2007-08 fan wishlist

[RichH]

OK, we're having fun squeezing the life out of our regular and new punchlines and shaking out the PO'ed fair-weather angry-ites.  Thought I'd attempt some sort of rational discussion.  (I know, I know...what am I smoking?)

Here's a list of things I'd like to see happen next season to improve the Cornell hockey experience from the fan's point of view, student and townie alike.  These have nothing to do with the product on the ice, otherwise I'd just start the perennial "let's recruit a blue-chip sniper" debate.  Some of these will be petty and selfish, I know, but it is just an online message board.  What else are they to be used for?

1) Fix/replace All-Access.  
Most obvious one.  Enough has been written here about it.  We all know it.  After the experience of the Duke lax webcast with ACC Select...we now know a quality product & model is not only possible, but is in use now.  Most of us would gladly pay for a reliable service.  I'd prefer it to be internal to the university, but if a league-wide service like ACC Select exists, why not try an ECAC or Ivy League branded subscription service?  CSTV is too bloated and difficult in its current form.

2) Go back to old starting times.
There's a fairly large number of people with jobs who attend games.  The start times for games were 7:30 on Fridays, 7:00 on Saturdays.  Maybe that's too difficult to remember.  With the universal 7:00 start times, I've found myself hitting snags in sneaking out of the office, traffic delays, etc. that I get there late.  For the Dartmouth game in Hanover, the start time was pushed back to 7:30 due to an afternoon women's game.  It may have only been 30 minutes, but I found that extra time to be a luxury.  Gives people time to fight traffic, get into town, find parking, and/or maybe have a bite to eat before heading to to the arena.  Games will still end by 9:45.

3) Put the games on a real radio station
Related to my driving into town on Friday nights during games.  WHCU is forced to cut their power at dusk.  It'd be nice to be able to pick up the games further than 5 miles outside of Ithaca city limits.  There was a time when the games were on WVBR, and I could listen in from the Rochester area.  Going to and from homecoming this year, I was able to pull in Colgate hockey radio broadcasts for a good 2 hours of my drive.    Doesn't Eagle Broadcasting own just about every radio station in Ithaca anyway?  Syracuse sports blankets central NY on I100; there's no reason why CU Hockey can't get on a station with more power than a lightbulb.

4) Intermission entertainment.
Dave's costumes and a beach ball are the best we can do?  Bring back the skating bears, the pee-wee hockey, figure skaters, the puck-shooting contests (That plywood board is back there somewhere).  Anything, so I'm not tempted to read what inane txt message the girl in front of me is sending.  OMG lol!!!!11

5) Full stands for warmups.
(Wheee, hypocrisy, given my guilt in #2)  Hey kids!  Want to know when the best time for taunting is?  Try showing up at Lynah an hour early.  Back in the day, a full student section was the norm, and it was fun, it was intimidating, and it actually helped make the anticipation for the game that much greater.  It also gets the creativity juices flowing, and just maybe you could get under the skin of that giant, no-talent defensman earlier than normal.  That's one thing that made going to Lynah feel more like an event.  The student sections have been great and loud the last few years, with the exception of the first 5 minutes of the game, when they are still empty.

6) Student/usher Détente
Get to know your usher.  Most of them aren't power-hungry nazis, honest.  They're just given marching orders.  If you took the time to talk to them at least so they'd know your face and that you aren't some little snot-nosed punk, and maybe give a little leeway.  It goes the opposite way.  Ushers: not all students are "up to no-good."

7) Fire Andy.
Seriously.  Rainbows will appear.  Roses will bloom.  Give it a try.

[Will]

As far as intermission entertainment goes, I'd settle for just having someone in the helmet-with-the-blast-shield-down trying to get to the Subway banner on the ice again.  And I can't believe that Cornell can't find anyone in the Ithaca community who is a decent skater and is willing to wear the suit.  I miss the striptease by the bears, too.  (Wow, there's a sentence I never thought I'd say.)

I loved how some people on Facebook were bragging--not just happy but bragging--that the beanie hat usher's hat was stolen.  Real classy, guys.  Way to go. ::rolleyes::  Yes, détente would be nice.

One thing I'd like to see as a fan is to have the two groups of students cheering and clapping in sync.  I know we bitch about this a lot here, but it's actually not that hard to accomplish.  For anything involving clapping at least, the trick is to not just rely on listening for audio cues, but to also watch the townie sections and see how they're clapping.

[fullofgas]

Cheering synchronicity aside, I'd wish for players staying four years (at least) and allowing our boys to become the fully realized team that they can be!

[Oat]

Slow down the cheers especially  "It's all your fault - It's all your fault - It's all your fault"

But like I said before this doesn't begin with the crowd. It begins with the drummer who has to regulate the beats when we count up the goals.

[Beeeej]

[quote Oat]Slow down the cheers especially  "It's all your fault - It's all your fault - It's all your fault"

But like I said before this doesn't begin with the crowd. It begins with the drummer who has to regulate the beats when we count up the goals.[/quote]

The beats when we count up the goals are done to the same tempo as "Davy," and always have been (at least in the twenty years I know as "always").  Do you want 'em to slow down "Davy"?

[ajec1]

[quote Beeeej][quote Oat]Slow down the cheers especially  "It's all your fault - It's all your fault - It's all your fault"

But like I said before this doesn't begin with the crowd. It begins with the drummer who has to regulate the beats when we count up the goals.[/quote]

The beats when we count up the goals are done to the same tempo as "Davy," and always have been (at least in the twenty years I know as "always").  Do you want 'em to slow down "Davy"?[/quote]

Not only that, but I always thought part of the speed was the frenzy following a goal... the thing would speed up on its own, trust me.

[billhoward]

Right on about moving past the CSTV webcast fiasco. Seeing the Duke / ACC lax webcast was an eye-opener, with multiple camera angles (no heads in the way on any of them), an announcer dedicated to the Webcast (not the radio voiceover), and instant replays. See, it can be done right.

[Dpperk29]

[joke]
all the cornell players that are ready to move on to higher levels of hockey to do so...
[/joke]

[sah67]

1. To expand on Rich's suggestion...how about having the student sections full a little earlier than 5 minutes into the first period, let alone during warmups.

2. More than 1 goal for Tyler Mugford (and not ENGs either)...come on, he deserves it.

3. Topher wearing the C, and Seminoff wearing the A, although I'll admit this is hard to judge from a fan's perspective since we know little about the leadership abilities of players in the locker room, during practice, etc.

4. Concession stand pizza that doesn't suck.

5. A fan penalty box for the first idiot at each game to yell "see ya asshole, you lose" or "shooooooot it! stop passing!"

6. Something other than "Section O Sucks" or "Safety School" for visiting fans.  I heard very little in the way of creative cheering aimed at opposing fans this year.  I was waiting for the "Potsdam White Trash" five clap, but it never happened.  Then again, Tech's fans seemed a bit more sedate than usual this year...but they still deserved it

7. To never ever hear again an advertisement for flu shots at Gannett that mentioned "It's all your fault" and "sieve".  I'm amazed Arthur was even able to read that all the way through whout cracking...the man's got talent.

[ugarte]

[quote sah67]
4. Concession stand pizza that doesn't suck.[/quote]
Are they moving Lynah out of Ithaca? If not, by the time the good pizza arrives from Brooklyn, it will also suck.

Friends don't let friends eat sports facility pizza.

[Rich S]

I believe that the game times are standard for all ECAC teams.  It's unlikely that cornell alone could make the change to 7 30 pm.

[KeithK]

[quote ugarte][quote sah67]
4. Concession stand pizza that doesn't suck.[/quote]
Are they moving Lynah out of Ithaca? If not, by the time the good pizza arrives from Brooklyn, it will also suck.

Friends don't let friends eat sports facility pizza.[/quote]
Why in the world would you eat rink food at a home game?

[RichH]

[quote Rich S]I believe that the game times are standard for all ECAC teams.  It's unlikely that cornell alone could make the change to 7 30 pm.[/quote]

Right, I understand that.  I meant a league-wide change, as I referenced a road game.  Sorry for the confusion.

Another correction, the Cornell games were broadcast on Q-104 (now Q-Country) when I could listen to them in Rochester.  I don't remember what years they were on WVBR.

[Rich S]

I'd definitely be in favor of that change and I know a lot of other fans who would agree.

Is that determined by agreement of the ADs or by Steve Hagwell?

[Josh '99]

[quote KeithK][quote ugarte][quote sah67]
4. Concession stand pizza that doesn't suck.[/quote]
Are they moving Lynah out of Ithaca? If not, by the time the good pizza arrives from Brooklyn, it will also suck.

Friends don't let friends eat sports facility pizza.[/quote]
Why in the world would you eat rink food at a home game?[/quote]Maybe you're late getting into town and don't want to wait until after the game to eat something?