WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

[icebadger]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

"This loss to Penn State just shows the competitive hockey and exciting games that we will have all the time in the B1G hockey conference!"

/Alvarez'd

[Gandalf the Red]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

Is it wrong to not be disappointed if the Badgers struggle down the stretch and can't secure home ice? At this point, I would not mind getting the last 2 sets of tickets refunded as unused as opposed to watching more craptacular hockey in the Kohl. I hate to say this, but struggling to the finishline may accelerate a now painfully obvious need for a changing of the guard.

I am at the point in life where I will have to strongly debate the need to continue with my season tickets going forward. Between my son playing travel hockey and that limiting our ability to get to all games and the errotion of the product...I am conflicted. My son's hockey left me unable to use 3 games worth of tickets which I was able to sell. I was unable to attend last nights debacle and had no luck getting rid of the tickets and ended up eating them. My fear going forward is that eating tickets for games I can not attend will become more commonplace as the franchise of Wisconsin hockey continues to erode. The atmosphere of Badger hockey games has also significantly diminished. 2 or 3 of the games I did make it to were attrociously attended and left a dull lifeless atmosphere. It's one thing if the upper tank is a bit empty in the ends and corners, it's another when there are large chunks of empty seats in the lower two bowls. It may be time to give up the season tickets and just buy single game tickets for games I can/want to attend....it sure don't look like it will be a tough ticket going forward. If the team (regardless of who is coaching) can limit attrition this Summer and guys expected back return, I suspect we'll be pretty good this fall. However, after next season we will again get into the down cycle where we turn over a huge chunk of the roster and are way to young to be an upper echelon team.

I have already had the season ticket conversation with myself. I decided to keep my friday tix because I really like the location and I can just go downtown after work, but if my friend who I share saturday tix w/ says he doesn't want to renew, I'm not going to make a big deal out of it. I'll buy minnesota tickets right away, and then decide if I want to attend any other saturday games.

I use to plan my entire winter around Badger Hockey weekends, and over the past 3 years I've found it impossible to do that anymore, and I don't even have kids or anything like that. The product on the ice isn't making it any harder on me either, as I don't feel like I'm going to miss anything by not being there. I know I've become a less than stellar fan, but I'm ok with that.

[Tipsy McStagger]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

"This loss to Penn State just shows the competitive hockey and exciting games that we will have all the time in the B1G hockey conference!"

/Alvarez'd

He didn't seriously say that, did he?

[Gurtholfin]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

I'm also debating the ticket renewal question as I have 4 for Friday. My oldest son is off the HS next year. I'm thinking his days of spending Friday nights with us at the Badger hockey game are mostly over. He already misses a few series a year because ski club takes their trips on Fridays.

We also miss games due to travel hockey and Badger hockey tix are not always (ever?) easy to get rid of.

We ate Sunday's tix and I didn't even try to sell them. Let's see, Sunday game against PSU in a half empty building or the recliner, Blackhawks game, Badgers on TV & the Walking Dead. Didn't think twice about it.

Again, as I said before, this is NOT must-see. The hockey is boring and very frustrating and the half-empty building makes my recliner and flat screen all the more appealing.


I'll be keeping my Saturday tix (2) as I have a buyer for those if I don't want them and they're great seats.

[icebadger]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

He didn't seriously say that, did he?

No, he did not. But when Eaves is back next season, you can't help but think this is what he is telling himself.

[Wisko McBadgerton]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

How long has it been since this team was feared on an annual basis? About 18 years fellas.

This is not meant to be a defense in any way, but I would say that it is much tougher today to consistently produce the kind of dominance that many of us grew up with. Back then, there were maybe a half dozen NCAA teams that could pull real talent from Canadian Major Juniors; Wisconsin being one of them. While there is assuredly many more good players today, the NCAA is all around a much more viable alternative and we see really good players going to places like Q or SCSU or UNO, etc. In the past it was much more of a rarity, and the disparity of talent between the top and the middle was a much greater gulf then now.

That being said, there's still no reason for WI to not be a top ten team 4 of 5 years as there are other programs getting the (perhaps more difficult) job done.

[TUSCHWI]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

don't know if it helps any or not but Barry was in the crowd last nite.....Mike Eaves time as UW coach has expired...from the northern Michigan series through tonight it is quite evident he has lost any kind of apptitude of what that it takes just to be an average ncaa hockey coach.....hell we got a so called college hockey team who can't score...these guys have been scoring goals since the age of 5....as long as the BT is taking college hockey down we might as well go down with a new coach and a new system....bring in alot of those 3-4 years college hockey players....throw a top nhl draft pick here and there and start getting this program back to where at least they are fun to watch

This the best news I've read about last night. If BA was there and saw another 3rd period collapse, another sparse crowd, another game of boring play, then I have some hope that the change that needs to be made will be made.

[joeyv]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

Its not about talent. The talent is there. Its about stifling creativity, its about rigid adherence to a system without regard for situations, its about a coach who would rather "break a player down" than improve upon his strengths and weaknesses, its about an athletic department that has tolerated mediocrity and watched as attendance dwindles.

You cannot tell me Kerdiles, Zulinick, Schulze, and some of the other young players are not supremely talented. They just are not allowed to be creative, and are constantly being stifled.

It is about a system that isn't working and the results are showing. I do not tolerate mediocrity. I expect this program to compete for titles every year. It isn't happening and its time for a change.

Wisconsin Hockey: Frustration Boils Over.

[TUSCHWI]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

Its not about talent. The talent is there. Its about stifling creativity, its about rigid adherence to a system without regard for situations, its about a coach who would rather "break a player down" than improve upon his strengths and weaknesses, its about an athletic department that has tolerated mediocrity and watched as attendance dwindles.

You cannot tell me Kerdiles, Zulinick, Schulze, and some of the other young players are not supremely talented. They just are not allowed to be creative, and are constantly being stifled.

It is about a system that isn't working and the results are showing. I do not tolerate mediocrity. I expect this program to compete for titles every year. It isn't happening and its time for a change.

Wisconsin Hockey: Frustration Boils Over.

Here here! I'll second that.

[JDUBBS1280]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

I'm sorry, but I can't help but laugh at the completely unjustified sense of entitlement from this fanbase. Even PSU fans on Twitter were joking about it on Twitter last night.

NEWS FLASH: Your school hasn't made hockey a priority.

NEWS FLASH: Your school doesn't have the advantage of being in a top tier recruiting market. You import your talent, and that IS NOT a recipe for SUSTAINED success in ANY sport in today's sports environment unless you make that sport an absolute priority (Denver, Miami, UND, etc...).

Michigan had a 17-year tournament drought in an era with LESS parity and they are in a top tier recruiting market.

Instead of calling for Eaves head, you should be calling for Barry's head. You're absolutely kidding yourself if you think his presence hasn't had anything to do with the decline of your hockey program. UW is no longer a hockey school.

But getting rid of Barry would mean putting hockey before football and basketball and I doubt even many of you here are willing to let go of your recent football and bouncy ball success.

[TUSCHWI]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

But getting rid of Barry would mean putting hockey before football and basketball and I doubt even many of you here are willing to let go of your recent football and bouncy ball success.

I would be happy to dump BA and let go of football and bball success. But I know I'm in the minority.

[SanTropez]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

I think parity has leveled the "playing field" more than some want to accept. Think Bemidji State, Ferris, Union, Miami etc... 20 years ago those teams would have never had a chance at a Frozen Four. Now this year it's Quinny, parity parity parity.

[JDUBBS1280]

I would be happy to dump BA and let go of football and bball success. But I know I'm in the minority.

And I'm sure there are others like you. Just giving an outsider's perspective. UW used to be regarded as a hockey school. A destination for hockey. Slowly but surely that is fading. I think that is a big factor that is being ignored. No school is top tier at everything. School's prioritize. hockey is just no longer a priority at UW. Just my two cents.

[joeyv]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

Our sense of "entitlement" is that even with the so called "imports", we have six national titles. So my expectations are not "entitlement", they are expectations of certain performance. UW's gotten the talent...it hasn't performed...and that's coaching...not administration.

I do not disagree that the athletic department has not made UW Hockey a priority. No question about that. But, UW Hockey was never the "flagship" program at UW...even in the past...and regardless it built one of the most storied traditions in college hockey.

However, you cannot seriously argue that Eaves has gotten the job done. You're just sandbagging anyway about keeping Eaves around. Its kind of like Glenn Mason used to be with the football program at Minnesota...you hoped he'd do just well enough to stay around and perpetuate the mediocrity.

Eaves has got to go. This team has missed the NCAA's in 5 of the last 7 seasons. It isn't because Barry Alvarez is meddling...its because Eaves isn't getting the job done. Period.

Wisconsin Hockey: Entitled? You Bet.

[JDUBBS1280]

Our sense of "entitlement" is that even with the so called "imports", we have six national titles. So my expectations are not "entitlement", they are expectations of certain performance. UW's gotten the talent...it hasn't performed...and that's coaching...not administration.

I do not disagree that the athletic department has not made UW Hockey a priority. No question about that. But, UW Hockey was never the "flagship" program at UW...even in the past...and regardless it built one of the most storied traditions in college hockey.

However, you cannot seriously argue that Eaves has gotten the job done. You're just sandbagging anyway about keeping Eaves around. Its kind of like Glenn Mason used to be with the football program at Minnesota...you hoped he'd do just well enough to stay around and perpetuate the mediocrity.

Eaves has got to go. This team has missed the NCAA's in 5 of the last 7 seasons. It isn't because Barry Alvarez is meddling...its because Eaves isn't getting the job done. Period.

Wisconsin Hockey: Entitled? You Bet.

A lot more parity in college hockey these days. No program is entitled to success these days, and if there were, UW wouldn't be near the top of the list. It's hard to take these entitlement comments seriously when your own administration doesn't make hockey a priority.

Enjoy your six titles. With the mindset you have I get the feeling it will be a long time before UW gets another. They certainly don't have the conference hardware to show they are a consistent contender.