Harvard 6 Cornell 1 ECAC post-game & site critique

[jtn27]

You might want to read Ken Schott's post-mortem on AC. A few quotes:

There were 4,131 fans there? Really?

Move the tournament
This was my first experience covering the tournament in Atlantic City. And, honestly, I didn't like it.

The games were poorly attended. There were allegedly 3,462 fans in Boardwalk Hall for Friday's two games, and 4,131 fans for Saturday's contests. Were those numbers chosen from the New Jersey Pick-4 Lottery?

There was no atmosphere in the building. At one point during the championship game, it was so quiet that I thought I was in a library and not a hockey game.

If there is a way the league can buy out the final year of its deal with Atlantic City, do it. It would save the ECACH another possible embarrassment next year.

I guess the very loud (louder than the Lynah Faithful Zajac insisted) "Messa faithful" did not show up. Also, a Union "fan" behind bnr24 and me on Saturday said that the "Cornell fans were obnoxious and made the entire [consolation] game disgusting." I am sure he enjoyed when she and I joined in with a group of other Faithful at the ECAC Championship game chanting "sieve" at both Grosenick and Girard among various other chants.

Yeah, we were told by rink security to stop,,, But it was fun until I decided it probably wasn't worth it to get myself into a situation that would have required staying in Atlantic City any longer.

They actually told you to stop yelling sieve

Among other things, but yes. I think at the time we were told to stop I was getting on Girard for being impressed how he gets his mask down with no hands. Definitely wasn't anything profane. Just kind of taking advantage of the complete and utter silence of the game. Even got in a Let's Go Red cheer. I think the problem was more that we were near rink cameras with mics that were definitely picking up every word we were saying. Either way, they were far less appreciative of our addition to the hockey atmosphere than were the other Faithful.

They told us to "settle down." I think the problem was we were too close to the camera (we were in the 2nd or 3rd row). Although the microphone guy's suggestion that I "stop sucking on helium" suggests that if my voice was lower they wouldn't have had a problem with it.

[css228]

They told us to "settle down." I think the problem was we were too close to the camera (we were in the 2nd or 3rd row). Although the microphone guy's suggestion that I "stop sucking on helium" suggests that if my voice was lower they wouldn't have had a problem with it.

"Settle down" is a polite way of asking you to stop.

[jtn27]

They told us to "settle down." I think the problem was we were too close to the camera (we were in the 2nd or 3rd row). Although the microphone guy's suggestion that I "stop sucking on helium" suggests that if my voice was lower they wouldn't have had a problem with it.

"Settle down" is a polite way of asking you to stop.

I am aware of that. I just figured I'd put the exact quote.

[billhoward]

You might want to read Ken Schott's post-mortem on AC. A few quotes:

There were 4,131 fans there? Really?

Move the tournament
This was my first experience covering the tournament in Atlantic City. And, honestly, I didn't like it.

The games were poorly attended. There were allegedly 3,462 fans in Boardwalk Hall for Friday's two games, and 4,131 fans for Saturday's contests. Were those numbers chosen from the New Jersey Pick-4 Lottery?

There was no atmosphere in the building. At one point during the championship game, it was so quiet that I thought I was in a library and not a hockey game.

If there is a way the league can buy out the final year of its deal with Atlantic City, do it. It would save the ECACH another possible embarrassment next year.

Few buildings one-third full have much atmosphere. A journalist from the Albany area has a parochial interest in seeing the tournament held in his readership area. That said, and ignoring that a blog written on not enough sleep and with the spellchecker disabled is one step removed from "first draft of history," Ken Schott is right on target. The tournament needs to move.

[adamw]

Ken is definitely biased about it, but it should be in AC anymore, that much is true. ... Bridgeport to me is a very good idea. It's a nice new arena. Absolutely nothing to do there - but at this point, whatever. Just put it in a nice building, and hope for the best. At least it's new, accessible, and a nice place to watch a game.

This is, of course, assuming they won't send it back to Lake Placid.

Re: Boston - said it before every time it comes up, will say it again ... this is not 1970 or even 1985 ... The Boston-area teams being in the ECAC tournament were a huge factor. They don't exist anymore except Harvard, and Harvard doesn't even draw for the Beanpot anymore. Also, the ECAC tournament was huge then - it had major importance, much more than today, in the grand scheme of things. Those days are gone - forget Boston.

[Jim Hyla]

Adam, I'll never forget Boston.:-} Too many memories, see my signature. And yes, I get your point, we'll never go there again unless we get a sugar daddy. Never having been to a game in Bridgeport, what does it have that Albany doesn't?

[redice]

I know lots of people with no Hockey East association who go to the HE tournament......

Each year that the ECACHL continues to mismanage their championship tournament, I get closer to being one of those people.    Watching the HE tournament on TV reminded me of the fun tournaments that our league used to hold in Boston.   Let there be no mistake, even on TV, it was clear that the TD Garden was an exciting place to be.   A half-empty Boardwalk Hall (or whatever they call it)??   Not so much......

[Greenberg '97]

Never having been to a game in Bridgeport, what does it have that Albany doesn't?

A Metro-North stop.

[Greenberg '97]

Re: Boston - said it before every time it comes up, will say it again ... this is not 1970 or even 1985 ... The Boston-area teams being in the ECAC tournament were a huge factor. They don't exist anymore except Harvard, and Harvard doesn't even draw for the Beanpot anymore. Also, the ECAC tournament was huge then - it had major importance, much more than today, in the grand scheme of things. Those days are gone - forget Boston.

FYP.

[heykb]

Re: Bridgeport

I'd love to tell you that Bridgeport has all sorts of wonderful things, but mostly it doesn't. The arena is 10 minutes walking distance to the University of Bridgeport campus and the end of mile-long Seaside Park. Not that the park is a big draw in March.

There's not a lot to do on a Saturday in Bridgeport, but you can find a good sports bar pretty easily and it's only about a half hour up to Yale if you want to see the sights. NYC is an easy, cheap train ride on Metro North, so that's a very reasonable way to kill your Saturday daylight hours waiting to watch CU in the championship game.

[Trotsky]

Among other things, but yes. I think at the time we were told to stop I was getting on Girard for being impressed how he gets his mask down with no hands. Definitely wasn't anything profane. Just kind of taking advantage of the complete and utter silence of the game. Even got in a Let's Go Red cheer. I think the problem was more that we were near rink cameras with mics that were definitely picking up every word we were saying. Either way, they were far less appreciative of our addition to the hockey atmosphere than were the other Faithful.

Were you at the bottom of 107?  There were a handful of students who gamely tried to start up Cornell cheers during the start of the final and who relocated shortly afterwards.  I thought they might have had a warm AC welcome from rink security.

Generally speaking, I think the Boardwalk crew did the best with what they had.  Security were not overtly dickish and the turnstile and concessions people were professional.  It certainly came across as a building used to holding events.  From talking to random locals at the counters I got the impression they were thinking, "where is everybody?"

There were almost no "carnival" activities (I think I saw a foam puck shoot for the little ones).  The head trauma iPhone app presentation was cool, and the girl at the booth was Manic Pixie Nerd Girl cute.

[Trotsky]

Harvard doesn't even draw for the Beanpot anymore.

Consolation games don't draw well.

[jtn27]

Were you at the bottom of 107?  There were a handful of students who gamely tried to start up Cornell cheers during the start of the final and who relocated shortly afterwards.  I thought they might have had a warm AC welcome from rink security.

That was us. I'm not sure how long css stayed, but I left after about 10-15 minutes to go get dinner (even though we got told off by security, I never felt that we were in danger of being kicked out and me leaving had nothing to do with that).

[Greenberg '97]

Generally speaking, I think the Boardwalk crew did the best with what they had.  Security were not overtly dickish and the turnstile and concessions people were professional.

We arrived with two strollers and asked one of the ushers if there was a place we could store them.  She pointed to the wheelchair-accessible seats between 107 and 207 and said that our whole party could sit there as long as the seats weren't being used.

Oh, and to address two questions I had earlier, both kids were admitted without a ticket (security was more concerned with the outside food than the age of my son), and as most of you know, they were stamping hands for exit and re-entry between games.

[marty]

Generally speaking, I think the Boardwalk crew did the best with what they had.  Security were not overtly dickish and the turnstile and concessions people were professional.

We arrived with two strollers and asked one of the ushers if there was a place we could store them.  She pointed to the wheelchair-accessible seats between 107 and 207 and said that our whole party could sit there as long as the seats weren't being used.

Oh, and to address two questions I had earlier, both kids were admitted without a ticket (security was more concerned with the outside food than the age of my son), and as most of you know, they were stamping hands for exit and re-entry between games.

Hopefully this information as to the building policies will be of use to those who are wishing that the Miss America pageant returns there and of no use to those wishing to watch ECAC hockey.