in the Capital District, including four as the Voice of
the Dutchmen", I can certainly understand what's going on here.
 
In the early-mid 80's, the difference cited was RPI's Division I, and Union's
Division III.
Now, Union's poor play has relegated them to the small type of even the local
paper.
What it comes down to, I think, is exposure, and following.
 
Union rarely fills Achilles, which is half the size (or less) of the
Fieldhouse.  While the students and the alumni support the Dutch, the passion
that is Rensselaer hockey has never gone significantly beyond Union's campus.
 
Add to that Union's unwavering stand re: competing in Division I on the same
(fiancial aid/scholarship) level as the other schools, and you get the
distinct difference in media coverage.
 
Believe me, if Union sold out every game at Achilles, and was competitive on
the ice, this wouldn't happen.  Unfortunately, we're a long way away from ever
seeing that.
 
What is going on with Union and RPI is very similar what goes on, coverage
wise, in metro NY.  When the Islanders were skating around with their four
consecutive Stanley Cups, they received plenty of attention from all of the
NYC papers.  But now, with that team floundering and averaging 5000 empty
seats a night, the NYC coverage has dropped--lots of wire stories for road
games, few advance (i.e. day of game) stories.  The Rangers, who have only a
slightly better chance of making the playoffs than the Isles, still receive a
ton of regular coverage as they are the dominant team in the NY market.
 
For Union to get more balanced coverage in the Capital District media, they
need to just two things: Sell more tickets and Win more games.  It wouldn't
hurt if WRUC could get its act together and get the games on the air, either.
 
Eric Hornick
Voice of the Dutchmen '82-86
 
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