Had a great four days in California except for the outcome of the final
game and the plane ride home.  However, I beg the NCAA to never again host
this tournament in an area where there is zero or little interest in the
sport.
 
As a college hockey fan, I understand and accept the fact that it is a
regional sport that I love.  Why the NCAA selection committee cannot
understand the same thing is beyond me.  This is the second time in the
last four years that they have plopped the "Frozen Four" in a city which
has no college hockey tradition.
They lucked out in 1996 when Michigan made it to the final and hordes of
the maize and blue made the six hour trek down to the game.  But what if
the final that year had been CC and BU, how many would have showed up?
 
Last year in Boston it was written that a hard core of 7-8,000 people
attend the tournament each year.  If that is the case, then that's all that
was there for Thursday afternoon's game between Maine and BC.  The other
semi-final was a little better and the final was passable but, compared to
Boston and Milwaukee, the whole show was an embarrassment.
 
A writer in one of the LA papers I read said that hosting the hockey
tournament in Anaheim would be like hosting the water polo finals in
Vermont.  He's right.
The NCAA should give the fans of college hockey a break and put the
tournament in towns where people appreciate the sport and not force those
who are the most loyal to travel across the country to an area where no one
gives a damn!
 
Greg Ambrose
GO UNH BLUE!!!
 
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