College Hockey Rankings, Sept. Baseball and The NCHC

Let me first just say, I love MLB baseball and ALMOST everything that goes into it. I have found through talking to people that they either love it, or hate it because they think it is boring. I love ALMOST all of it, the stats, the match ups and the unpredictability of it. I bring this up because there is one thing that pains me about baseball, and that is going to YOUR teams games in September when they are out of playoff contention. I was out there Saturday watching my team go through the motions, finishing up their schedule and realized how much different I felt watching a game when nothing was on the line.I was missing complete at bats by players and almost innings at a time because my mind and eyes would wonder off to some other place. It sucks!!

There is nothing better than a pennant chase when your favorite team is fighting it out to the last few days of the season for a playoff spot. Even more so when you go to the games and if you're like me, get into every key at bat and try to manage the game for your team. The ups the downs, the scoreboard watching to see what the other competition is doing. Man, it is just a fun time to be a baseball fan. So as I step back into reality and realize again that my team is not giving me those feelings this season. I had to just give my one big love hate about the great game of baseball...On a side note, the only rush I did get at that game on Saturday was when in the 5th inning, a Juan Pierre foul ball came lined my way. I was able to stand up and snare it for my first ever catch at a MLB ball game. I guess it was lucky for me I was paying attention during that at bat!!


Now, As many of you might have noticed, the first college hockey poll came out today with Notre Dame getting the number 1 spot. Not a bad choice, they reached the Frozen Four a year ago and look to have a strong team returning. That wasn't the story of the first poll however. The thing that stood out to me was how many teams received first place votes. Seven teams got at least one first place vote and three of those teams landed at least ten votes. What does that tell you? It tells me that, much like all the other college sports, a preseason poll is not needed and it just gives everyone, including myself something to talk about.

Really, seven teams got  first place votes! That means that there is no clear cut team at the top. So why not just let the first three weeks of the season play out and at least have something real to base your votes off of. I know it will never happen but that doesn't mean I can't give an honest assessment of how ridiculous preseason polls are. I mean defending champion Minnesota Duluth received ten first place votes out of a possible forty-three, yet they are ranked eighth overall. Which means there is such a disparity in opinions of this team that it is impossible to predict where they should be. Let them play! And it will all get sorted out.

Just a couple of days after the invitation was given, both Western Michigan and St. Cloud State agreed to join the new NCHC. A wise choice that leaves the formerly mentioned #1 Irish, Bowling Green and Alabama Huntsville as lone independents. Notre Dame will be fine on their own as they continue to pursue a conference. My hope is that BG and UAH can team up to help one another find a home. Bowling Green was just given a two week extension by the WCHA to make a decision. UAH is still holding on by a thread. Hopefully a conference, most likely the WCHA would see it as a positive to offer an invitation to Alabama if Bowling Green were to accept. Ten teams would make a lot more sense than nine. But of course, money and geography will be the big obstacles and like I said many times, only time will tell.