On Fri, 9 Jan 1998 16:39:07 -0500 Carl Sussman wrote:
 
> That is a strange group of teams to select.  None of the hockey esat teams,
> to my knowledge, have a particularly large NYC alumni base (possible
> exception of BU?  Any BU alumni know about this?)
 
I grew up in, and have lived in the greater Boston area all my life.  My four
years at BU were the time when I lost my Boston accent and picked up a New York
one.  I had roommates from Lawn Guy-lund, da Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and the
Catskills.  BU has a huge alumni and enrolled student base in the tri-state
area.  In the 1980's, BU played a football game against Grambling at Yankee
Stadium.  But like what has already been said, New York is a pro sports town.
Considering the dating for this event, I don't see it working.  Frankly, I see
the promoters losing some serious bucks.
 
> As for the Fleetcenter:  I see that the gripes about it are already
> starting to roll in.  In my opinion however, it's a great, if somewhat
> sterile, place to watch a hockey game.  The arena is well designed so that
> the view from every seat is good (except apparently, for the seating for
> the disabled, which was reported to have raised some ADA concerns) -- and I
> should know, because I've sat in the worst seats in the place (last row
> upper deck, behind the net).  There are no obstructed views at Fleetecnter,
> and the scoreboard is big and easy to read (effects are pretty creative
> too).
 
The complaints about the Fleet Center are so typically Bostonian.  Yes, the
concessions are a ripoff (make sure you have a good meal before the game), and
the effects can be an annoyance.  For years natives complained about the
shortcomings of the old Boston Garden.  Once the new arena came up, everyone
went looking straight for the faults and forgot about how big an improvement it
was over the old place.
 
> It is also very convenient for mass transit, sitting atop a major
> subway hub.  The only drawback is that parking at Fleetcenter, as at every
> other place in Boston, is a nightmare (and don't get me started on
> Cambridge, where I'm lucky if I can park near my own damned street).  I
> would *strongly* recommend the T (Boston's cryptic name for its subway) to
> all visitors.
 
Out-of-towners take note.  Leave your car at home and take public
transportation.  You'll be thankful for it, and believe it or not, it will give
you a feel for the city on the off day.
 
--
Edward N. Moller
Controller
Mount Ida College
Newton Centre, MA  02159-3323
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