>On the specific issue of having the Phinal Phour in Anaheim, I think that
>it's going to be an attendance disaster.  College hockey isn't going to
>create a whole bunch of new fans in the area with three games in three days.
> There isn't a large fan base there to begin with.  While those of us on the
>list sound as if we're going to be there in abundance (I will be), we aren't
>exactly a representative sample of the college hockey fan base.  I don't
>think that there will be a huge number of people who plan there whole
>vacation structure around going to Southern California for a hockey
>tournament.
>
>Besides which, the Phinal Phour only draws really big crowds for a team that
>is almost local, in particular folks who show up on Saturday after their team
>has won the semis.  We had the Maize and Blue river that poured down I75, the
>BU fans in Providence and so forth.  I had a lot of trouble unloading an
>extra pair of seats I had picked up in St. Paul two years ago, and that was
>with the Gophers in the event, but not thought likely to win the first game.
>
>So, I don't think that college hockey ought to put too many eggs in the
>basket of extending it's regional support.  And I certainly think that those
>of us trying to get tickets in Milwaukee for next year ought to be given
>priority if we agree to buy tickets for Anaheim.
>
>J. Michael Jackson
>
Some observations on college hockey with the Mouse:
 
1.  Many college hockey fans find the prospect of St. Paul or (gad !)
Cincinnati much less attractive than southern California for a substantial
trip away from home.
 
2.  The traveller will find it much cheaper to get to LAX or Orange County
than to the out-of the way places of previous years, or future years.
Really, how easy is it to fly into Albany, how much choice do you have, how
expensive for the extra trip up from a "major" airport on a puddle-jumper ?
Also, what about when the Phinal Phour takes up ALL the good local hotel
rooms near the venue, and they ask extortion prices for rooms, or off to
the boonies to flea bags for cheap money ?
 
3.  As to game tickets, does anyone really think the non-participant-school
ticket allocation will NOT sell out, when you consider how the Mouse will
promote it ?
 
4.  Paul Kariya won the Lady Byng trophy this year, the Hobey Baker while
in college. Is Kariya the promotional tool the Mouse would absolutely use
as their "ambassador" to that year's games ?   Is it entirely out of the
question that the Ducks could be a contender in 1998-99 when you consider
the Florida Panthers rise this year ?  Remember, they don't have to win the
Cup, just contend.
 
When you wish upon a star....makes no difference who you are...eh ?
 
 
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