Interesting discussion on here regarding the Michigan goaltenders in the wake of the AHL Finals...Personally, I thought the Pirates should have flown in Lee Saunders for Game 7, if only to sit in a seat behind Shields during the game: The psychological impact might have been worth a goal...I have a feeling Shields still sees that puck in his nightmares; then again, he didn't see it the first time, so who knows. On a serious matter, however, WPXT (Fox 51) of Portland got help from the AHL, NESN and the Empire Sports Network to pull off a great trick that allowed Mainers to see the game live. NESN was scheduled to carry the game on tape-delay at 11:30PM, receiving the feed from ESN of New York. However, FOX-51 contacted league officals, the ESN and NESN and arranged to air the game live on broadcast television. The league praised NESN for giving Fox-51 permission because it allowed a greater number of people to watch the game. "That's nice John, but why are you writing it here?" Glad you asked. The same thinking processes which went into making this decision could also be used to put NC$$ playoff games on regular, old- fashioned television. NESN realized that very few people in Portland would be able to watch the game, and no one could see it live. The game result would obviously be available on the 11:00 local news, which would take some of the drama out of the game. So, they allowed FOX-51 to carry the game live to a large audience. Why, aside from their obvious generosity and being all-around wonderful, thoughtful human beings, would they do this? Because they wanted the showcase event of this season broadcast to as large an audience as possible in the hopes that some of the people watching would be hooked and then subscribe to NESN next year. In economic terms, NESN took a short-term risk with the opportunity for a long-term gain. How does this apply to the NC$$ ? The NC$$ should realize that television is the way to attract new fans to sports. Some of you may recall (I can only read about) the dark days of the college b-ball tourney before the tv explosion (spurred by Magic and Larry). TV is also the way to market your sport. Again, look at b-ball. Since David Stern was able to attract a high-priced contract for the NBA, that league has sky-rocketed in popularity. Rather than taking a bid from ESPN2 (seen in 33 million homes, mostly in non-college hockey cities) the NC$$ could take bids from local stations(which, being a) local and b) over-the-air can attract more people), even if those bids are not as high as ESPN2. The short-term loss incurred would be more than made up by the fan base attracted by the playoff games. New fans who would buy tickets, magazines, hats, sweaters and other stuff. And who would add to the TV ratings, making the games more marketable towards The Majors:ESPN1, CBS etc. Sounds like a lofty goal, but attainable if it was done right. I am a prime example of why this is a good idea. I trace my love of this game back to the final Sunday of February in 1989. Maine played Providence in game 3 of the NC$$ Quarterfinals in Orono. That game is still the most-exciting college hockey game I have ever seen. The image of Martin Robitaille flipping the puck past Rob Gaudreau into the Providence net in the second overtime will forever be in my memory. I have since gone on to buy more than my share of tickets, sweaters, hats and pins, and to work for the Maine Hockey program. It is safe to say that had ESPN2 been around to broadcast that game, rather than WLBZ and WCSH, I would have remained a die-hard baseball fan and I would now have a large collection of baseball junk. How many others have been brought into the game because they saw it on television? How many new fans would college hockey have if some games had been carried on over-the- air stations rather than The Deuce? Feel free to pick this idea to shreds, that's why I posted it. I'm planning to send a proposal to the NC$$ later this summer. Last summer I sent in an idea and two weeks later I read in the USA Today that the NC$$ had released new guidelines, including one that looked vaguely familiar. It was, of course, a sheer coincidence and my letter had absolutely nothing to do with it, but I can dream. Besides, "It is better to have tried and failed than to have never tried at all." Someone famous said that once. Speaking of USAT, be sure to check out page 12A of today's edition dealing with, you guessed it, NC$$ regulations. The letters printed there are in response to the USAT Debate on Monday. And yes, the John Forsyth listed there is the same as the one writing this. :-> John Forsyth "Are you a sinner?" "The worst kind: I write for newspapers." -Gene Kelly as EK Hornbeck in 'Inherit the Wind' HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey; send information to [log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.