Although I was tempted to make numerous catty remarks in response to Leigh's
post about "UMass" vs. "UMass-Amherst", my more angelic side (usually visible
only by electron microscopes, of which UMass-Lowell has none and UMass-Amherst
undoubtedly has hundreds) has remarkably held sway and I will simply ask this
question.
 
Why is it that when the Governor's Cup idea originated, UMass-Amherst would
participate only if UMass-Lowell was not allowed to?  For those who are not
familiar with the Governor's Cup, it is a tournament pitting the state schools
in Hockey East.  The primary movers were Shawn Walsh and Lowell's Bruce Crowder
and former UML AD Wayne Edwards.  The proposal was that Maine, Vermont, and
New Hampshire would represent their states every year while UMass-Lowell and
UMass-Amherst would alternate each year representing Massachusetts.  This
was unacceptable to the folks at Amherst, who, it seems to me, have no interest
whatsoever in an equal footing with UMass-Lowell.  Unless UMass-Lowell is
shunted aside, UMass-Amherst will not participate.
 
It is because of arrogance like this (and there are other examples) that
Lowell people feel compelled to stick their heels in and insist on equivalent
names.  No "real UMass".
 
I would also add that Leigh's comments about the superiority of UMass-Amherst
are going to get some arguments.  They may get the most money (and therefore
have the best facilities) but if you fill the expensive facilities with drunken
buffoons it don't mean a damn.  I've seen nothing in my personal experience to
indicate that the UMass-Amherst students and faculty are any better than those
at UMass-Lowell.  In fact, when I was entering college Lowell Tech, a precursor
to UML, was held in higher esteem than "UMass."  I say that not as an
alum.  I headed off to MIT, "where nerds are nerds and pucks are cylindrical
vulcanized objects propelled at speeds insufficient to justify relativistic
time delay calculations, but we do them anyways just for fun."  But a lot has
changed since then.  (For one thing, the dinosaurs seem to have disappeared.)
But even to this day, I'd deny any human superiority of the Amherst campus
over the Lowell one.  For example, at least prior to this year (it may have
changed) UMass-Lowell had HIGHER standards that athletes had to reach in
terms of GPA to remain eligible than UMass-Amherst did.
 
I will, however, conceed one point to the Minuteman fans.  The Boston Globe
expose of a few years ago concerning the GPAs of the UMass basketball players
seemed to indicate that UMass-Amherst has a MUCH better academic program than
any other in the country in terms of repetoire of gut courses for athletes.
 
Whoops.  I guess that angelic halo just fell off.  Sorry.  I tried, but the
ringing in my ears of Leigh's phrase "nit-wits in Lowell" just did me in.
 
Over time the folks from UMA will probably win this one.  I feel a bit like
someone who has his fingers in all the holes in the dykes, knowing that
eventually the sea is going to cascade over him.  But I don't think that either
"the nit-wits in Lowell" or Hockey East are being improper in their arguments.
 
DaveH
 
HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey;  send information to
[log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.