Senior letdown

[The Rancor]

or maybe it was schafer after finding out that davenport sucked, was undiciplined or made of glass or something sent him to juniors to toughen him up and season him another year knowing McKee could bolt for the NHL and now that hes back he is showing that he is not good enough for this next level of hockey. i'm just saying.

[Cactus12]

I'm sorry guys but Davenport is no Mckee.

I don't think that argument can be made yet- it's important to remember the type of defense McKee played behind (esp. in 04-05)...obvious but yet to be mentioned on this thread. This year's team basically has one experienced though not dominating upperclassman defensemen in Krantz and one impressive younger player in Seminoff. Compare that to Cook, Downs, Gleed, Obyrne, Pokulok, not to mention a ton of two-way forwards in 04-05. And McKee's stats did go down when a bunch of those guys graduated. I think Davenport has the ability to do good things. I don't see goaltending as one of this team's major problems as much as team identity- what kind of game do they want to play? (conservative defense, rush offense, power offense, transition? etc.) This should come from leadership and coaching.

[Johnny 5]

True. However, that is exactly the point. Cornell hockey, and college sport in general, are a victim (or beneficiary) of our capitalist ethos. At one time kids attended college to get an education, thereby benefiting both themselves and our society. Sports were only a game. Then institutions of higher learning discovered that sports were also a cash cow. A successful program generates income, advertises the name of the institution, and attracts students who pay tuition. In todays competitive education market all this is essential for a school to survive. But, it comes at its own price. Because every college or university now has to find ways to attract not just the best students, but also the best athletes. And, as we are only too aware, the two are not always mutually inclusive. What we now have are too many "student-athletes" who are nothing but mercenaries hired to keep a school's name in front of the public. Is it no wonder then that they have no allegiance to their "employer"; only to their sport and the rewards it offers.Is this bad? I guess it depends one's own needs. However, it becomes difficult to become emotionally invested in a team, be it at the collegiate or even the professional level, when one realizes that the only allegiance the players have is not to their school, town, or fans; only to the almighty dollar. This isn't the Cornell hockey I remember, but it is a sign of the times. Perhaps it's the price we pay for a successful Division 1 program. One game at a time.

[Trotsky]

[quote Johnny 5]At one time kids attended college to get an education, thereby benefiting both themselves and our society. Sports were only a game.[/quote]

Except, this isn't at all the way college sports developed.  At one time, kids attended college as a four-year-long debutante's coming out party prior to taking over as the junior officer at Pater's firm.  The dominant Nineteenth Century college sports teams were manned by finalists for the Upperclass Twit of the Year Award.  Money was a given -- student-athletes couldn't be enticed by the allure of a professional sports career when professional sports would pay them less than the family gardener, and they were already set for life on the Choate-Princeton-Wall Street gravy train.

[Johnny 5]

First, I must apologize for my considerable delay in replying to this thread. I was out of the country on business.

Yes, you're absolutely correct. I did not take the anarcho-syndicalist viewpoint into consideration. You may say to yourself, huh? However, it logically follows that Chairman Mao was a visionary in his decision to purge his nation of elitists and intellectuals. His foresight ultimately allowed the children of the disenfranchised Chinese masses to better themselves academically. Since, eventually there was nobody left in China to teach them anything. It necessitated that they come here, to the glorious U.S. of A., to further their education; especially in math & science. Thus, freeing our kids to pursue more financially rewarding pursuits such as: acting, competing on American Idol, hosting MTV, and/or majoring in college sports. The only real down side of this being that China hasn't won an Olympic gold medal in hockey. (Thank whomever you choose that U.S. kids can't, yet, make big money pursuing a career in professional gymnastics or swimming.) Of course, given the rate that the Chinese economy is expanding, soon they may be well enough off financially that their children can emulate ours. However, with no domestic scientists or engineers, by that time our kids may be assembling Chinese iPods for 50 cents an hour. Hey, anybody interested in buying Chrysler?

And, please, forgive me if I'm unable to post again for a while. I'm leaving on another business trip to Taiwan. But, in my absence, "Go Big Red".

Oh, and yes Brian, you can use my tickets. I'll let you know what CSTV sounds like in Mandarin.