Mark, Dick and Jim have hit on most of the points in this discussion.
I'll weigh in with just a couple of quick observations.
 
First, the T-U didn't get its name as the Times Useless for nothing.
Their sports coverage is woeful, except for Siena reporting, but their
hockey reporting is the absolutely dregs.  Buzz Gray, their expert hockey
columnist, continually exhibits his ineptitude, both in his game coverage
and his column.  Last week his column so incensed me that I called him up
and left a message on his voice mail.  Of course he didn't return the
call.
 
His column stated that: 1. The Frozen Four was being held in San Diego.
2. Right now (just before the first North Country debacle) RPI would get
the #2 seed in the East (regardless of Maine, UHN and BC's MUCH higher
Pwr, or the fact that RPI's was so low they wouldn't even garner an
at-large bid.)
 
His writing is so  poor I think Union is fortunate he doesn't write any
stories about their games.  I have voiced Mark's frustration with the
overall coverage of college hockey in the Capital District before, but
have come to the conclusion it isn't much better anywhere else.  Even
hockey hotbeds like Wisconsin, even Madison, don't give hockey coverage
much space.
 
Regarding Union, I hate to be so negative, but they really should pack it
in and return to D-3.  It is clear the administration has no intention of
putting a competitive team on the ice, at least not one which can
successfully compete at the D-1 level.  Their lack of support goes beyond
not providing scholarships.  They don't provide financial aid.
Non-scholarship schools like Colgate use liberal interpretations of
potential recruits' financial aid forms to provide need based financial
packages.  The Union administration refuses to even take that modest step
to support its hockey program.  In fact they are proud that they don't
provide any financial assistance to their hockey players.
 
I also doubt that Union will take the logical step to build a new enlarged
hockey arena.  I sure the administration will opt to save money and try to
renovate Achilles, although I understand there are major areas which have
to be addressed, like the entire refrigeration plant.  Union could have
had a beautiful two ice sheet constructed by a developer at a site only
about a mile from campus but opted to maintain the status quo.  This only
a year or two ago.  No reason to think that anything has changed in the
administration's thinking since then.
 
Finally, I think the NC$$ used to have a rule forbidding joint sponsorship
of NC$$ tournaments.  Obviously that has changed with Canisius and Niagara
sponsoring the 2002 Frozen Four in Buffalo, but that may be one reason why
Union hasn't been asked.  But then, who would want Union to assist in a
sponsorship of a major tournament at the Knick/Pepsi, when you only have
to look at the great job they do of sponsoring hockey at their own campus.
 
Please, this is not a knock to the players, or the great fans I know from
Union.  This is directed to the Union administration.  Take it or leave
it.
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Brian Morris               RPI Engineers--Cancel Clarkson and St. Lawrence
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