First, let me say I have no opinion on whether Div.III playoffs
	should be played at home sites or neutral sites.  My arguments
	are with regard to the Div.I NCAA tournament solely.
 
Graham Pugh writes:
>              As a veteran of a number of trips to Boston Garden for the
>ECAC finals, I'd say its dissapointing to find the Garden largely empty when
>(as last year) there were no teams from the Boston area in the tournament.  A
>home ice site would be much more exciting - even if that meant travelling up
>to the North Country (Canton/Potsdam) to see the game (as I have done).  I
>think the same argument can be extended to NCAA play.
 
	I agree it is much more interesting to see a game in an arena
	full of raucous fans.  The sad thing is that Boston area fans
	don't turn out regardless of who is playing.  We need more fans
	like Mike. (Does that require a smiley?)
 
	However I don't feel this argument should be extended to NCAA
	play.  The distance from any WCHA or CCHA city is much greater
	to the North Country than from Ithaca(Cornell).  But more impor-
	tantly, I would like to see college hockey attain a slightly
	higher profile.  The NCAA tourney is THE national tournament
	and hopefully would be visible via TV to a regional audience.
	This is much more likely to happen with neutral sites set well
	in advance rather than sites determined a week before play
	begins and in small media markets.  Perhaps someone will televise
	this year's pre-final four games.  Any station will do so long
	as the local hockey bar can pick it up on satellite.  We will
	shall see.
 
 
>        One more thing.  If a small school like Clarkson can compete with a
>large school like Wisconsin, I think it's great - airport or no airport!
 
	Do all ECAC schools have an inferiority complex?  Do you think
	I'm picking on Clarkson? the ECAC?
 
 
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Big Bad Mark				[log in to unmask]
Go Badgers!  Good luck Twinkies!
I herd it through the bovine ...  --- ABS
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