> Do you also go to NHL games?
> If not, why not?
 
I guess I can speak about this from both points of view...I was a season
ticket holder at Rensselaer and I am currently a season ticket holder for
the Hartford Whalers. (Yes, we really DO exist...)
 
As a possible explanation for why some pro teams like the North Stars can't
sell as many season tickets as the University of Minnesota, here's an eye
opener: when I was at RPI, I was paying about $50 or $60 dollars for season
tickets (I think that's what it was...beer+time=forget). Current Whalers
tickets cost between $1100 and $1300. For those of you keeping score, that's
a little bit of a difference.
 
The games are very different, as well. I don't think there are too many NHL
arenas where five thousand people will collectively yell 'shit!' when a shot
misses the net as we did at RPI (do this still happen?). The president of
an NHL team is not often seen driving the Zamboni (See ya, Dan Berg!!!). And
NHL teams are not guaranteed a captive audience of thousands of people sitting
around on campus with nothing to do on a Saturday night. Just try to sneak an
orange into the Montreal Forum...
 
On the other hand, the hockey in the NHL is MUCH better. Don't get me wrong...
I've seen some fantastic college hockey and I love the sport; but the NHL is
where it's at for the best action.
 
College hockey is a lot of fun...the games are a lot more fun to attend, the
fans are more lively, the pep bands more humorous, the prices are cheaper,
the rinks are smaller, the rivalries more intense (Union sucks), and it's fun
to watch guys like Adam Oates and Joe Juneau before they get to the NHL. But as
a HOCKEY fan, I prefer the NHL.
 
Before being critical of fair-weather fans, think about the prices for a few
moments. Would you spend $150 dollars to take your spouse and child to see
your favorite team knowing that it means a 30 minute trip, parking hassles, and
a good chance of losing, at the same time as the game is on TV? Contrast that
to a road trip with your friends and a $10 outlay for tickets and beer. It's
just a different world.
 
-Steve Gallichio (RPI '89)
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