RPI 2020 Off-season Overtime (Part II): The Hunt for Red October

[Ralph Baer]

In honor of Jakub Lacka and Maddy Peterson, today is 24 August 2021. There are 39 days until RPI's next game.


This is based upon 2 October 2021 for the start of next season.

[Ralph Baer]

22

Thanks

[Waite21]

The Ivies are selling tickets for football in the fall, but I could see them (and RPI) banning fans indoors for winter sports if current trends continue. IMHO that would have long-term damaging effects. Given the great effort schools like RPI have made to keep the infection rates down, however, I can see a compromise scenario where attendance is limited to campus community members. I think I'd be OK with that if they (1) promote it heavily to students as a chance to support the program and get out of their rooms (hopefully increasing student attendance to levels we haven't see in the last decade); (2) utilize the full capacity of HFH so there is some distancing; and (3) continue to televise every home and away game via RPI TV and ESPN+.

I can't make it to Troy very often, so I've relied upon WRPI and RPITV for live coverage of RPI sporting events for years.

I look at the football schedule (first game is 11 days away) on the RPIathletics website, and I don't see the links to audio and video of home games, which usually appeared in the past.

I'm hoping this means they're just waiting until closer to the date of the event before they post those links.

I'm hoping it doesn't mean that WRPI announcers and RPITV camera operators are considered "external" and will not be allowed to attend the games for the purpose of broadcasting them.

[Ralph Baer]

Today is 25 August 2021. There are 38 days until RPI's next game.


This is based upon 2 October 2021 for the start of next season.

[Ralph Baer]

https://twitter.com/RodgerWyland/sta...00068264333312

Rodger Wyland

The RPI men’s hockey team might be the only team in the country that won’t allow fans allowed to attend games, even fully vaccinated fans. It’s a ridiculous decision by the President and another blow to a program that Head Coach Dave Smith is going a great job of rebuilding.

Don't the RPI women also fall under this?

[rpi82]

https://twitter.com/RodgerWyland/sta...00068264333312

Rodger Wyland



Don't the RPI women also fall under this?

Either I read the original notice incorrectly or Mr. Wyland doesn't consider students, faculty and staff to be "fans." I wonder what the impact may be on RPI fan attendance on the road. Traditionally only Cornell turns out the type of crowds we do in opposing rinks. Will it go up because those are the only chances we get to see our team or will it go down as people throw up their hands in frustration or lose interest?

As for the women and other sports programs, yes, the ruling seems to apply to them as well, but does Mr. Wyland pay any attention to them in all but the most extraordinary seasons?

[Wicked Slappaahs]

https://twitter.com/RodgerWyland/sta...00068264333312

Rodger Wyland



Don't the RPI women also fall under this?

Ralph, We're lucky Wyland even realizes RPI plays ice hockey. I'll stand corrected but I seem to recall that the guy has never set foot inside of HFH ... Appert used to needle him about it....and he's been in the market about 30 or so years.

[Wicked Slappaahs]

FWIW, Union is selling season tickets so they are at least planning to host fans at Itza Messa, as is Clarkson. No ticket info or updates on the Colgate site.

[rpi82]

FWIW, Union is selling season tickets so they are at least planning to host fans at Itza Messa, as is Clarkson. No ticket info or updates on the Colgate site.

This is about the time of year that I usually hear from Yale and QU about the upcoming season. So far I've received nothing although Yale's earlier pitch for FB tickets said hockey and BB info would be available "later this summer" and they reserved the right to revise COVID protocols at any time.

[NAFTA123]

The ongoing debacle of the way this pandemic has ben handled/communicated to the entire RPI community is beyond laughable. Clearly the administration only cares about control and micro management. 18+ months to get a plan of action in place for the student/student athletes to enjoy what is supposed to be one of their best times of their lives. But yet they continue to take the path of resistance to show their almighty power. To make assumptions of worse case scenarios at every moment of this pandemic is simply not real life. The rest of the region, state, country, and world has found ways to adapt and move on with lif3e as best as possible.

Last year in shutting down athletics was completely avoidable, but the decision was made and everyone involved had to live with it. But to now not allow "outsiders" to attend athletic events at this time, is simply inexcusable. This will hurt hockey recruiting, in fact it already has with many top quality players/leaders/assistant coach, deciding to transfer out/leave. Parents can't even attend events. Coach has no contract extension. Playing in front of an somewhat empty arena at home. Is there anything positive to even talk about to a prospective recruit (great education maybe)?

Others would have transferred as well, but with the transfer portal being very busy, most realized they would have little chance to be picked up by another school, thus they stayed to earn their degree.


How about the RPI community and all the businesses that are directly affected by SAJ decisions? Almost two years of no gatherings at eateries/bars, hotels stays etc. before and after games. But, hey who cares, she's worth millions.

Questions will always on peoples minds on how good this program could have been given the excitement at the end of the '19-'20 season. The right pieces were in place for a return to respectability on a consistent basis. Unfortunately, the administration of this fine institute and their control and micro management will always keep us wondering "what could have been".....................

[Wicked Slappaahs]

This is about the time of year that I usually hear from Yale and QU about the upcoming season. So far I've received nothing although Yale's earlier pitch for FB tickets said hockey and BB info would be available "later this summer" and they reserved the right to revise COVID protocols at any time.

I suspect the Ivies will have a hard time allowing the fan minions to return to their campuses... though I suspect the Lynah faithful are making a hard push for fandom's return.

[tony/troy]

Ralph, We're lucky Wyland even realizes RPI plays ice hockey. I'll stand corrected but I seem to recall that the guy has never set foot inside of HFH ... Appert used to needle him about it....and he's been in the market about 30 or so years.

Or as a former coworker put it over four years ago about the time I retired. "I've been watching him since before he had hair".

[tony/troy]

Either I read the original notice incorrectly or Mr. Wyland doesn't consider students, faculty and staff to be "fans." I wonder what the impact may be on RPI fan attendance on the road. Traditionally only Cornell turns out the type of crowds we do in opposing rinks. Will it go up because those are the only chances we get to see our team or will it go down as people throw up their hands in frustration or lose interest?

As for the women and other sports programs, yes, the ruling seems to apply to them as well, but does Mr. Wyland pay any attention to them in all but the most extraordinary seasons?

Way too small a sample to be considered a "scientific sample" that could be used to determine valid data or results, but good enough for me to suspect that your "will it go down as people throw up their hands in frustration or lose interest scenario" is very likely.

Sadly, the individuals (two couples) I have hung out with the most while at the Fieldhouse since the mid late 70's both made it a point to contact me recently. They wanted to make sure that I knew they are out of this funny farm run by people that are totally bats before I bought anything just to end up sitting by myself night after night. They didn't think I would either like or enjoy that very much and they were absolutely correct.

Ironically, there is probably no one more used to doing RPI sports solo (both home and away) than myself since the outdoor fall and spring D3 sports played in daylight have much smaller fan bases combined with much less interest. However, the key words here are outdoor, fall, spring and daylight. Nothing like being outdoors on fall days for a football game or on a spring day for a baseball doubleheader. Nothing like fall drives over the Mohawk Trail or through the Adirondacks for football games at WPI and SLU. Ditto the spring for baseball in the North Country, the Berkshires or closer along various Route 9's to Skidmore and Bard or the Taconic to Vassar. In those seasons, does not bother me a bit if there is no one else interested. Oh, by the way, most (if not all) of those places will be allowing spectators starting, well, NEXT WEEK!!!.

Unfortunately, going solo for hockey played indoors, at night in the dead of winter does not yield the same results. Just plain and simple never got used to it, probably never will nor will ever like it. Guess it really does not matter much to me anymore what those crazy b------- do.

P.S. Excluding staff and faculty who have always attended games alone, has anyone asked the question as to just how the hell are the rest of staff and faculty supposed to attend games?? Will they have to be married to or at least dating other RPI staff or faculty?? Will their close friends they have always attended with, children or even grandchildren also have to be RPI staff and faculty??? Otherwise, do they have to just leave them all home??? Just asking since, as we were told, "this was a well thought out plan". This part of it at least sounds more like a plan that was "well thought out" by individual(s) who are every bit as bats as Howard Hughes was over the last quarter to third of his life!!!

[Ralph Baer]

Today is 26 August 2021. There are 37 days until RPI's next game.


This is based upon 2 October 2021 for the start of next season.

[Ralph Baer]

I might as well ask for title suggestions for the 2021-22 thread.

So far I have
RPI 2021-22: Shirley you can’t be serious
RPI 2021-22: We Are Serious, and Don’t Call Me Shirley
RPI 2021-22: Please Pardon Our Appearance As We Make Changes
RPI 2021-22: When Push Comes To Shove, Shirley You Must Get Out Of The Way

I don't recall who came up with these.