> The only good basic plan would be to combine the ECAC and new MAAC and
> give them one, maybe two entrants (given the ECAC's 0-6 record over
> two years, 0-3 this year, etc., etc., etc. Don't bother reiterating
> all the excuses -- academics, finances, hidden bias aginst elitist,
> whatever -- which are still nothing but excuses for the fact of having
> a weak league producing few-and-far-between great (NCAA caliber)
> teams).
 
Case in point why I get defensive over ECAC-bashing (see prior e-mail)
... ignorance like this.
 
John Whelan already hit on most of the points ... so I won't bother --
But please go back and look at the NCAA Tournament Final Four teams from
1985-1991
 
1985-RPI (champion)
1986-Harvard (runner-up)
1987-Harvard (4th)
1988-St. Lawrence (runner-up)
1989-Harvard (champion)
1990-Colgate (runner-up)
1991-Clarkson (T3rd)
 
Let's say we give 1 pt for 4th, 2 for 3rd, 3 for 2nd, and 4 for being
champ.
That 70 possible points in those seven years.
 
That would be 19.5 points out of 70.
 
That's 27.9 percent of all possible "points"
 
The ECAC represented 25% of the conferences...
That tells me it's doing pretty darn well ...
 
Now - expand that to 1996 if you wish --- when things haven't been as
great.
 
 
1994-Harvard (T3rd)
1996-Vermont (T3rd)
 
That's 22.5 points out of 120.
 
That 18.7% .... still respectable ...
 
Last year and this year, there have been none ...
 
Is this a consistent downward trend, or a cycle???  Who knows - there
are many theories by people actually thinking about it and not just
spouting off that the ECAC doesn't deserve bids.
 
Bottom line --- and I sound like a broken freakin' record --- perception
by many in the West is simply not reality.  College hockey would be
better served if we could get over these regional biases.
 
 
> Let them all play and let
> the playing teams decide who is deserving rather than some closed-door
> committee. So what if that adds two or three weeks to the season. I'd
> love it.
 
Have you been paying attention at all over the last 3 years to all the
discussion about how teams are chosen????  It is decided on the ice.
 
AW
 
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