Mark Grassl writes:
 
>         Other western sites for the NCAA hockey "semifinals and finals"
>         might include:  Denver, Columbus, and Cleveland with host schools
>         DU, Ohio State, and Kent.  Do any of these cities have large arenas
>         suited for hockey?
 
Well, speaking for Columbus (who else around here would?:-), there are many
reasons why one would not host the NCAA's here.  The most pressing reason is no
arena large enough.  The Columbus Chill (ECHL) play at the largest arena that
can do hockey in this city, the Fairgrounds Coliseum, and they can only pack
5500-6000 in there.  Given OSU's lack of support of its hockey program, I would
be willing to bet they would even go so far as to refuse to host anyway.  OSU
would have to build a new rink and begin to treat its program as if it mattered
and Columbus would have to agree to put ice in the Veterans' Memorial before it
would even begin to be feasable to put NCAA's here.
 
There is a question of fan interest around here, but with Michigan, BGSU, and
Miami within about 3 hours or so and given the huge following the Chill has
here, I think that if promoted sufficiently, it could sell very well here.
Maybe it would even help to focus attention on the sorry shape of the Buckeye
program and facilities...but, don't look for anything to happen here in my
lifetime, and certainly not while Gee is still president of the university and
not while Jerry Welsh is still coach.  (You'd think he'd retire from
embarrassment by now.)
 
 
        ****************************************************************
        *        Dave [log in to unmask]         *
        *                  Cornell '91 OSU Med '95                     *
        * I may be in debt for the rest of my life, but I get to wear  *
        *             this cool, white lab coat all the time.          *
        ****************************************************************