For some reason I didn't see the first response to my post from RPI,
I only see the response to the response on my list so I'll just comment
on what I read in that.
In the post, it was said that I haven't given a lot of thought to how the
regionals are done, which is far from the truth. Ever since "that night"
(2 years ago today to be precise)when the UMaine hockey team, about 25
busloads of students and about 6000 fans drove 6+ hours to Providence (ok,
the team flew, we drove) and watched MSU pull off an incredible
upset, I have said the regional format is wrong. I liked the "old" way
of best 2 out of 3, on campus, at the higher seeded school. I like that
format for several reasons:
* Higher seeded teams deserve the home-ice advantage.
They have earned the right to host games because during the season,
they were the better team. The higher seeded team is supposed to be
rewarded for their performance, and just giving them a first-round bye,
and an extra day off, doesn't cut it (Ask Michigan how much good it did them).
"Unfair!" you may cry, but the higher seeded teams have earned it by
playing solid hockey for 6 months. For teams like Michigan this year,
Maine, and Minnesota in '92, making them play at a "neutral site"
invalidates the regular season. Home ice is supposed to be a reward for
playing superior hockey during the year.
* Fan support.
I realize that by playing the regionals at large, off-campus facilities,
the NC$$ and those cities make a tidy profit. However, to fans who have
followed the team all year, its not fair to then move the playoff games
to a site a thousand miles away (UM-Lowell, Wisconsin, Western Mich, NU
are examples) and expect them to travel all that way to see a hockey game.
However, there will always be fans willing to make the trip (If Merrimack
had a game scheduled at the North Pole, I am sure Mike would be there :-> )
Also, consider that a total of 20000 people, give or take, attended the
games at the Knick. If you move those games to on-campus sites, with
2 out of 3 series, you'll have more hockey, and more attendance (which in
terms the NC$$ can understand, means more $$).
It would be an opportunity for the NC$$ to do the right thing, AND make a
profit at the same time.
To continue on the "fan theme", I have seen what an intense, energetic crowd
can do for a team on the ice. When you are out there and look into the
stands and see thousands of people cheering you on, its quite a boost.
There have been times at Alfond when the crowd almost "willed" the team
to score, as I am sure has happened at rinks all over. However, looking
into a half-filled arena (even if it is more people) doesn't quite have
the same effect. When you play a game at Alfond there are 5200+ people
packed into every nook and cranny in the place. When you play at a place
like Providence, the Knick, or even The Garden (I'll never call it the
Shawmut Center) you have 9-10,000 fans, but an awful lot of empty seats.
I'd prefer to see a packed arena, even if the total number of fans is
smaller.
Some people might argue that by moving the games on-campus, and reducing
the total capacity at attend games, fewer fans could attend. Not so.
There were 20000 at the Knick. If you moved BU's game to BU, you'd have
a packed house (3500?). *2 games would be 7000. UNH would easily pack
Snively for a game against RPI, which would be another 6000 fans for 2
games. I have no idea what the capacity of the on-campus arenas are out
west, but I believe they are larger than the arenas here in the east, so
would it be out of line to think Wisconsin could draw 7000 for a 2 game
series? Thats 20000 right there, and I haven't even added in Harvard yet.
"Something doesn't sound right", many of you are likely thinking. Yes,
I have considered that it would take a full weekend to play the first round
games, and then another to play the second round games. Here's how we
solve that:
* Move the schedule up one week
* Have first round games on-campus the weekend after league championships,
as was done this year. #6 at #3 and #5 at #4
This way, we would not have a situation like WMU/Wisconsin. How far
apart are their campuses? And they traveled 8-900 miles to play at the
Knick? Pretty big waste of money and resources.
* Winners play on-campus of #1 and #2 seeds the following weekend. This
way the BU's, Harvard's, Michigan's and Minnesota's of the world are
rewarded for their play during the season.
* Winners advance to the Phinal Phour on the following FRIDAY. The Hobey
Baker Award is presented on Saturday (who knows, maybe CBS would mention
it at some point in their telecast of the other Final Four?) and the
Championship Game is played Sunday afternoon, in front of a national
TV audience on ESPN. The Hockey Final should be more of a draw than the
Women's B-Ball Championship.
Yes, it is a drastic change from the present format, and I am sure a lot
of people will pick this idea apart, but that's ok. It would be a boring
world if everyone agreed on everything. I just think that this would be
the best way to have the playoffs decided. The best teams during the
regular season should be the teams that decide the championship.
John Forsyth
"We are the champions..at least for one more week"
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