Generic Off Season Thread

Jim Hyla · August 11, 2012, 10:46:16 AM

Adam, I'm sure you feel good about this; just as I'm sure you know I hate the choice. So let's look at the positives and negatives.

Positives:
1: We get to talk about something related to hockey in the summer.
2: It's got mystique.
3: The town loves us. Why shouldn't they, we bring money.
4: Maybe there is one, but I can't think of another.

Negatives:
1: It's difficult to get to, especially for the casual fan. Does anyone really think someone, at the last minute, will just decide to go.

2: Not enough easy and reasonable rooms. Maybe the Hampton Inn will help, but if the 7 day cancelation remains, it should be a deal breaker. I went to all LP tourneys. My wife didn't mind, and my daughter was too young to have a say. If it had been the last few years, there would have been no way I could have paid for a hotel a year in advance, and then thrown that money away if CU wasn't there.

3: No easy parking. If you didn't get there early, no place to park.

4: It all leads up to not great crowds, unless SLU +/or CCT makes it. Go Casey.

5: Too big an ice surface. Why in the world would we want to pick a champion based upon who does best on Olympic ice, when the NCAAs can't be on that.

6: Will we get TV coverage? Albany had TW, especially with Union now a force.

7: The best newspaper coverage is the Watertown Times, wow. In Albany we at least had the 3 local papers, 2 of whom had strong ties to ECAC schools, and the third has the name of the rink.

That's it for now, but I can't emphasize more how difficult it will be for the less than aggressive fan.

EDIT: If anyone wants a view of attendance at all 3 recent venues, here's Ken Schott's column.

adamw · August 11, 2012, 01:25:56 PM

1. Difficult, but worth it

2. Difficult, but hopefully better than last time around...we'll see

3. Better than paying up the wazoo at other venues...minor inconvenience

4. Crowds have not been, nor would they be, great anywhere

5. From everyone I've ever spoken to, including players, coaches, etc..., it's only a handful of coaches who care about this. The players don't mind at all. They say they adjust quickly. That said, ideally it would be better at 200x85, but again, not enough to offset the plusses, IMO

6. As I said months ago, I don't see this as any better or worse a possibility. I've spoken to people about this. Stay tuned for Hagwell quotes on the issue. Nobody would be in better position to know than him.

7. There's a local daily, the Adirondack Daily...and the Lake Placid weekly. And the Albany papers will come if their teams are in it. And I don't think it matters anyway. The best coverage is on College Hockey News

... Non-issue.

redice · August 11, 2012, 05:13:38 PM

The one truth that we all should realize after going through all of this whining/bitching back in the 90's. There is absolutely nobody in the ECACHL office or the athletic depts of any of the schools who give a damn about our opinions, pro or con, and justifications.

It is all a pointless exercise here.

To those who like it: Enjoy!!!

To those who do not: Make the best of it.

Back to planning my alternate March activities. Carry on.......

adamw · August 12, 2012, 09:40:10 AM

I think they do ... But each athletic dept. cares only about their own fan base, and even within that, opinions are all over the map.

Trotsky · August 12, 2012, 11:12:57 AM

In terms of policy, does the ECAC even exist separate from the agendas of the 12 ADs?

redice · August 12, 2012, 11:20:25 AM

Quote from: adamwI think they do ... But each athletic dept. cares only about their own fan base, and even within that, opinions are all over the map.

I think you're fooling yourself on that.. Perhaps because this went that way you wanted.

Whatever. If the athletic dept. cared about only their own fan base, just what evidence do we have that they reached out to their fan base for opinions. If they were foolish enough to sample ELF opinion, it would seem that CU athletic dept. would have voted against it. Opinions here seemed to favor NOT going to LP. Of course, it's silly to think that this is a good sampling of opinion for the Cornell fan base.

Heading to Boston in March is going to be so much fun...

adamw · August 12, 2012, 03:16:20 PM

Quote from: rediceWhatever. If the athletic dept. cared about only their own fan base, just what evidence do we have that they reached out to their fan base for opinions.

I'm not saying any of them specifically reached out to ask ... But I can tell you this - they acted in the way they thought their fan bases wanted. Perhaps they were wrong in their assumption - but I'm sure that's what they did. At least most of them.

adamw · August 12, 2012, 03:18:10 PM

Quote from: TrotskyIn terms of policy, does the ECAC even exist separate from the agendas of the 12 ADs?

Not really ... the 12 ADs (or their reps - asst. AD Anita Brenner in Cornell's case) decide on each matter based on a simple vote. Though there are the usual assortment of committees that can recommend things to the whole.

redice · August 12, 2012, 05:01:06 PM

Quote from: adamw
Quote from: rediceWhatever. If the athletic dept. cared about only their own fan base, just what evidence do we have that they reached out to their fan base for opinions.

I'm not saying any of them specifically reached out to ask ... But I can tell you this - they acted in the way they thought their fan bases wanted. Perhaps they were wrong in their assumption - but I'm sure that's what they did. At least most of them.

It seems like assumptions are being made and not all by athletic depts........

adamw · August 12, 2012, 05:02:29 PM

Quote from: rediceIt seems like assumptions are being made and not all by athletic depts........

meaning?

Trotsky · August 12, 2012, 05:07:49 PM

Do we know which site Cornell favored? Are the votes secret? It's not exactly national security.

adamw · August 12, 2012, 05:28:41 PM

Quote from: TrotskyDo we know which site Cornell favored? Are the votes secret? It's not exactly national security.

The collective we does not know, no

... Funny, the line about national security was exactly what I said ... but they won't officially say who voted for what. We'll see what comes out over the coming weeks. To the extent that I know, I can't say ... sorry for the tease - I'm only saying that so you don't think I'm talking completely out my rear

redice · August 12, 2012, 09:24:29 PM

Quote from: adamw
Quote from: rediceIt seems like assumptions are being made and not all by athletic depts........

meaning?

It sure reads to me that you are making certain assumptions on how the process was handled by the athletic depts. On what do you base these assumptions?

Read your earlier posting:

Quote from: adamwI'm not saying any of them specifically reached out to ask ... But I can tell you this - they acted in the way they thought their fan bases wanted. Perhaps they were wrong in their assumption - but I'm sure that's what they did. At least most of them.

How can you possibly pretend to be in the heads of these people to know the nature of their thought processes?

I'm just sayin.......

adamw · August 12, 2012, 09:57:28 PM

Quote from: rediceHow can you possibly pretend to be in the heads of these people to know the nature of their thought processes?

I'm just sayin.......

How do you know what I know and don't know?

redice · August 13, 2012, 06:44:58 AM

Quote from: adamw
Quote from: rediceHow can you possibly pretend to be in the heads of these people to know the nature of their thought processes?

I'm just sayin.......

How do you know what I know and don't know?

Yawn....