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.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
More Conference Shuffling and NHL TV
I woke up today and saw the announcement that St. Cloud State and Western Michigan had been given invitations to join the NCHC Conference. I thought to myself, wow! Somebody decided to make things happen. It has been well known for months that Western Michigan has been waiting by the phone for this call, but to somewhat of a surprise, was the move to invite St. Cloud. Not to say that they weren't worthy of the invite. They have been a solid program for years with numerous players moving on to the National hockey League, but it's more of a surprise because it came out of nowhere.
All the talk since the realignment happened was that the NCHC was courting Notre Dame and that Western Michigan was a school that they were interested in but St. Cloud never seemed to be in the conversation. To me as an outside observer, it looks as if the NCHC cannot get a commitment from Notre Dame and wanted to be safe and offer two schools elsewhere and try to ensure a conference of at least 8 teams. Was it a good move? Only time will tell. I like the move for a couple of reasons. The first is that the two programs they are inviting are not slouches. As I said before, St. Cloud has competed at the top of the WCHA many times and has a rich tradition of churning out NHL talent. Western Michigan is coming off a great season in which they reached the NCAA tournament and although they lost the coach that got them there, they brought in former NHL head coach Andy Murray to replace him.
The other reason I like the move is that not only does it still leave the door open for Notre Dame to join, but it also makes it more appealing. Although the 6 teams in the NCHC are all strong programs, Notre Dame had to be looking at it and saying, do we really want to join a conference with just 6 teams. Yeah the Big Ten will only have 6 teams but they will have TV exposure and more money that makes only a 6 team conference immaterial. You could also argue that this gives the NCHC some leverage on Notre Dame now. By adding these two Universities they no longer have to make the big sell to Notre Dame. While they would still without doubt welcome them with open arms, they don't NEED them and that goes a long way in who holds the bargaining chips in the future.
So I believe today was a good day for college hockey. You have two conferences out west with 8 teams if these invitations are accepted. It leaves 3 teams as of now as independents for the '13-'14 season, Notre Dame, Bowling Green and Alabama Huntsville. If things become official and it leaves these 3 teams still in search of a conference it will make for an interesting story. Many will speculate but only the Presidents and Athletic directors will have the answers.
I leave the college hockey world and head for a discussion that I have had with many people and in return have had many arguments. That is the NHL deciding to stick with NBC/Versus instead of trying to negotiate a deal with ABC/ESPN. You can't argue with the deal they made in terms of money. NBC ponied up the dough big time, there is no doubting that. You can't even argue with the quality of programming that Versus or NBC does. The on air talent is great and the Versus studio show has grown by leaps and bounds over the years and is very well done. So why is there even an argument you might ask? It is very simple, ESPN, The WORLD WIDE LEADER IN SPORTS!!
For the many people who I have had arguments with about this subject, you can stop reading because you already know what I am going to say, but for the many that haven't, please pay attention. ESPN is the largest sports network in the world and quite possibly growing into the largest network of any kind, period. I have talked about growing the college hockey game with TV exposure, well here is my case for if they really wanted to expand hockey at the pro level.
For all the die hard hockey fans out there reading this, the reason ESPN should have been the company the deal was made with was not because of you. We all know you love the game and that you will search the guide channel for Versus and find that game and watch it day in and day out. This deal was for the part time hockey fans and for the people that don't even watch hockey at all.
When a sports fan comes home and turns on the TV he or she almost immediately turns on ESPN. It doesn't matter what is on there they are going to check it out first before they go searching anywhere else. That is where you can catch that fan!! They turn on ESPN and there it is, Pittsburgh is playing Philadelphia and things are heated. Before that person changes the channel they notice the physical play and fast pace to the game and decide to watch for a few minutes. The next thing you know, they watch the rest of the game and say to themselves, that was pretty exciting, I'm going to watch more NHL games. Even expanding on that, they may want to go checkout a game in person and that's when they get really hooked. But that is a whole different discussion, lets stick with TV.
Yes ESPN probably would have low balled the NHL to a certain extent in terms of a TV deal but in the long run it would have helped grow the sport so much more than NBC/Versus on a global level. You couple in the fact that the NBA is in a lockout with a strong possibility of losing the whole season and the exposure that the NHL could have gotten would have been off the charts. Does anybody else miss NHL Tonight? John Buccigross and Ray Ferraro, what a great show!! They can try to replicate that on Versus, but who will be watching besides us die hards?
All the talk since the realignment happened was that the NCHC was courting Notre Dame and that Western Michigan was a school that they were interested in but St. Cloud never seemed to be in the conversation. To me as an outside observer, it looks as if the NCHC cannot get a commitment from Notre Dame and wanted to be safe and offer two schools elsewhere and try to ensure a conference of at least 8 teams. Was it a good move? Only time will tell. I like the move for a couple of reasons. The first is that the two programs they are inviting are not slouches. As I said before, St. Cloud has competed at the top of the WCHA many times and has a rich tradition of churning out NHL talent. Western Michigan is coming off a great season in which they reached the NCAA tournament and although they lost the coach that got them there, they brought in former NHL head coach Andy Murray to replace him.
The other reason I like the move is that not only does it still leave the door open for Notre Dame to join, but it also makes it more appealing. Although the 6 teams in the NCHC are all strong programs, Notre Dame had to be looking at it and saying, do we really want to join a conference with just 6 teams. Yeah the Big Ten will only have 6 teams but they will have TV exposure and more money that makes only a 6 team conference immaterial. You could also argue that this gives the NCHC some leverage on Notre Dame now. By adding these two Universities they no longer have to make the big sell to Notre Dame. While they would still without doubt welcome them with open arms, they don't NEED them and that goes a long way in who holds the bargaining chips in the future.
So I believe today was a good day for college hockey. You have two conferences out west with 8 teams if these invitations are accepted. It leaves 3 teams as of now as independents for the '13-'14 season, Notre Dame, Bowling Green and Alabama Huntsville. If things become official and it leaves these 3 teams still in search of a conference it will make for an interesting story. Many will speculate but only the Presidents and Athletic directors will have the answers.
I leave the college hockey world and head for a discussion that I have had with many people and in return have had many arguments. That is the NHL deciding to stick with NBC/Versus instead of trying to negotiate a deal with ABC/ESPN. You can't argue with the deal they made in terms of money. NBC ponied up the dough big time, there is no doubting that. You can't even argue with the quality of programming that Versus or NBC does. The on air talent is great and the Versus studio show has grown by leaps and bounds over the years and is very well done. So why is there even an argument you might ask? It is very simple, ESPN, The WORLD WIDE LEADER IN SPORTS!!
For the many people who I have had arguments with about this subject, you can stop reading because you already know what I am going to say, but for the many that haven't, please pay attention. ESPN is the largest sports network in the world and quite possibly growing into the largest network of any kind, period. I have talked about growing the college hockey game with TV exposure, well here is my case for if they really wanted to expand hockey at the pro level.
For all the die hard hockey fans out there reading this, the reason ESPN should have been the company the deal was made with was not because of you. We all know you love the game and that you will search the guide channel for Versus and find that game and watch it day in and day out. This deal was for the part time hockey fans and for the people that don't even watch hockey at all.
When a sports fan comes home and turns on the TV he or she almost immediately turns on ESPN. It doesn't matter what is on there they are going to check it out first before they go searching anywhere else. That is where you can catch that fan!! They turn on ESPN and there it is, Pittsburgh is playing Philadelphia and things are heated. Before that person changes the channel they notice the physical play and fast pace to the game and decide to watch for a few minutes. The next thing you know, they watch the rest of the game and say to themselves, that was pretty exciting, I'm going to watch more NHL games. Even expanding on that, they may want to go checkout a game in person and that's when they get really hooked. But that is a whole different discussion, lets stick with TV.
Yes ESPN probably would have low balled the NHL to a certain extent in terms of a TV deal but in the long run it would have helped grow the sport so much more than NBC/Versus on a global level. You couple in the fact that the NBA is in a lockout with a strong possibility of losing the whole season and the exposure that the NHL could have gotten would have been off the charts. Does anybody else miss NHL Tonight? John Buccigross and Ray Ferraro, what a great show!! They can try to replicate that on Versus, but who will be watching besides us die hards?
Monday, September 12, 2011
Alabama Huntsville and Big Ten Hockey Expansion
After a great time visiting my Alma Mater this weekend and getting to see a lot of friends that make me miss the city of Columbus so much. I had to sit down this morning and read about the terrible situation going on with the program down in Huntsville Alabama. In case you don't know. The University of Alabama at Huntsville had recently become an independent in hockey and was desperately looking for a new conference to call home. Recently the threat to end the hockey program has become near certain.
In a last ditch effort, many former players have started to raise money for the program and looked to have $600,000 to be given to the program over the next 3 years. A large amount but not half of what the program needs to survive. They are looking to the community of Huntsville for support to try and bridge the gap even further. From what I read on USCHO.com, the University is just looking for a reason to end the program in main part because of their going independent last year. Many people saw a ray of light and a hope for joining a conference when Penn State went Division I and caused all the realignment. This is where I again demand a little urgency from certain programs.
Recently I gave some criticism to Notre Dame for dragging out their decision making process and causing a lot of stress to the college hockey world. This is just another example of why a decision needs to be made. The college hockey world does not need to be losing programs. Everyday the Irish wait to decide where they will move, the closer UAH comes to distinction. Let me be clear, I am not putting the fate of UAH on Notre Dame. Notre Dame could make a decision tomorrow and it may workout that no conference wants to add UAH, but if it doesn't happen soon. UAH may never even get the chance to find out if they could land a conference and survive.
It has been months since the ball has been in Notre Dame's court. I understand that they want to do their do diligence to find the best spot for their program but it is time to make that decision. College hockey needs to expand not detract and time is running out!
Speaking of expansion, and I know I am getting a little ahead of myself but hey, it's never to early to think forward. I was mulling about the new Big Ten Conference and who would be a good fit to expand the conference from the starting 6 teams to either 8 or even 10. But lets just say we are looking for the two best candidates for now. For me, the number one candidate is the newest member of the Big Ten, Nebraska. I know some people might see that and say huh? But those people, for one don't realize the passion for hockey in the state of Nebraska and two that they already have facilities ready to house a team.
I played 3 years of junior hockey in Omaha Nebraska and played in front of 6,000 plus fans a night every game. Down the road in Lincoln, their junior team has sold out almost every game since they became a franchise in 1996. The fans are there and that's without figuring in the student body support.
Probably the biggest reason why I say Nebraska would be the best fit is that they have an arena available to them. The Lincoln Stars arena seats just over 5,000 people a game, which is an ideal size for college hockey. It would be easy to share the building with the junior team and buy the University time before they possibly build a facility for the basketball and hockey teams to share. So that is my number one candidate for expansion, so who will be number 2? I am going to say the University of Illinois.
I have a couple of reasons why I think they are a good candidate and they are completely different from why Nebraska would succeed. The first is that they already have a great hockey program in Champiagn. I know, I know it's not a Division I program but it is one of the most successful club programs in the country, much like Penn State was before they made the jump. They already have a great following from their fellow students and draw crowds in the thousands for club hockey, imagine if they were Division I and the Wolverines were coming to town.
The second reason would be the ability to recruit home grown hockey players from the state of Illinois. The talent level in the Chicago land area has never been higher and the University of Illinois would be able to land top level talent who would rather stay close to home for their college careers. It wouldn't take long for them to build a winner in Champaign. The only obstacle for them and why I chose Nebraska as the top candidate is the need for a facility. While what they have is good enough for a club hockey team, it falls short of what it would need to carry a Division I team. I see that as a major obstacle for many of the Big Ten schools of which hope to land a hockey program. What may help, and I have heard some rumors, is that some schools are looking to build new basketball arenas and would possibly consider sharing it with a hockey team Ala Ohio State and Wisconsin. Definitely a lot of wait and see when you talk about that idea.
Well, I have said enough. Good nite ya'll!!!
In a last ditch effort, many former players have started to raise money for the program and looked to have $600,000 to be given to the program over the next 3 years. A large amount but not half of what the program needs to survive. They are looking to the community of Huntsville for support to try and bridge the gap even further. From what I read on USCHO.com, the University is just looking for a reason to end the program in main part because of their going independent last year. Many people saw a ray of light and a hope for joining a conference when Penn State went Division I and caused all the realignment. This is where I again demand a little urgency from certain programs.
Recently I gave some criticism to Notre Dame for dragging out their decision making process and causing a lot of stress to the college hockey world. This is just another example of why a decision needs to be made. The college hockey world does not need to be losing programs. Everyday the Irish wait to decide where they will move, the closer UAH comes to distinction. Let me be clear, I am not putting the fate of UAH on Notre Dame. Notre Dame could make a decision tomorrow and it may workout that no conference wants to add UAH, but if it doesn't happen soon. UAH may never even get the chance to find out if they could land a conference and survive.
It has been months since the ball has been in Notre Dame's court. I understand that they want to do their do diligence to find the best spot for their program but it is time to make that decision. College hockey needs to expand not detract and time is running out!
Speaking of expansion, and I know I am getting a little ahead of myself but hey, it's never to early to think forward. I was mulling about the new Big Ten Conference and who would be a good fit to expand the conference from the starting 6 teams to either 8 or even 10. But lets just say we are looking for the two best candidates for now. For me, the number one candidate is the newest member of the Big Ten, Nebraska. I know some people might see that and say huh? But those people, for one don't realize the passion for hockey in the state of Nebraska and two that they already have facilities ready to house a team.
I played 3 years of junior hockey in Omaha Nebraska and played in front of 6,000 plus fans a night every game. Down the road in Lincoln, their junior team has sold out almost every game since they became a franchise in 1996. The fans are there and that's without figuring in the student body support.
Probably the biggest reason why I say Nebraska would be the best fit is that they have an arena available to them. The Lincoln Stars arena seats just over 5,000 people a game, which is an ideal size for college hockey. It would be easy to share the building with the junior team and buy the University time before they possibly build a facility for the basketball and hockey teams to share. So that is my number one candidate for expansion, so who will be number 2? I am going to say the University of Illinois.
I have a couple of reasons why I think they are a good candidate and they are completely different from why Nebraska would succeed. The first is that they already have a great hockey program in Champiagn. I know, I know it's not a Division I program but it is one of the most successful club programs in the country, much like Penn State was before they made the jump. They already have a great following from their fellow students and draw crowds in the thousands for club hockey, imagine if they were Division I and the Wolverines were coming to town.
The second reason would be the ability to recruit home grown hockey players from the state of Illinois. The talent level in the Chicago land area has never been higher and the University of Illinois would be able to land top level talent who would rather stay close to home for their college careers. It wouldn't take long for them to build a winner in Champaign. The only obstacle for them and why I chose Nebraska as the top candidate is the need for a facility. While what they have is good enough for a club hockey team, it falls short of what it would need to carry a Division I team. I see that as a major obstacle for many of the Big Ten schools of which hope to land a hockey program. What may help, and I have heard some rumors, is that some schools are looking to build new basketball arenas and would possibly consider sharing it with a hockey team Ala Ohio State and Wisconsin. Definitely a lot of wait and see when you talk about that idea.
Well, I have said enough. Good nite ya'll!!!
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Sidney Crosby, Notre Dame and Bad Uniforms
Ok, So I am sitting on the couch watching football Saturday night and I look at the t.v and just shake my head. What do I see but the lime green jerseys being worn by the Oregon Ducks, just absolutely horrible looking. Then I flip the channel because I can't take looking at them, and what do I see but the bright orange shoe's and large white pony's on the helmets of Boise State. And if that wasn't enough the Georgia Bulldogs had a glitter shine to their jersey's and their helmets were sectioned into part gray and part red.
Instead of watching the games in enjoyment, I couldn't help but keep looking at the horrible gear and wonder what these schools were thinking. I wasn't going to waste my time and write about it. But then last night came along and the Maryland Terapins strolled onto the field. I mean talk about disaster. I really don't know how to describe what they looked like, other than something out of the circus. The bumble bee like yellow and black checkers on one side and the hot red and white on the other. It made me immediately root for Miami...It was that bad!
Please excuse me here, but I am going to get on a little bit of a soap box here. What are these Universities thinking? They think because they are going to be in the national spotlight they have to make a fashion statement. It seems to me that some of these coaching staffs and who ever else runs the asylum cares more about what new look they can show the country, rather than show how good of a football team they have. It sends the wrong message about what college sports are about and to me, makes the schools look foolish.
Ok, enough nonsense, lets talk about some hockey. I have read all over the place that Sidney Crosby is to meet with the press tomorrow and address his health status. I think this is a good move. All summer long we have been hearing how he has been working out and getting ready for the season. Only to have reports come in that he has had a set back and that his status for the season is unclear. Well finally we will get it from the horses mouth. Whether it's good news or not, it will be positive to see him addressing people and putting his face out there for the fans. The game desperately needs Sid the Kid. He needs to take every precaution before he steps back on the ice for another game. The last thing the NHL wants is another Eric Lindros case. We all know how fast he went from the best player in the world, to just another big guy out there one hit away from his career being over.
Concussions, what can you say, in every sport they have become the most dangerous injury to a player. They are so unpredictable. I can go back to my playing days and recall having two concussions, with two totally different outcomes. The first came from a blind sided check in open ice, an elbow to the head. I completely blacked out and don't recall anything until I woke up in a hospital bed the next day. The amazing thing about it was that I felt back to normal in days and a week and a half later I was back playing in a playoff game.
The other instance came a year later. I had just got into my one annual fight per season and my helmet had come off. As we tumbled to the ice I smacked the back of my head against the ice. That didn't feel great and I had a bad headache but felt much better right after the incident than the year before when I blacked out on the ice. I figured that since it wasn't as bad a hit that I would be back in days. Well as it turned out, it ended up taking me over a month to get back to 100%. The headaches would just kind of hang around and I couldn't pass all the tests to get cleared.
So that's what makes it such a scary injury. There isn't any physical therapy for a concussion. You really cannot set a timetable for recovery. You just wake up everyday hoping that you feel better and that you can turn the corner. Sidney Crosby is waking up everyday now hoping that today is better than yesterday. That's all he can do and the NHL and the fans wait at the edge of their seats to hope for the best. That's all anyone can do.
I want to close things out with a little college hockey and a school that kind of gets on my nerves. There football program does as well but I will stick with the hockey team and that is Notre Dame. Since Jeff Jackson was hired, the program has done phenomenally well and it is a credit to them for turning that corner and becoming an elite program. But why do they feel as if they have a right to hold a couple of conferences hostage. The new NCHC and Hockey East seem to both covet having the Irish and they know it.
What is the hold up? Make a decision already. Everyone is waiting for that ball to drop so that teams like Western Michigan and Bowling Green can make a move. It's like they are waiting to see who will drop to their knee's first and beg the most. They are being bullies and if they could only remember where they were 10 years ago, a middle of the pack, underachieving program. They would realize that it's in the best interest for all of college hockey for them to make a move and allow all of the pieces to fall for the '13-'14 season. Nobody is larger than the game itself!
Instead of watching the games in enjoyment, I couldn't help but keep looking at the horrible gear and wonder what these schools were thinking. I wasn't going to waste my time and write about it. But then last night came along and the Maryland Terapins strolled onto the field. I mean talk about disaster. I really don't know how to describe what they looked like, other than something out of the circus. The bumble bee like yellow and black checkers on one side and the hot red and white on the other. It made me immediately root for Miami...It was that bad!
Please excuse me here, but I am going to get on a little bit of a soap box here. What are these Universities thinking? They think because they are going to be in the national spotlight they have to make a fashion statement. It seems to me that some of these coaching staffs and who ever else runs the asylum cares more about what new look they can show the country, rather than show how good of a football team they have. It sends the wrong message about what college sports are about and to me, makes the schools look foolish.
Ok, enough nonsense, lets talk about some hockey. I have read all over the place that Sidney Crosby is to meet with the press tomorrow and address his health status. I think this is a good move. All summer long we have been hearing how he has been working out and getting ready for the season. Only to have reports come in that he has had a set back and that his status for the season is unclear. Well finally we will get it from the horses mouth. Whether it's good news or not, it will be positive to see him addressing people and putting his face out there for the fans. The game desperately needs Sid the Kid. He needs to take every precaution before he steps back on the ice for another game. The last thing the NHL wants is another Eric Lindros case. We all know how fast he went from the best player in the world, to just another big guy out there one hit away from his career being over.
Concussions, what can you say, in every sport they have become the most dangerous injury to a player. They are so unpredictable. I can go back to my playing days and recall having two concussions, with two totally different outcomes. The first came from a blind sided check in open ice, an elbow to the head. I completely blacked out and don't recall anything until I woke up in a hospital bed the next day. The amazing thing about it was that I felt back to normal in days and a week and a half later I was back playing in a playoff game.
The other instance came a year later. I had just got into my one annual fight per season and my helmet had come off. As we tumbled to the ice I smacked the back of my head against the ice. That didn't feel great and I had a bad headache but felt much better right after the incident than the year before when I blacked out on the ice. I figured that since it wasn't as bad a hit that I would be back in days. Well as it turned out, it ended up taking me over a month to get back to 100%. The headaches would just kind of hang around and I couldn't pass all the tests to get cleared.
So that's what makes it such a scary injury. There isn't any physical therapy for a concussion. You really cannot set a timetable for recovery. You just wake up everyday hoping that you feel better and that you can turn the corner. Sidney Crosby is waking up everyday now hoping that today is better than yesterday. That's all he can do and the NHL and the fans wait at the edge of their seats to hope for the best. That's all anyone can do.
I want to close things out with a little college hockey and a school that kind of gets on my nerves. There football program does as well but I will stick with the hockey team and that is Notre Dame. Since Jeff Jackson was hired, the program has done phenomenally well and it is a credit to them for turning that corner and becoming an elite program. But why do they feel as if they have a right to hold a couple of conferences hostage. The new NCHC and Hockey East seem to both covet having the Irish and they know it.
What is the hold up? Make a decision already. Everyone is waiting for that ball to drop so that teams like Western Michigan and Bowling Green can make a move. It's like they are waiting to see who will drop to their knee's first and beg the most. They are being bullies and if they could only remember where they were 10 years ago, a middle of the pack, underachieving program. They would realize that it's in the best interest for all of college hockey for them to make a move and allow all of the pieces to fall for the '13-'14 season. Nobody is larger than the game itself!
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Big Ten Hockey...Positives all around
Well I'm back from a great trip to the Cape and what can I say, those Boston area people know how to party! But even through all the fun I still kept one eye on what was going on back in the Midwest and in particular watching another team from the CCHA jump to the WCHA. Ferris State became the third team to do so. It really is a no brainer and evidence to that is how quickly they made the decision.
The WCHA now has 9 teams and with Western Michigan and Bowling Green still out there, look destined to have a solid 10 team conference. Yes they are all small schools, but instead of looking at it as poor us, this should be looked at as on opportunity. An opportunity to win championships, make NCAA tournaments and bring banners and trophy's back to their universities. Aside from St. Cloud, none of the other 8 members has made strides to become a premier team in college hockey. With this door opening, it gives these schools a chance to start fresh and build a new legacy.
Alaska-Anch, Alaska-Fair, Minnesota State, Michigan Tech, St. Cloud, Ferris State, Lake Superior State, Northern Michigan, and Bemidji State. Any of those jump off the page at you when you think of consistent championship contenders? It's not to say that many of them haven't had there moments. Ferris State won a CCHA Championship behind Chris Kunitz in the early 2000's. Northern Michigan won a national championship in the early 90's. But to say that any of these Universities has put any kind of consistent run together is reaching way outside the box.
That is why I go back to the word opportunity. Michigan, Michigan State, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and many others our no longer in your way to compete for a championship. You are on a level playing field with all the teams in your conference. Recruiting, facilities and money are all pretty much on a flat line when it come to these 9 schools. They should all be salivating at the prospect of when they go out to recruit a kid that they can sell the fact that they will be competing for a championship year in and year out. It would seem to me as a former player and competitor, that having a chance to win would be a good selling point. Yes it's college and you want to have fun and enjoy the whole experience. But for any hockey player playing high school or junior hockey and is battling for a scholarship. Your hunger is to win and compete at a high level and these schools will have an opportunity to sell that without any hesitation.
I have been reading a lot of people's comments over the change to the Big Ten Conference and how it would be a negative and how it hurts the overall landscape of college hockey. I have already made the point about how it gives these schools more opportunities to win championships. But those people would also argue that not playing against the BIG name schools would hurt their revenue and in that case hurt building the program. To those people I say, do the math. The Big Ten will only consist of 6 teams in which they will play 20 conference games per season, leaving 12 to 14 non conference games.
That leaves the likes of Minnesota wanting to make long term non conference deals with Minnesota State and St. Cloud. Michigan State wanting to lock up non conference match ups with Ferris State and Northern Michigan. While the Big Ten is excited to create new rivalries within the conference. They don't want to lose the great rivalries they have built over the years. Having played in the great rivalry between Ohio State and Miami, I know the importance the schools hold to that and will make sure it stays intact.
So, everybody take a deep breath, sit back and relax. College hockey is on the rise. Big schools, small schools and everybody in between. New rivalries, new conferences and a whole lot of excitement. Are you people still having doubts?
The WCHA now has 9 teams and with Western Michigan and Bowling Green still out there, look destined to have a solid 10 team conference. Yes they are all small schools, but instead of looking at it as poor us, this should be looked at as on opportunity. An opportunity to win championships, make NCAA tournaments and bring banners and trophy's back to their universities. Aside from St. Cloud, none of the other 8 members has made strides to become a premier team in college hockey. With this door opening, it gives these schools a chance to start fresh and build a new legacy.
Alaska-Anch, Alaska-Fair, Minnesota State, Michigan Tech, St. Cloud, Ferris State, Lake Superior State, Northern Michigan, and Bemidji State. Any of those jump off the page at you when you think of consistent championship contenders? It's not to say that many of them haven't had there moments. Ferris State won a CCHA Championship behind Chris Kunitz in the early 2000's. Northern Michigan won a national championship in the early 90's. But to say that any of these Universities has put any kind of consistent run together is reaching way outside the box.
That is why I go back to the word opportunity. Michigan, Michigan State, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and many others our no longer in your way to compete for a championship. You are on a level playing field with all the teams in your conference. Recruiting, facilities and money are all pretty much on a flat line when it come to these 9 schools. They should all be salivating at the prospect of when they go out to recruit a kid that they can sell the fact that they will be competing for a championship year in and year out. It would seem to me as a former player and competitor, that having a chance to win would be a good selling point. Yes it's college and you want to have fun and enjoy the whole experience. But for any hockey player playing high school or junior hockey and is battling for a scholarship. Your hunger is to win and compete at a high level and these schools will have an opportunity to sell that without any hesitation.
I have been reading a lot of people's comments over the change to the Big Ten Conference and how it would be a negative and how it hurts the overall landscape of college hockey. I have already made the point about how it gives these schools more opportunities to win championships. But those people would also argue that not playing against the BIG name schools would hurt their revenue and in that case hurt building the program. To those people I say, do the math. The Big Ten will only consist of 6 teams in which they will play 20 conference games per season, leaving 12 to 14 non conference games.
That leaves the likes of Minnesota wanting to make long term non conference deals with Minnesota State and St. Cloud. Michigan State wanting to lock up non conference match ups with Ferris State and Northern Michigan. While the Big Ten is excited to create new rivalries within the conference. They don't want to lose the great rivalries they have built over the years. Having played in the great rivalry between Ohio State and Miami, I know the importance the schools hold to that and will make sure it stays intact.
So, everybody take a deep breath, sit back and relax. College hockey is on the rise. Big schools, small schools and everybody in between. New rivalries, new conferences and a whole lot of excitement. Are you people still having doubts?
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