Noise Observation from The Game/Final Four notes

[CornellFan]

For those who attended the game, did you get the sense that the Albany fans or the Cornell fans were greater in number?  Who did you think was louder?

I was reading the Inside Lacrosse blog, which seemed to imply that Albany's fans were louder.  I did not get that sense at all from where I was sitting.  I thought Cornellians far outnumbered the Danes and the stadium was overwhelmingly pro-Cornell.  Just my feeling.  And I was a bit surprised.  I thought all of the Hopkins/GTown fans would be anti-Ivy League.

Upon getting home from the game, I called just about a dozen hotels in the Baltimore area.  They were all sold out, especially those in the harbor area.  I heard reports that over 50,000 tickets have now been sold for the Final Four.  Some hotels have Friday night available, but Saturday/Sun nights are gone.  Also, it is a bit troubling that Cornell is only selling 3 game packages (i.e. you can't just purchase the semifinals).  Why should we buy a ticket for the championship game before Cornell plays Duke/UNC?  Does anyone know how to purchase just a semifinal game ticket?

A Final Four consisting of Duke (the most infamous college team in sports right now), Hopkins (the local Baltimore school), and Cornell (huge alumni base), should result in the highest selling lax Final Four of all time--- by far.

[Rita]

I believe that the 3 game package is standard for all NC$$ semi-final/final events where the games are all being played at the same venue and the same weekend (3 day period). That is how the NC$$ sells the tickets for the hockey and basketball DI finals. Cornell tickets are from the NC$$ allotment set aside for participating teams. They can only sell them as the 3 game pack.

I know for hockey, there is a lottery, so you have to buy your 3 game package before the season even starts, so come March you will find people will to part with all or some of the tickets when they find out that their team will not be participating. The best place to look is probably on the lax forums and maybe (?) stubhub.com.

[DeltaOne81]

[quote Rita]
I know for hockey, there is a lottery, so you have to buy your 3 game package before the season even starts, so come March you will find people will to part with all or some of the tickets when they find out that their team will not be participating. The best place to look is probably on the lax forums and maybe (?) stubhub.com.[/quote]

Other than the school's allotment you mean, but that is very limited anyway. Yeah, thanks for the reminder, next years ticket lottery deadline is June 1, so I have to remember to apply

As far as hotels, downtown Baltimore may be tough, but did you try looking in the surrounding burbs? I find it hard to believe the entire Baltimore metro area is sold out, there gotta be far far more than 50K hotel rooms. If so, DC area isn't too far - a northern DC suburb hotel would be ~45 minutes away.

[Al DeFlorio]

BWI Airport hotels are another possibility.

[CornellFan]

I figured that the Inner Harbor was the way to go.  Catch the Saturday game, spend Sunday eating crab cakes on the water and visiting the aquarium.  God willing, Monday we play again and win a National Championship over Coach Dave  P. and his alma mater.

I'll just have to keep searching for rooms.

[Beeeej]

Put down the phone and pick up Expedia or Travelocity; they're both showing plenty of availability within the city limits, just perhaps not in the price range you were hoping for.

[Tom Pasniewski 98]

Delaware joins the Final Four party in Baltimore with a 10-6 win over UMBC.

[billhoward]

Because all the fans were packed opposite the TV cameras to make the sport look more packed (wonder if they did that also in the women's DIII lax final at Hobart - no crowding there), there seemed to be some odd echos from across the field.

The Albany fans did have more body paint. But then if Cornell fans paint themselves, it appears as an insult either to native Americans or the sunburned Irish.

[Al DeFlorio]

Heels leading the guys who hire strippers 5-1 after one.

[scoop85]

But Duke roars back from down 8-5 at the half to win 19-11.  

CU-Duke will be the second game Saturday at 2:30.

[ninian '72]

Also, check out hotels in Columbia MD, about 20 miles from downtown Balmer. Expedia shows some decent rates (for DC/Baltimore area) still available there.

[Jeff Hopkins '82]

[quote ninian '72]Also, check out hotels in Columbia MD, about 20 miles from downtown Balmer. Expedia shows some decent rates (for DC/Baltimore area) still available there.[/quote]

I'm actually staying in Laurel, which is nearby.  Decent rates available there, too.