Ned Harkness to be honored at RPI

[ursusminor]

Ned Harkness is to be the third honoree in RPI's Ring of Honor. http://www.rpiathletics.com/News/hockey/2006/11/30/harkness113006.asp?path=hockey Why the 'Tute is doing this during the Colgate game instead of waiting a day until Cornell is in town is beyond me.

[Beeeej]

[quote ursusminor]Ned Harkness is to be the third honoree in RPI's Ring of Honor. http://www.rpiathletics.com/News/hockey/2006/11/30/harkness113006.asp?path=hockey Why the 'Tute is doing this during the Colgate game instead of waiting a day until Cornell is in town is beyond me.[/quote]

It's possible that didn't fit with Ned's schedule.

[ursusminor]

[quote Beeeej][quote ursusminor]Ned Harkness is to be the third honoree in RPI's Ring of Honor. http://www.rpiathletics.com/News/hockey/2006/11/30/harkness113006.asp?path=hockey Why the 'Tute is doing this during the Colgate game instead of waiting a day until Cornell is in town is beyond me.[/quote]

It's possible that didn't fit with Ned's schedule.[/quote]

True, but do you think that Ned has a busy schedule these days?

[Beeeej]

[quote ursusminor][quote Beeeej][quote ursusminor]Ned Harkness is to be the third honoree in RPI's Ring of Honor. http://www.rpiathletics.com/News/hockey/2006/11/30/harkness113006.asp?path=hockey Why the 'Tute is doing this during the Colgate game instead of waiting a day until Cornell is in town is beyond me.[/quote]

It's possible that didn't fit with Ned's schedule.[/quote]

True, but do you think that Ned has a busy schedule these days?[/quote]

I don't keep the man's calendar, I'm offering a hypothetical where you didn't seem to see any possibilities.  :-)

Maybe, in fact, Ned declined to receive such an honor during the Cornell game, out of respect to Cornell.  I would believe that.

[KeithK]

I would have been surprised if RPI would have held this during the RPI-Cornell. Presumably the RPI Ring of Honor is meant to honor achievements at RPI, not elsewhere.  If Cornell is in the building it will naturally bring some focus on his accomplishments in Ithaca, which wouldn't be the point.

[ugarte]

[quote KeithK]I would have been surprised if RPI would have held this during the RPI-Cornell. Presumably the RPI Ring of Honor is meant to honor achievements at RPI, not elsewhere.  If Cornell is in the building it will naturally bring some focus on his accomplishments in Ithaca, which wouldn't be the point.[/quote]

Maybe. But the Colgate fans simply won't care about the ceremony, whereas the Cornell fans would appreciate the honor being bestowed on one of their own and join in the celebration.

[billhoward]

Honoring Harkness during the Cornell game would remind RPI faithful about how they lost a good coach because they were paying him such a pittance.

[ursusminor]

[quote KeithK]I would have been surprised if RPI would have held this during the RPI-Cornell. Presumably the RPI Ring of Honor is meant to honor achievements at RPI, not elsewhere.  If Cornell is in the building it will naturally bring some focus on his accomplishments in Ithaca, which wouldn't be the point.[/quote] That makes a lot of sense. I also thought that it might have been that they figured that RPI would get a good crowd for Cornell anyway, and this would improve attendance vs. Colgate, but your explanation is better.

[Al DeFlorio]

[quote ugarte]But the Colgate fans simply won't care about the ceremony...[/quote]
Colgate fans?

[French Rage]

[quote Al DeFlorio][quote ugarte]But the Colgate fans simply won't care about the ceremony...[/quote]
Colgate fans?[/quote]

You know, the drunk asshole students who show up for one game in February somewhat aware there's something going on involving ice and a puck.

[ugarte]

[quote French Rage][quote Al DeFlorio][quote ugarte]But the Colgate fans simply won't care about the ceremony...[/quote]
Colgate fans?[/quote]

You know, the drunk asshole students who show up for one game in February somewhat aware there's something going on involving ice and a puck.[/quote]
That was pretty close to verbatim what I chose not to post (since I've never been to Starr and only know this by reputation).

[Rich S]

Maybe. But the Colgate fans simply won't care about the ceremony, whereas the Cornell fans would appreciate the honor being bestowed on one of their own and join in the celebration.[/quote]

Any fans of college hockey, regardless of their rooting interest (yes, including Colgate) should appreciate Ned's accomplishments.

If they're too young to rememeber him, as obviously many are, it's a good idea to do some research to learn about Ne'd successes as well as his character.  He certainly was a character.

[Swampy]

[quote billhoward]Honoring Harkness during the Cornell game would remind RPI faithful about how they lost a good coach because they were paying him such a pittance.[/quote]

Sports Illustrated said it was because they were too far from Canada. ::rolleyes::

[ursusminor]

[quote Swampy][quote billhoward]Honoring Harkness during the Cornell game would remind RPI faithful about how they lost a good coach because they were paying him such a pittance.[/quote]

Sports Illustrated said it was because they were too far from Canada. ::rolleyes::[/quote] I arrived at RPI in the Fall of 1964. Upperclassmen told me that Harkness left because it was easier to get hockey players admitted into Cornell. Later on, it became apparent that what this meant was that the narrow choice of majors at RPI was the problem. I have also heard that it was the pay.


The distance to Canada? ::rolleyes:: The closest part of Canada to Ithaca appears to be in the middle of Lake Ontario. Not counting that, the difference isn't that great.

Perhaps in honor of Uncle Ned, I should change my avatar again. The current one shows Doug Hearns scoring the overtime goal vs. Cornell and Ken Dryden on 12/4/1968, one of the most memorable games that I have attended. The defender on the left is Bruce Pattison. IIRC, this was Cornell's last ECAC loss under Harkness.

[Trotsky]

[quote ursusminor]Perhaps in honor of Uncle Ned, I should change my avatar again. The current one shows Doug Hearns scoring the overtime goal vs. Cornell and Ken Dryden on 12/4/1968, one of the most memorable games that I have attended. The defender on the left is Bruce Pattison. IIRC, this was Cornell's last ECAC loss under Harkness.[/quote]

For the remainder of Ned's tenure, Cornell went 54-1.  The only loss was to Denver in Colorado Springs, in the 1969 NCAA final.