2008 Frozen Four Roll Call! (...and eLF meetup?)

Just a little over a week before my flight.

I thought about suggesting this a little while ago, and Rita brought it up in the other thread. Since we're a smaller community than USCHO, and we're far flung from traditional Cornell hotbeds, it should be easier to arrange some sort of meetup. I like the burger/beer idea. Suggestions?

Everyone in the "I'm only going if Cornell is there" club...lose.

Burger & beer, or Thai & tea, or Chinese and chai, so long as it's with fellow eLFers I'll be thrilled.

I agree that the semifinal intermission might not be ideal; I'm happy with after the second semi, or whatever other people decide works best. I've got a bike ride with the local TNT group earlier on Saturday, so before the title game might not be ideal for me, but I'd try to make it work.

A quick Google search of "Pepsi Center, burgers and Denver" yields this listing. I'm not too fussy as long as there is food to be served with my beer (a lesson learned the hard way). Any other suggestions from people who have been to Denver before?

I (and maybe Rich and Josh?) might be able to do some scouting on Wednesday night on the way to/from the Rockies game.

As for meeting in the rink in between the semi-final games, how about on the upper concourse near section 303? Based on what people have posted thus far, that seems to be near where people are sitting (okay, Beeeej and me, 374 ish and 318). It is also near the rest rooms (ladies 305, and men 301). If we haven't already made a decision about where to go afterwards (I prefer going out after the second semi-final), we can then. I figure chatting with other ELFers in between games might make that hour between games pass a bit faster.

I will be wearing a red #14 Cornell jersey, possibly over a ND shirt. I will leave my dog (and her Rally Obedience ribbons) at home .

I'm there. Rich, we'll have to work out some way to meet up Also, I like food. Maybe not so much the beer but I'm in for the burger.

6 more working days and counting...

Also, for anyone who is planning on it, the Coors brewery is not open for tours on Wednesday or Thursday but it is open for tours on Friday and Saturday from 10am to 4pm.
[www.coors.com]

I'll be there and am up for getting together between games. I kind of doubt we'll have enough time to go out between games given the schedule, but if we do then great.

RichH
Everyone in the "I'm only going if Cornell is there" club...lose.

Hey, they're good for tickets!

Don't know when everyone's arriving (I'm coming in +1 late Wednesday), but a pre-game Thursday lunch would work for me. With games at 4 and 7, we're basically talking only Zamboni time between games. FWIW, there are a couple of Chinese restaurants (P.F. Changs and Lim's Chinese Kitchen and BBQ) about 2 blocks from the Pepsi Center, and those places are usually good for round tables for about ten or so (though we might need a reservation given the location).

Given my travel schedule, pre-game Thursday would not work for me.

KeithK

RichH
Everyone in the "I'm only going if Cornell is there" club...lose.

Hey, they're good for tickets!

Yes, but that's still a case of us winning and them losing.

So, another suggestion, after looking at the FF schedule:

There's open public ice skating again from noon to 2:00 on Saturday, and then the Championship game starts at 5:00 MDT. Why not do a small late-luncheon thing from 2-3:30? A few of those places on the link that Rita supplied sound good and are less than a mile from the Pepsi Center:

* Wynkoop Brewing Co. - near Union Station
* Brooklyn's - right next to the Pepsi Center
* My Brother's Bar - funky local bar across the river (people like their burgers). Yelp reviews

People who know me know that I'm usually against going where 15,000 other hockey fans are all going (other than the places where there's a big sheet of ice). The FF in Anaheim was a situation where there was one bar/restaurant within walking distance of the arena, and between games, every college hockey fan decided to go there. So generally I'm against doing that when everyone is streaming out of the arena.

**********************

Our choices/suggestions at this point seem to be:

A) Gather between semis (unlike past years, it looks like there's one ticket for the semis, so they won't clear the arena). There's probably no beer being sold inside the concourses, given the NCAA-ness.

B) Go for food/drinks somewhere after Semi 2.

C) Lunch before Final on Saturday.

I'm still trying to coordinate with the Denver chapter of TNT for their bike ride on Saturday, and I don't know what time I'll be done with that, so I can't commit to a late luncheon on Saturday. I'm still most highly in favor of post-second-semi. But I'll get back to you when I have more details on the biking thing.

Beeeej
I'm still trying to coordinate with the Denver chapter of TNT for their bike ride on Saturday, and I don't know what time I'll be done with that, so I can't commit to a late luncheon on Saturday. I'm still most highly in favor of post-second-semi. But I'll get back to you when I have more details on the biking thing.

So are you renting a bike? How's that going to work.

Just be careful with the high altitude and lack of oxygen. I'm planning on cutting down on my run distances while I'm there.

judy

Beeeej
I'm still trying to coordinate with the Denver chapter of TNT for their bike ride on Saturday, and I don't know what time I'll be done with that, so I can't commit to a late luncheon on Saturday. I'm still most highly in favor of post-second-semi. But I'll get back to you when I have more details on the biking thing.

So are you renting a bike? How's that going to work.

Just be careful with the high altitude and lack of oxygen. I'm planning on cutting down on my run distances while I'm there.

Yep, that's the idea. And thanks for the advice!

judy
Just be careful with the high altitude and lack of oxygen. I'm planning on cutting down on my run distances while I'm there.

Oh, but the drinking. Much more efficient!

RichH

judy
Just be careful with the high altitude and lack of oxygen. I'm planning on cutting down on my run distances while I'm there.

Oh, but the drinking. Much more efficient!

And very painful if done without food. 1 beer, + 5200+ feet, + no food = bad case of altitude sickness. Definitely not priceless, but certainly memorable.

It sounds like with people's traveling schedules no one "ELF event" will work for everyone.

I can try and co-ordinate something for after the semis on Thursday in that I can make a few calls to places in the area (walking distance) to see how late the kitchen is open and how difficult it might be to accommodate a group of people on a Thursday night. I think there was a head count of around 10? people.

I'll post the information on Monday.

I am also expecting a "dry" Pepsi arena and figure just to hang out there in between games since there will only be an hour or so between the games.

If someone wants to organize a pre-game lunch for Thursday or Saturday, go for it. The Hockey-L group (I think Keith and JTW are still on it, the source of college hockey info before CHN and USCHO and ELF) has a FF get together and this year it is Saturday before the finals. I thought I would also try and put faces to the Hockey-L people as well.

Rita
It sounds like with people's traveling schedules no one "ELF event" will work for everyone.

Did I miss something? I didn't think I saw anybody say they couldn't do an event after the second semi.

Rita

RichH

judy
Just be careful with the high altitude and lack of oxygen. I'm planning on cutting down on my run distances while I'm there.

Oh, but the drinking. Much more efficient!

And very painful if done without food. 1 beer, + 5200+ feet, + no food = bad case of altitude sickness. Definitely not priceless, but certainly memorable.

And this was the motivation I needed to get my butt running again. Yes, I am a masochist.


Also, Pepsi Center is only as "dry" as you make it

RichH
* Wynkoop Brewing Co. - near Union Station

I won't be going to this shindig, but I highly recommend Wynkoop. The Railyard Ale is tasty.

RichH

Our choices/suggestions at this point seem to be:

A) Gather between semis (unlike past years, it looks like there's one ticket for the semis, so they won't clear the arena). There's probably no beer being sold inside the concourses, given the NCAA-ness.

B) Go for food/drinks somewhere after Semi 2.

C) Lunch before Final on Saturday.

Maybe we should do a quick meeting between games (step A) as Rita suggested, so that we can figure out step B. To paraphrase that sports cliche, "one step at a time."
FWIW, the Wazee Supper Club on Rita's list seems to get good reviews on the internet and is only a couple of blocks from the Pepsi Center.
[denver.citysearch.com]
[www.wazeesupperclub.com]

I made a few phone calls and I think our best bet is "My Brother's Bar". It is about a mile from the Pepsi Center (directions here). The kitchen is open until 1:30 am and there is NO cover charge.

The Wynkoop and Brooklyn's would not take reservations and their kitchens close at 11 pm. The Wazzee Supper Club's kitchen is open until 1 am, but they aren't taking reservations either. There are no cover charges at any of these places.

If no one objects, I designate My Brother's Bar for the Thursday night eLF get together.

I made a reservation for 12 people for ~ 9:30-10:00 Thursday night (I did tell them we were going to the hockey game and that was the best case scenario, i.e. no OTs). I guesstimated 12 people based on who said they had tickets and were going. The map I have of the Pepsi Center doesn't orientate the arena and seating sections relative to the streets outside. Has anyone been to the Pepsi Center before and can suggest a place to meet for those who want to walk over together?

PM me if you have any questions or if you just want to confirm you will be joining us.

Rita

I'm not sure I'm crazy about the idea of (what seems to be) leaving what seems to be the main drinking area during prime drinking time. But that may just be my skewed priorities talking.

Josh '99
I'm not sure I'm crazy about the idea of (what seems to be) leaving what seems to be the main drinking area during prime drinking time. But that may just be my skewed priorities talking.

We could just walk the two blocks or so to the Wazee Supper Club (Wazee and 15th) and see if we get a table. If not, we go up 15th to My Brother's Bar.
I think we should touch base between games. We're probably sitting in just a few sections (I'm with Beeeej in 375).