Jason Moi, the fine announcer of RPI Engineer hockey, has raised some points
about the Knick's hosting of the East Regionals.  I feel obliged to respond to
some of his issues.
 
>That's right folks. The NCAA will not come to the Knick again.
>Why not? These are based on my personal experiences and conversations
>with others.  I realize that we are in the middle of Final Four
>week, but I think this is something I must get off of my chest.
 
I hope your prediction proves inaccurate.  Others I have talked to would share
that hope.
 
>The reasons why:
 
>1) Let's start from the media standpoint.  As a member of the media,
>Who was running the show? Was it RPI or was it the Knick?  Or rental o the
 
OK  Spectacor Management, hired by Albany County, was running the show.  They
manage a number of large arenas in America, including the Philadelphia
Spectrum.  Undoubtedly a market the size of Albany's doesn't draw their top
talent.  Spectacor should be held accountable for their miscues.  But don't
blame the Knick and Albany in general.  I'm sure the Albany Co. legislature
would be interested in any problems with their vendor(s).
 
>) The fan standpoint.
>no reentry policy? Is this a obvious mood on the side of greed for the
>concessionaires? Where will you go to eat besides the $2.50 COLD and SGGY
>hot dog?  It is real tough to hear the PA on one side of the ice. Did
 
Yeah, there were greedy concessionaires.  $3.00 for a Friendly's Ice Cream,
which is about $1.50 less than the Boston Garden, or MSG.  Sports arenas have a
habit of maximizing profits, concessions being the most glaring example.  But
if you want to see unabashed greed, try Flushing Meadows at tennis time.
 
>any notice that all the speakers ar on one side of the building, so tht
>one side of the arena is A LOT louder than the other?
>the walkways are just horrendous.  How many people got caught in the
>lobbies coming back from the bathroom or getting food to find a logjam
 
I honestly did not see any problem.  And I've never heard any complaints,
even from those Siena fans who sold-out the place a couple days before.
 
>the attendance was horrendous.  The announced attendances of 10,000+ ad 9,000+
>were just PAID attendance. You can not tell me ther wer that many peope in
 
Attendance was the best that any regional has got, even with Worcester last
year.  Friday night was 10,000 or more.  Only the '92 LSSU/Wisconsin game
was higher.  Saturday was 9600 fans, but not all at once.  So what.  Most fans
don't sit through 6 hours of hockey.  I was disappointed it didn't go over
12,000, but I blame Siena for that.
 
>the building.  People don't care about college hockey in Albany.
>Was everyone else sick and tired of hearing about also-ran Siena in th
>papers? As a fan of College Hockey I was sick to my stomach.
 
People care about hockey in Albany, but more care about basketball.  There
are many Siena graduates employed in the Capital District, and even more
avid basketball fans eager to satiate their craving, no matter how questionable
the product.  Sick to your stomach?  How would you like to be a baseball fan
who can't even be sure if the franchise will be here this summer.  Albany
fans are extremely tight with the sports dollar.  Siena's success tapped
out much of the sports dollars spigot.  But there is a growing bunch of hockey
fans in the Capital District.  The River Rats are even drawing better.  And
better marketing of RPI hockey, e.g. moving the Xmas tournament to the Knick,
moving RPI to Hockey East and getting NESN on the local cable systems, could
help.
 
>) The town of Albany.
 
Actually most live outside the city.
 
>Sure the Sports Foundation got everyone to put banners up and everythig
>else like that, but I think someone also mentioned it, why did Ben & Jrry's
>in DOWNTOWN ALBANY close at 5PM on Saturday evening?  Face it the towndoes
>not support it, and even the merchants when faced with a great opportuity
>for moneymaking do not go with the flow, something is wrong.  Yes, it as
>a nice touch having everyone wear Alabny welcomes the NCAA, but did anbody
>else feel like it wasn;'t a sincere gesture?
 
There is nothing open in the downtown during the day.  No one in the Capital
District goes downtown to eat, drink or be merry.  Why would that change
for the Regionals?
 
>The Sports FOundation is nowhere to be found during the 4 games.
>Also, the Sports FOundation reception on Thursday evening drew NO ONE hat
>could possibly be influential in the NCAA decisions.  I do not believeI
>saw Phil Buttafuoco there (the AA for the President of the NCAA), and he
>others were just team staff and media, as well as boosters.
 
This is a problem with the NC$$, not the Sports Foundation.  I don't know
why the Sports Foundation wasn't more visible.  Maybe they tried to low-key
their involvement after being accused of heavy-handed tactics last year
at the ECAC confab at Lake Placid (which earned them the big shaft.)
 
>The obvious slant towards basketball in this town.  Full page ads wishng the
>Siena Saints good luck in the playoffs in all the papers. A quarter pae ad
>in the Troy Record wishing RPI luck in the playoffs. Big difference hu?
 
Wait until Mike Deane leaves for Dayton.  But there is a core Siena following
which is always going to be here.
 
>To sum it up:
>If I were part of the decision making process, I wouldn't come back to
>Albany again.
 
I hope you are in the minority.  I look forward to more NC$$ Regionals at
the Knick, and the Championship in 2,000 or more likely 2,001.
 
I too am interested in any comments form other attendees.  Please feel free
to respond privately.
                    _
            "NYS   // Hockey"
        Go 'Gate  //   Brian Morris
          Go RPI //      Albany, NY
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         (______/
********************Prelude to the Championship: LSSU vs. Harvard**************