At 7:42 PM +0100 4/7/99, Karen/Greg Ambrose wrote:
 
> How can I have an open mind when I've plunked down over $2,000 for my
> family to just travel the tournament?
 
The same way the rest of us can.
 
> My "belief" was that the tournament
> had no business being there because there is no college hockey played in
> the state!  What is there to see that could possibly change my mind about
> an undisputable fact!
 
Actually, there's plenty of college hockey in California. It's club
hockey, but it's not missing hockey.
 
> Tell me, how do the local fans who saw the games get UCLA, SC or any of the
> other schools to field the sport?
 
Same way you support any sport at any school. By building interest
and funding programs. You start at the beginning, and build it a step
at a time.
 
> To use your logic, the
> tournament should be in Atlanta next year, or maybe Orlando to hold onto
> the Disney theme.
 
Sounds good to me. Let's evangelize hockey down into the south, too.
It can only help the sport over the long run.
 
> Counting what?  You keep talking about the people you talked to.  I would
> like to know how many that was.
 
A couple of dozen. they came from all over the country. We were, in
fact, sitting right next to the UNH booster club board members in
215. On our other side was a group of Maine people. All around us
were people (mostly alums) from BC, from UNC, Clarkson, Providence,
UM and MSU. They were from all over the west coast, from Phoenix, and
from the general areas around the campuses as well.
 
And they were all lots of fun to be around, with two exceptions.
Those two were both wearing UNH Booster Club board member shirts or
jackets, and THEY were ungodly jerks. Ohwell. Those two were the only
negative things I can think of the entire weekend, other than the
weather (and for the record, most of the UNH crew was just fine. but
I found it rather disturbing to see two people who advertised
themselves as board members pull the stunts they did that weekend. it
did not make me think of UNH's alums fondly).
 
> I talked to
> a hell of a lot of people too, and only one was from California (Santa
> Barbara) a three year expatriate from Boston.
 
Given your previous attitudes here on the list, greg, I wonder if
that's because you stuck to talking to people you knew? I had lots of
fun trying to go find people I didn't know, which was easy, since,
this being my first NCAA experience, I pretty much knew nobody. And I
have to admit -- I had a great time, the arena rocked, and with the
exception of the two UNH folks, everyone I talked to was great,
seemed to be having a great time, and it more than lived up to my
hopes.
 
As I told my wife on the way home to the Bay Area, I've finally found
my calling. I'm shutting down plaidworks, quitting my job, finding my
clarinet and going and joining a pep band. See ya.
 
--
Chuq Von Rospach (Hockey fan? <http://www.plaidworks.com/hockey/>)
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