Well, I saw the smileys.. but the point needs to be made, if
you had to pay for someone else to come play you, wouldn't you
maximize the advantage (in this case, miles) while minimizing cost?  I
realize that in this less than perfect world, it's necessary to offer
something to get teams to come up, but don't forget that while your
team may fly up once, we have to fly out 8 or 9 times.  I think the
play of both UAA and UAF this season *should* convince people that we
can play with--and beat--the big name teams.  We have a right to play,
and to be treated as equals...  The geographical distance is more of
an inconvenience to us than it is to you.
        Another point I'd like to make... at this moment, UAA and UAF
are in a quandry as to how to maintain our (rather fierce) rivalry.
The NC$$ allows 34 games, the WCHA takes 32 of UAA's, forcing us to
give up the traditional Christmastime tournament play if we wish to
play UAF both at home and in Fairbanks, which is something that
everyone in Alaska wants to see.  However, we also loved to be able to
bring up the big names for our Nissan/Jeep Classic in December, and to
be able to play an occasional team outside of our league other than
UAF, even if only one weekend a year.  Now to my point.  Currently we
have to decide between UAF and Nissan/Jeep, having only one free
weekend.  But the rest of the WCHA has two weekends, because their two
games in Alaska do not count against the 34 allowed by the NC$$. Even
though most of their rivalries are within the WCHA, they do not have
to make this choice.  This seems *extremely* unfair to me that UAA is
not allowed an extra weekend like these other teams.  Think about it.
UAA played 17 home games this season.  1 of the away games was at
Fairbanks, for a total of 18 games played in Alaska.  What's good for
the goose...  Seems to me that increases the number of games we
should be allowed to play, assuming only the 18 are played in AK, to
54.  Now I know that sounds ridiculous.  It should, and I'm certainly
not proposing that UAA and UAF be allowed an infinite home schedule,
with only the lower 48 games counting against the 34, but to force us
to make a choice like that while giving the rest of the league an
extra weekend to play with is pretty ludicrous in my opinion.
--
Brady W. Clark -- System Manager, saturn.uaamath.alaska.edu  "UNIX?  At UAA?!?"
University of Alaska Anchorage Department of Mathematical Sciences
[log in to unmask] "I just want something I can never have..."
or - [log in to unmask], [log in to unmask]           -Nine Inch Nails
U.S.Snail - P.O. Box 110731, Anchorage, AK  99511-0731    -- GO SEAWOLVES! --
Brady's views are shared by virtually no one, especially not his employers.