[log in to unmask] (Craig E. Knowles) wrote:
>In reading some HOCKEY-L articles on the siting of regional playoffs,
>it seemed to me - correct me if am am wrong - that the NCAA doesn't
>mind siting these games at host schools in the WCHA/CCHA but
>apparently will not do so in HE/ECAC.
OK, I'll correct you. The NCAA would like both regionals to be at
neutral sites. They switched the west regionals to campus sites
because they were unhappy with the attendance figures.
Here is the complete list of the sites:
East West
1992 Providence Civic Center Joe Louis Arena
1993 The Centrum Joe Louis Arena
1994 Knickerbocker Arena Munn Ice Arena
1995 The Centrum Dane County Coliseum
1996 Knickerbocker Arena Munn Ice Arena
Only trying out the west regional at JLA for two years then switching
to campus locations may have been hasty. However, the key neutral
site locations (Bradley Center, Target Center) are usually booked
with lots of stuff, so it's not easy to schedule.
>In the east, it's almost as
>though an NCAA search committee was charged with looking for a site
>(1) in a dumpy location, and (2) far away from most if not all of the
>schools in the region. Hence the choices of Worcester and Albany,
>alternating year by year.
Albany is the most central location for the eastern schools. It's
3.5 hours or less for any school except UNH and Maine. Boston,
Worcester and Providence are a haul for Clarkson, SLU, Colgate and
Cornell. The Boston area has more schools located in the immediate
vicinity, yes, but that's not everything.
>This is done, it seems, under the guise of
>not giving any of the east teams a true home ice advantage. In the
>west it appears not to be a concern. In other words the NCAA will
>turn a blind eye to the siting in the west because the school
>facilities are large enough to host this event, and then when it
>comes to the east they suddenly start posturing, have a "conscience"
>attack and end up making some truly abominable selections. Is this
>solely due to the size of the schools involved in the west? I have
>never attended the west regionals or the finals, but I have made the
>east regionals 4 of the last 5 years.
All wrong. It was done for attendance purposes. One likely reason why the
regionals are not in Boston is because the Hockey East finals are
there the week before. Saturation of the market, some believe.
Another problem may be with the Celtics and Bruins. There would be
two straight weekends both teams are on the road.
>My thoughts to remedy the situation, in the east anyway, is to award
>the east regionals on a five year basis to the Fleet Center in
>Boston. World class city, brand new facility, easy access for
>western fans via Logan airport, loads of accomodations, close to many
>of the schools in HE/ECAC and plenty for the fans to do before and
>after the games. There is absolutely no way that Worcester and
>especially Albany can even hold a candle to Boston. HE-L-L-O-O-OO,
>NCAA, ARE YOU LISTENING? As for any NY fans that may feel deprived,
>come to Boston and judge it for yourselves as a host city. Would you
>still think Albany can compete? Boston has been described as a
>hotbed of hockey. Has anyone ever described Albany or even Worcester
>that way? (I know. Albany has the AHL River Rats and Worcester has
>the Ice Cats. Ho-hum.) Lest any of you think I am just taking a
>cheap shot, I am not alone in my opinion: An RPI alumnus friend of
>mine once described Albany as the a**hole of the universe, with Troy
>..... well, I won't say how many miles up. If an alumnus describes
>it this way, who am I to say otherwise? The terminally sensitive
>need not reply.
Let's go at this from this angle:
When cities host events like NCAA Regionals, they expect a lot more
money being spent than actually is. People will really spend money
on three things--
1. Hotel Rooms
2. Meals
3. Souvenirs
You have plenty of hotels in Albany, plenty of restaurants and the
souvenirs are sold at the game. So the main things people need to do
are taken care of in Albany, Boston or Worcester.
I can't really speak for Worcester, but I can for Albany. The
Knickerbocker is an excellent facility completed in the late 1980s.
The only real grumblings I hear are about the press box, or lack
thereof. I've flown in and out of Albany from and to numerous
locations without any trouble. I can't see western fans having any
problems. Albany is centrally located for eastern schools. Boston
beats Albany on things to do. Guess what? People don't do that
much. After the game most go to where they're staying or get
something to eat. You can eat bunk down in Albany. The days
following the first games are the only real time to do anything
non-hockey or personal-necessity related. I've been on many a road
trip to Boston. Most people end up walking around. The only time
I've run into people is in a store somewhere. We have stores in
Albany, too. People don't go on these trips to improve their cultural
literacy. They go to see hockey, and you can do that in Albany,
Boston or Worcester.
I see your points, but there are numerous reasons why things are they
way they are. Moving to Boston is not a panacea to the problems the
NCAA faces with the regional format. If Boston is such a "hotbed" of
hockey, why did the Hockey East finals not sell out? Surely with all
those local teams it should have. No, the problems are more complex
than you think they are.
Almost finally, I'm an RPI alumnus and I don't agree with my fellow
alum's assessment of the Capital District. From experience, the
majority of the people who go to RPI and come away disliking the
region are the type of people who expect everything in life handed to
them in neatly ordered bundles and they don't have to work for
anything. There's a lot in this area if you interested in living
life, not just watching it go by.
Now, for the begging-to-be-flamed area:
The Albany area can't compete with Boston? I don't mind visiting
Boston, but frankly, I'd take the worst rat-infested,
cockroach-laden hellhole anywhere in New York before I'd live a week
in Boston. You can take your precious Beantown and [insert your
favorite nasty phrase here].
I can feel the email heading towards me already. And no, I'm not
sensitive about this, I've just got my eyes open.
------
Kurt Stutt [log in to unmask] Troy, New York
WRPI: http://www.rpi.edu/dept/union/wrpi/html/home.html
WRPI Sports: http://www.rpi.edu/~stuttk/wrpispts.html
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