Dick Tuthill quoth:
>Btw,  Albany is a chip shot from anywhere and very cheap to get to.   Fly
>into this little place called NYC,  (featured in most promotional fares),  get
>a deal on a rental car,  and blast up the Thruway to the capital district.
>Just make sure to clear the metro area well before rush hour,  or your weekend
>fun will be a little bit less intense.
 
-- Or fly into Boston, which is 150 miles away.
 
I'd say I totally agree with just about everyone on this list. 3 or 4 years
ago (whenever Anaheim was announced as a site), I laughed and thought it
was a misprint. My friends and I all joked two years ago that instead of
spending the day at the Mall of America, we get to go to Disneyland instead
(the same thing?)
 
Playing pro hockey in Southern California is one thing; they've got the
Kings and the Ducks, and the NHL is omnipresent on TV sports channels.
 
College hockey is drastically different, however. I attended one of the
Freeze-Outs a few years back, and was appalled not only at the meager
attendance, but was simply disgusted when I was told that major roller
hockey games were drawing bigger crowds. Note that this was *before* the
RHI existed.
 
Assuming that the Prime network does exist in some homes in Southern Cal,
does the western Prime carry any of the college games? While Prime is a
national network, it does kowtow to regional interests when local
affiliates schedule programming.
 
A few humorous thoughts about the Frozen Four in Anaheim:
 
The Final Four consists of Michigan vs. Boston U, Michigan State vs. Boston
College. The fans are totally confused into thinking that the 3 games are a
best-of-three series between Michigan and Boston. Half of the fans only
show up for Game 3, figuring the deciding game is always the best. The
other fans receive their tickets, and thinking that there is a misprint,
show up for only one semifinal, assuming it's the championship.
 
Just imagine it:
Michigan. Michigan Tech. Northern Michigan. Michigan State. In CALIFORNIA.
 
Northeastern makes the Finals. Charlton Heston and legions of fans show up
to the games wearing purple, mistakenly thinking it was the Northwestern
football team's spring training. Bruce Crowder gets eaten by Jaws on the
Universal Studios tour.
 
Boston U makes it to the championship game. With 3 seconds left in
regulation, the score is tied with a faceoff in the BU zone. Thousands of
USC alumni in attendance begin to call for the Hail Mary play.
 
California fans confuse the Final Four with the RHI championships.
Thousands of kids show up, wondering just how the hell those guys skate
without wheels.
 
Lowell, Lake State, Bowling Green, and Clarkson make up the field. Not
knowing that any of these schools actually existed, none of the locals
actually show up. (unfortunately, this isn't funny because it might be
true...)
 
The Soo Lakers lose a key player in the semifinal. Millions of fans
throughout Los Angeles scream for Magic to leave retirement once again.
 
Merrimack, making their first Final Four appearance, must withdraw from the
tournament after three of their 6'4" defensemen are decapitated on Space
Mountain.
 
In attempt to bolster attendance, the owner of the Anaheim RHI team Jeannie
Buss, daughter of Jerry Buss, owner of the Lakers and the Forum, promises
to drive the Zamboni buck naked between each period (she had her own
pictorial in Playboy a year or two ago).
 
Harvard makes the championship. Half of Hollywood shows up, makes the
series a sellout (there are over 600 professional actors in CA that
attended Harvard -- no joke)
 
On yet another RHI tip, Anaheim hits 100 degrees for the Final Four
weekend. The four teams decide to settle the championship on in-line skates
and a Sport Court instead. The NCAA Final Four suddenly becomes the hottest
ticket in town, selling out in 20 minutes.
 
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