On Mar 20,  7:31am, Mark J. Sonnier wrote:
> Subject: Re: Study Time/Fan Support
> At 10:54 AM 3/20/96 -0500, Mike Machnik wrote:
>
> >I didn't say these schools' fans wouldn't support them if they made
> >the CCHA finals.  My point was that I did not believe a CCHA Final
> >Four consisting of these teams would draw as well as one that
> >involves, say, Michigan, MSU, LSSU, and BG.  They do not seem to have
> >as large a fan base, going by actual numbers.
>
> *liberally snipped*
>
> >However, the point is not that the fans that some teams have will not
> >support them.  It is that they do not have as many fans as some of the
> >other teams, like Michigan, MSU, etc. and that may well account for a
> >difference in attendance at the Joe.
>
> Point well taken.  In support of your assertion, I thought it was
> interesting that the MSU/UM game last weekend drew better than the final
> between LSSU and Michigan which, IMO, was the far better game.  Even then,
> though, neither was a sellout.  Perhaps there were other factors affecting
> attendance.  (Perhaps, like me, they watched it on Prime.)
>
 
        This wasn't a suprise to me.  It's common knowledge that
        Michigan and Michigan State will be the biggest draws for
        college hockey in southeast Michigan.  Although I will say
        there were more Laker fans present this year than ever before
        in my memory.
 
        There is a reason why both UM and MSU are invitated to the
        GLI in Detroit year after year.  If I remember correctly
        (and there's no guarantee that I do) Michigan Tech is the
        original host.  In recent years, Michigan has taken secondary
        host responsibilities, but that may be due, in part, to the
        fact that they pretty much own the tournament.  I don't think
        it's carved in stone anywhere that UM and MSU *must* be
        invited but they will always bring the most people.
 
 
> Also, your scenario of poor attendence in potential championship games
> between small fan base teams (not Michigan or State) will always be skewed
> so long as games are always held in Detroit.  This is not to say that the
> tourney site should move from year to year.  But if it did, (say to Ohio or
> Indiana) the Michigan influence might be diminished.  Maybe not...
 
        Perhaps, with completion of the Abel arena in the Soo, LSSU
        might want to host a west regional.  It would be just as
        close as Detroit for most teams west of Michigan.  Now
        if we can just look into that Kinross airport expansion ;-)
 
>-- End of excerpt from Mark J. Sonnier
 
 
 
--
Matt Wickey                                 LSSU '86
CIMLINC Inc.                                NCAA Champs 88 92 94
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