"Off the Crossbar" today

[DeltaOne81]

[quote andyw2100]
Can someone explain to me how this could possibly save anything more than a pittance? The traveling teams are still going to need to pay for a bus and  driver for the entire weekend. They're still going to need to pay for the same number of hotel nights. The only savings I see would be the cost of gas to travel between the partner schools.

Am I missing something?[/quote]

Well its not just 'gas'. They rent the bus & the driver, which could be based on mileage.  Could be significant, especially for Princeton-QU, but other pairs aren't that close. Needing the driver to do hotel-rink twice without often a multi-hour trip in the middle might help.

I wonder if they see it as a way to save a day on hotels too. Eaiser to travel early Saturday morning, if you don't have to travel Sat night too?

[Jordan 04]

[quote Trotsky]The Princeton kid who made the dipsy-doodle move had the best response to it: if this is a joke, let's make it a joke.

[/quote]

I saw it as, "if this is a show for the fans, let's put on a show for the fans."

[quote Trotsky]If you have to have overtime at all, then five minutes of 5x5 and put it in the books.[/quote]

They did. Look "in the books." It's a 2-2 tie.

Like Age said, the shootout was there for entertainment. It wasn't in lieu of a better option for deciding the game. Yes, you could just go home with the game tied and say that they each take a share of 3rd place, but the extra 10 minutes didn't hurt anybody.

ETA: The lone unintended consequence I noticed was the Princeton fan on the phone in the bathroom afterward complaining that his team lost in a "stupid" shootout. But that's more of a problem with him being unaware of the rules than it is with the shootout.

[Beeeej]

[quote jtwcornell91][quote CowbellGuy]Not sure why everyone is getting so bent over a meaningless shootout. The only thing on the line here was a trophy that neither team could give a rat's ass about. At that point, the game was over and the shootout was purely for entertainment value. I thought the spin move was entertaining and it made for some good shots from behind the net. Lighten up. I'll get off your lawn now.[/quote]

What bugged me was the PA announcer (and scoreboard operator, who changed the scoreboard to read 3-2 after the shootout was over) pretending the shootout decided the winner of the game.[/quote]

Really?  'cause I had no idea it was troubling you at all.

[statenaurora]

Well they certainly have the right geographic location for the finals.

Geo Midpoint of ECAC Schools

What is the seating capacity for hockey at the Times Union Center? Seems like the event would be better in a smaller venue, that may sell out. Lake Placid would be great, but would be hike for everyone.

How about somewhere along I-90?

[KeithK]

[quote statenaurora]What is the seating capacity for hockey at the Times Union Center? Seems like the event would be better in a smaller venue, that may sell out. Lake Placid would be great, but would be hike for everyone.
[/quote]
Wikipedia says the maximum capacity is 17500 for sporting events.  It's not broken down by sport but I imagine hockey would be close to the maximum.  So the ECAC might have filled one quarter of the available capacity.

[Josh '99]

From the part of the article about Barlow's goal:

Down by two goals with less than three minutes remaining in Friday's game, Cornell rolled the dice and put Barlow out on defense to try to get an offensive spark.

I didn't realize until just now that Barlow was playing D at that point.

[Trotsky]

[quote KeithK]Wikipedia says the maximum capacity is 17500 for sporting events.  It's not broken down by sport but I imagine hockey would be close to the maximum.  So the ECAC might have filled one quarter of the available capacity.[/quote]

They curtain off the upper deck ends and corners, so it's probably better than that, but then again that's a chicken and egg thing: if they were selling out, they wouldn't be giving up that revenue.

Just play the damn thing at Lynah every year.

[Trotsky]

[quote CowbellGuy]I'll get off your lawn now.[/quote]

And turn down your music.

[Jim Hyla]

[quote statenaurora]How about somewhere along I-90?[/quote]You mean like Albany?

[statenaurora]

The logical choice would be Albany, which has already been made. If the ECAC is open to other locations in order to moderate costs and improve the event then other smaller sites become an option. Syracuse, Utica, Springfield? Would it be possible to rotate the venue from year to year?

[Jim Hyla]

[quote pfibiger]Here's an article from his local paper about Blake Gallagher. It talks about his injury and how they treated it.

http://www.metronews.ca/halifax/sports/article/202343[/quote]How come nobody yelled about these quotes?

All in all, he's thrilled with his decision to further his hockey career at a U.S. college instead of major junior, a direction few Nova Scotian teens choose to take.

"I absolutely love it," he said. "We probably have the loudest fans in the country night-in, night-out. Our rink is packed every night. It's an unbelievable experience."

And if they get to the Frozen Four?

"I'll definitely play," Gallagher said with a laugh. "If they cut my foot off, I'd still play in the Frozen Four."

[KeithK]

[quote statenaurora]The logical choice would be Albany, which has already been made. If the ECAC is open to other locations in order to moderate costs and improve the event then other smaller sites become an option. Syracuse, Utica, Springfield? Would it be possible to rotate the venue from year to year?[/quote]
Presumably you'd need someone promoting one of those other venues in order for them to be considered.  I doubt anyone is going to step forward and put in a bid for Utica or Springfield.

[JasonN95]

[quote KeithK][quote statenaurora]The logical choice would be Albany, which has already been made. If the ECAC is open to other locations in order to moderate costs and improve the event then other smaller sites become an option. Syracuse, Utica, Springfield? Would it be possible to rotate the venue from year to year?[/quote]
Presumably you'd need someone promoting one of those other venues in order for them to be considered.  I doubt anyone is going to step forward and put in a bid for Utica or Springfield.[/quote]

My parents live 20 minutes from Springfield, yet I don't think I'd want to see the tournament there.

Year 1: "This city is a little scary and the arena is sad, but fans can use their downtime to check out the Basketball Hall of Fame!"

Year 2: "Why are having this in Springfield?"

[Rich S]

[quote Trotsky][quote Al DeFlorio]Gallagher and both Devins to miss the NCAAs with injuries:-/.  Bridgeport::banana:: and Lake Placid::yark:: bidding for ECACs?

http://www.theithacajournal.com/article/20090325/SPORTS/903250322/1006[/quote]

Excellent quote by Marsh.

The debated change in the travel partner system is a little worrying, but it comes up as often as the BTHC.

I've never been to Bridgeport.  Lake Placid would be great.  If the tournament is only going to draw 5-7k, might as well have it in paradise rather than some hole.[/quote]

A hole...like Ithaca?  :-)

[KeithK]

[quote Rich S][quote Trotsky][quote Al DeFlorio]Gallagher and both Devins to miss the NCAAs with injuries:-/.  Bridgeport::banana:: and Lake Placid::yark:: bidding for ECACs?

http://www.theithacajournal.com/article/20090325/SPORTS/903250322/1006[/quote]

Excellent quote by Marsh.

The debated change in the travel partner system is a little worrying, but it comes up as often as the BTHC.

I've never been to Bridgeport.  Lake Placid would be great.  If the tournament is only going to draw 5-7k, might as well have it in paradise rather than some hole.[/quote]

A hole...like Ithaca?  :-)[/quote]
Well sure.  But a hole with home ice advantage is still a good thing!