I know that this has been dealt with before, but I just want to throw in
my 2 cents in.
 
Whether it's played by 50 schools or 500 schools, College Hockey is a
great game.  It's 10 times better than the watered-down, goon-infested
NHL.  It's about skill, teamwork, rivalries, blood, sweat, and tears.
It's about miraculous comebacks, overtime thrillers, and dreams coming
true. It has all of the elements that a team spectator sport needs to be
popular.  So that begs the question:  Why doesn't it catch on?
 
There are several reasons for this, most of which have been talked about
on Hockey-L.  But I'll list a few of the big ones here anyway:
 
1) Lack of interest in Hockey in general.
2) Lack of schools playing the sport.
3) Lack of TV Coverage.
4) Lack of Media Coverage.
 
Number One applies to ALL levels of the sport, including the NHL.  Hockey
is still in it's formative stages in the US, and it might take a long time
until it's as big as basketball, football, and baseball.  Number Two I
think will gradually fix itself.  Omaha and Mankato are just the start.
Numbers Three and Four kind of go together and are a catch-22 for College
Hockey.  In order to get TV/media Coverage, you need to have broad-based
support.  But in the 1990's, in order to gain new fans, you have to be on
television (sort of like the experience without a job thing).  This makes
it hard for College Hockey to make any headway.  Those are the problems.
Now, what is the responsibility of the fans to solve them?  The answer is
COMPLAIN, COMPLAIN, COMPLAIN!!!  No one will listen to us if we suffer in
silence.  Remember, the squeaky wheel gets the grease.  Don't tolerate
having "VitaleBall" rammed down our throats.  Being vocal is the greatest
weapon we have against basketball imperialism.  It's up to us as much as
it is up to the media giants and the conference commissioners.  E-mail
major media outlets, and anyone else that would care.  Tell them you want
College Hockey coverage.  Let them know that there is a market for this
game.  Think about it, people.  There's power in numbers.
 
Brian.
(GO SIOUX, LET'S REPEAT!)
 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fighting Sioux Hockey
Div. I National Champions:
1959, 1963, 1980, 1982, 1987, 1997.
 
My Official Web Site: http://members.tripod.com/~unvarnished_truth/
 
HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey;  send information to
[log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.