From: Brian Morris <[log in to unmask]>
 
|> [some stuff deleted]
|>
|> And in light of the apparent vigorous competition for the Phinal Phour, how did
|> Cincinatti ever land the 1996 tournament?  Has there ever been a college hockey
|> game at Riverfront, or whatever name it is?  The only hockey I can remember
|> at Cincinatti was the old Cincinatti Stingers of the WHA, and I think they only
|> lasted one season.  Please, I'm not flaming Ohio.  Just another NC$$ puzzle--
|> at least to me anyway.
 
To my knowledge, there has never been a college game at Riverfront
Coliseum in Cincy. Team USA played the Buffalo Sabres in an exhibition
game in '91, and last year the Flyers played the Flames in a neutral
site game.
 
Since the Stingers played, the Cincinnati Cyclones were formed and
played two years in the ECHL. They led league attendence, bringing in
over 10,000 per game while playing at the Cincinnati Gardens. Last
year, they played their first season in the IHL, but I don't remember
seeing attendence figures for them. They played in the Gardens again
though.
 
Miami is the host of the '96 Phinal Phour and they've really turned
their program around in the last 3-4 years. From a 'college'
perspective, I'd image that they're expecting to draw upon CCHA fans
with Miami, OSU, Notre Dame, and BGSU being relatively close to Cincy.
I imagine they're expecting to draw from the Cyclones fans and the
Dayton Bombers (ECHL) fans as well.
 
Ticket prices will be the key to success in this area. In the past,
games at the Coliseum have gone for $25-30 per ticket. That may not
seem like much to some of you out there, but for this area, it's kinda
steep when the best seats for the Cyclones go for around $10, and $11
for the Bombers. And a Redskins game at Miami is even more economical
than that.
 
Attendence for the TeamUSA/Sabres game was around 3000. The
Flyers/Flames game drew about 8000, but we had an ice storm that day
and I'm sure that adversely affected attendence.
 
Only time will tell, but I think that Cincy will do just fine hosting
the Phinal Phour with Miami at the helm. I anxiously await it's
arrival.
 
|>
|> Oh well.  I'm probably suffering from sour grapes--at this rate Albany might
|> host the finals in 2001--somehow that seems fitting.
|>                     _
|>             "NYS   // Hockey"
|>         Go 'Gate  //   Brian Morris
|>           Go RPI //      Albany, NY
|>           ______// [log in to unmask]
|>          (______/
 
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