I would agree that _at the moment_ college hockey is a sport,
to the general public at least, of mainly local interest.  I live in
Anchorage, and--sadly, this last season at least--live and die by the
Seawolves.  If you asked me to voice my own completely biased
dreamworld opinion, I would say it's a crime that the UAA-UAF series
doesn't show up at least on the deuce.  But that is not my only
interest in the sport, and I hope that most of us on the list would
agree.  And if you want a travelling across the country story, I
recently saw my first college hockey game that took place outside of
the state of Alaska and which I had the good fortune to witness in
person.  I scheduled a long-awaited vacation around it!  I was
fortunate enought to be present for the last college hockey game to
take place at the Boston Garden.  And as I watched BU defeat
Providence 3-2 for the Hockey East championship in what I thought was
actually a rather excellently played game on both sides, my team was
on spring break, their season over.  And I wasn't there to doggedly
root for either side.  I was there to bask in the glory of the GAME.
I watched the fans of each team go crazy.  I appreciated good plays on
both sides of the puck.  And I can't remember enjoying a hockey game
more.  (Well.... maybe when the Seawolves beat CC short-handed in OT
this last February... but come on.  How often does *that* happen?
*grin*).  I was in heaven.
        What I'm trying to say is that I think most of us who root for
a college hockey team and recognize or at least appreciate that
feeling.  I think it's a feeling that any lover of college sports or
of team sports in general can appreciate, especially when subjected to
games of such significance to the participants as Minn-Wisc, or any of
the other matchups I've seen mentioned.  And I don't think that there
is any inherent reason that college hockey would remain a local
interest sport.  Virtually my entire experience with college hockey
has been watching WCHA opponents at the Sully and listening to
Seawolves road trips on the radio.  You give me CCHA, ECAC and HE on
TV and I won't miss a single game.  Compare college hockey and college
hoops.  Our fans are no less rabid than theirs.  Personally I think
the fact that there are so many more Div. I teams in basketball just
makes all the less likely that a broadcast game is going to involve a
team that a given person has any interest in.  Inherently there's no
difference.  So why them and not us?  More teams closer to more of the
bigger markets brings in sponsorship.  Money for the network.
        We can be just as big.  We all know (*grin*) that our sport is
more exciting.  But a few people, even quite a few people, writing
letters to ESPN sadly is not going to do it.  We need a jump-start.
Personally I can only see two ways of this happening in the short
term.  First, we could go for some sponsorship.  Maybe the whole New
England angle could draw some cash from Ben & Jerry's.  They might
even name some flavors!  Terrier Truffle... Black Beary... insert
cheesy idea here...  You get the idea.  Second, get some new Div. I
teams in major areas.  Why no teams closer to New York City and D.C.?
I have a nephew who plays pee-wee in Seattle... I know the youth
leagues there are big enough to provide fans and players to start a
team in that area.... as long as it's not at the big football school.
Salt Lake City?  Surely there has to be a school in Utah that could
support it.
        This doesn't mean that I'm going to stop wishing for more
college hockey on ESPN, and writing to voice my opinion.  Or that I'm
going to stop being angry with them for cutting to a golf tournament,
in clear violation of their own stated policies.  And while I don't
understand them doing that, I understand where the attitude comes from
that caused it to happen.  And it's not our sport.  We've got a great
and exciting sport with everything anyone could ask for.  That's why
we want to see college hockey on ESPN.  We're deservedly proud of our
athletes, our teams, and their accomplishments and want the world to
share them with us.  But again, it's not our sport that keeps this
from happening.  It's our sports poor marketing of itself.
 
Brady Clark
[log in to unmask]
"Stand up and HOWL..... Here come the SEAWOLVES!"