Lynah Rink Review

[Stadium_Visits]

Hey everyone...I have a passion for sports travel and visiting various arenas and stadiums around the country. They are reviewed on my website and I just got back from a trip to Ithaca, having gone to a hockey game last Saturday. It's tough to get all the nuances of an arena and an average feel for a crowd in just one visit, so I'm curious from those that are familiar with Lynah Rink on what your overall thoughts are about it and the general experience. I know this probably is a hot-button topic, so I hope no nerves are struck as my perspective is from an outsider's look at the experience. Thanks!

Lynah Rink Review

[LGR14]

This seems pretty fair. I'm happy that you recognized that the student section generally did its part in creating an atmosphere. One area I wish Lynah would improve in is the contribution by the non-student sections. Besides the goal chant and cowbell, I don't think those sitting outside Sections B and A (and maybe D?) participate in most of the cheers.

I wonder how it would contribute to the energy if Lynah were to move Section D to Section N. Though I guess the school would be wary about putting the student section behind the opponent's bench.

[billhoward]

How nice of you to visit the "prestigious and private" university to evaluate Lynah Rink. Where you question seating capacity in such a small little barn and say "4,267 [is] a number that seems precise," you understate the case. 4,267 indeed has "precision" and that cannot be questioned; perhaps you mean you wonder about its "accuracy." https://www.ncsu.edu/labwrite/Experimental%20Design/accuracyprecision.htm

The "low roof held together by wooden boards and wires," those boards are laminated veneer lumber and pound for pound are stronger than steel; some of the thick "wires" are actually steel rods that hold everything in place. But seriously: If one were to ask other schools in the ECAC and Ivy League, almost to a one the players would say the most memorable away game each year is Cornell because of the atmosphere and the fans; they actually look forward to it because people actually care about college hockey at Lynah. Sometimes the worth of a facility (Fenway Park, Wrigley Field) is more than the sum of the rankings of individual features.

It is correct that Cornell has "plenty of historical buildings." Princeton, Harvard and the other Ivies feel that way about their campuses, too.

If one were to knock Lynah, it would be worth noting the lighting is not even across the ice surface, and the nearness of the roof makes it harder to secure good camera angles. TV / streaming video is getting to be more important to alumni, players' parents, and recruits.

PS It was intriguing to see the text file on WordPress is actually a GIF. It was a bitch to read on the phone. Maybe a GIF makes it hard for others to steal your work and repost. Good thought.

Sounds like you had a treacherous, snowy ride home. Suggestion: If you keep at this year-round, invest in a pair of Bridgestone Blizzak or Michelin Pilot Super Sport winter tires. $400-$500 plus the cost of four steel wheels. Stay alive to come back and visit again.

[CU2007]

Hey everyone...I have a passion for sports travel and visiting various arenas and stadiums around the country. They are reviewed on my website and I just got back from a trip to Ithaca, having gone to a hockey game last Saturday. It's tough to get all the nuances of an arena and an average feel for a crowd in just one visit, so I'm curious from those that are familiar with Lynah Rink on what your overall thoughts are about it and the general experience. I know this probably is a hot-button topic, so I hope no nerves are struck as my perspective is from an outsider's look at the experience. Thanks!

Lynah Rink Review

Some people want a rich history, an engaged crowd, and a great atmosphere ... some people want valet parking, jumbotrons, and sushi on the menu.

[Al DeFlorio]

Some people want...sushi on the menu.

Others prefer their dead fish on the ice.::drive::

[Iceberg]

I actually found the review quite accurate in many respects. It almost felt like I was back at the old rink, even though it has been 2 years.

[ugarte]

I actually found the review quite accurate in many respects. It almost felt like I was back at the old rink, even though it has been 2 years.

Of course it's accurate. "History" is only meaningful to people who want to connect with it. Otherwise the building is what it is.

[TimV]

Some people want...sushi on the menu.

Others prefer their dead fish on the ice.::drive::

Haw!!!!::rock::

[CowbellGuy]

No real complaints, other than that Cornell is both public and private and the use of "thru." Can't really defend the atmosphere these days. It's gotten pretty awful.

[RichH]

No real complaints, other than that Cornell is both public and private and the use of "thru." Can't really defend the atmosphere these days. It's gotten pretty awful.

While watching the QU/PU weekend on ILDN, it was pretty weird to note many times that I could clearly hear the on-ice players yelling things over the crowd. We've hacked the possible reasons to death here, but its noticeable. I'm coming to terms with it: the student sections now are mostly made up of show-up-late and only-cheer-for-goals types of fans.  There's no way for the vaunted Lynah atmosphere to live up to its reputation for a first-time visitor anymore other than "go to the Harvard game."

As for the article, it's fair. Although, you always see worse-than-normal attendance for the ECAC playoffs around the league for a couple reasons.

[Trotsky]

While watching the QU/PU weekend on ILDN, it was pretty weird to note many times that I could clearly hear the on-ice players yelling things over the crowd. We've hacked the possible reasons to death here, but its noticeable. I'm coming to terms with it: the student sections now are mostly made up of show-up-late and only-cheer-for-goals types of fans.  There's no way for the vaunted Lynah atmosphere to live up to its reputation for a first-time visitor anymore other than "go to the Harvard game."

As you say, we've talked this to death, but I don't agree it is irreparable.  Yes, the little numb nuts are addicted to their phone dildos and they have the attention span of gnats, but we were likewise little numb nuts and we had our distractions too (for example we spoke to one another using our mouths and eyes, which is as distracting as a screen if you're doing it right).  I do not think the little numb nuts are the problem.  I think losing is the problem, and my evidence is the 93-95 drought when a dildoless vintage of numb nuts were just as bad or worse.

In the best of times, no more than 10% of students will make noise without prompting.  90% are casual followers there for face time.  They are a passive substance that needs a catalyst, and the greatest catalyst ever found is winning. The team has not been providing that catalyst.  The second-best catalyst is exciting play, and Mike, and I say this advisedly given that I love him dearly, has been a fun sponge for a decade now. His idea of a solid 60 minutes is piling stones on top of each other, and that can be tedious to watch.

[css228]

While watching the QU/PU weekend on ILDN, it was pretty weird to note many times that I could clearly hear the on-ice players yelling things over the crowd. We've hacked the possible reasons to death here, but its noticeable. I'm coming to terms with it: the student sections now are mostly made up of show-up-late and only-cheer-for-goals types of fans.  There's no way for the vaunted Lynah atmosphere to live up to its reputation for a first-time visitor anymore other than "go to the Harvard game."

His idea of a solid 60 minutes is piling stones on top of each other, and that can be tedious to watch.

This.. and I'm a huge hockey fan. He's like Ken Hitchcock without the success.

[Trotsky]

While watching the QU/PU weekend on ILDN, it was pretty weird to note many times that I could clearly hear the on-ice players yelling things over the crowd. We've hacked the possible reasons to death here, but its noticeable. I'm coming to terms with it: the student sections now are mostly made up of show-up-late and only-cheer-for-goals types of fans.  There's no way for the vaunted Lynah atmosphere to live up to its reputation for a first-time visitor anymore other than "go to the Harvard game."

His idea of a solid 60 minutes is piling stones on top of each other, and that can be tedious to watch.

This.. and I'm a huge hockey fan. He's like Ken Hitchcock without the success.

In its day it was incredibly successful.  In the 17 seasons between 1996 and 2012 Schafer led us to the ECAC Championship Game 10 times and the NCAA Tournament 9 times.  That's great.  The game has changed but this team looks like it has changed as well, and not just in style but in personnel.  I believe Mike knows there's no going back, and this product is much more fun to watch.  All that needs to follow now is success on the ice.  

[Dafatone]

While watching the QU/PU weekend on ILDN, it was pretty weird to note many times that I could clearly hear the on-ice players yelling things over the crowd. We've hacked the possible reasons to death here, but its noticeable. I'm coming to terms with it: the student sections now are mostly made up of show-up-late and only-cheer-for-goals types of fans.  There's no way for the vaunted Lynah atmosphere to live up to its reputation for a first-time visitor anymore other than "go to the Harvard game."

His idea of a solid 60 minutes is piling stones on top of each other, and that can be tedious to watch.

This.. and I'm a huge hockey fan. He's like Ken Hitchcock without the success.

In its day it was incredibly successful.  In the 17 seasons between 1996 and 2012 Schafer led us to the ECAC Championship Game 10 times and the NCAA Tournament 9 times.  That's great.  The game has changed but this team looks like it has changed as well, and not just in style but in personnel.  I believe Mike knows there's no going back, and this product is much more fun to watch.  All that needs to follow now is success on the ice.  

Again, beaten to death and all that, but it's not like our recent lull has been THAT bad.  Two seasons around .500 and two seasons where we were the first team out of the tourney.

I'd wager that two thirds of college hockey would take that.

[billhoward]

Some people want...sushi on the menu.

Others prefer their dead fish on the ice.::drive::

+1