>--Just curious as to why the Bradely Centre would book the rink out at
>that time if they have a contract with the WCHA to hold the Final Five
>there every other year or something.....Who had the rink booked?
>Maybe in future the Bradely Centre should keep regular the Final Five
>tourny in conjunction with the other leagues....maybe a mistake was made,
>but it should not happen again....Their will be some benefit to some
>teams---but to which teams and how much will be determined this weekend...
 
The Bradley Center was the host of the NC$$ Basketball First and Second
Round that weekend, which brings in much, much more money than the WCHA
Final Five.  While loyalty has to be considered, you also have to factor in
these things:
 
- The basketball tourney has 8 teams, WCHA has 5 (more fans for local hotels
and restaurants makes the city very happy)
 
- Average attendance for the 5 WCHA games was about 10,000, while it appears
(I don't have any numbers) that the 6 basketball games were pretty close to
sold-out, at a much higher price.
 
- I believe the Bradley Center is trying to attract a regional final for
basketball, so they have to keep the NC$$ happy.  The WCHA is lucky to have
a very good hockey facility in the Bradley Center, and would probably come
back no matter what.  Plus, they are letting basketball take precedence this
year, since the hockey Phinal Phour is there next year.
 
Being a Milwaukee native, I can understand why Milwaukee and the Bradley
Center chose this option.  If the WCHA really opposed to the change of date,
they could have moved it (was the St. Paul Civic Center open last weekend?)
I don't think the time off will really hurt Colorado College and Minnesota.
 
 
Todd D. Milewski   [log in to unmask]
"U-Rah-Rah Wisconsin!"
 
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