UNH 2020 Off-Season Thread: That Rinky-Shrinky Thang And Other Lively Banter :D

[The Zlax45]

I cannot imagine trying to play hockey or participate in any super-aerobic activity while wearing a double-layered cotton mask, and therefore have been on hiatus from my volunteer mountain search and rescue team since March, in part because of my age, but mostly because carrying a litter with an injured hiker down steep mountain trails usually in the dark and rain/sleet/snow for several hours in very close quarters with 18-30 others not wearing masks is gruelingly hard work. I am wondering whether volunteer rescue teams such as ours will be included with the first responders in the first group to receive a vaccine (I am guessing probably not, as we are not professionals), in which case I will try to be the first in line, as I really miss the camaraderie even more than I miss watching cawlidge hawkey in person.

Every college volleyball match in the SEC and ACC that I have come across on the SEC or ACC Network, I have seen players with facemasks on. I have also seen kids in high school playing field hockey, and soccer with masks on in Massachusetts. As I have said, they just passed the same rule for high school basketball and ice hockey among MANY other things like no jump balls to start a game to limiting the board battles in hockey.

[Chuck Murray]

Every college volleyball match in the SEC and ACC that I have come across on the SEC or ACC Network, I have seen players with facemasks on. I have also seen kids in high school playing field hockey, and soccer with masks on in Massachusetts. As I have said, they just passed the same rule for high school basketball and ice hockey among MANY other things like no jump balls to start a game to limiting the board battles in hockey.

In NH high school soccer - concluded just a couple weekends ago - most teams did not wear masks. Some towns mandated their school's players to wear them. I know some of those players, and they have told me it made them uncomfortable, but they had no choice (well, other than not to play, which for most dedicated players is no choice).

There were some playoff games that were forfeited when teams mandated to play with masks, who were also restricted in many cases from playing against teams who didn't reciprocate, were seeded against teams not wearing masks. One of the coaches I know who coached against a masked team, relented for their regular season game and asked his players to wear masks, and got such negative feedback from his players afterwards that when they were seeded against the same masked team in the playoffs, they did not relent this time, and that unfortunately forced the masked team to forfeit. Those were teams whose schools are literally located 5 miles apart. Both programs had their reasoning, and it's too bad it happened.

But all in all, I think most HS kids were just thrilled to be able to play soccer this Fall.

[Dan]

Lots of transfer activity - from school's with cancelled seasons to schools still playing (with second-semester eligibility). A big one in the transfer portal today; one who could step right onto UNH's top pairing in Yale's Jack St. Ivany. He's probably headed to greener pastures, but it will be interesting to see if UNH has any interest in the transfer portal.

Also interesting to see how UNH is effected (or benefits) from the extra year of eligibility for Winter student-athletes. A number of impact seniors with less clarity in their paths to professional hockey than some at other top-HE programs. All of the seniors are eligible to return, while Maass and Robinson would seem most likely to move on to (or have opportunity awaiting them in) professional hockey. Would love to see Kelleher and Grasso return, at least, and retain some offense on the roster, while adding Margel, Evans and Cronin...

[norbert]

Back on topic for sure ... UNH's not-so-innovative plan for raising revenue without real fans in the stands ... good to see a lot of out-of-the-box thinking going on in Durham (not) ...

https://www.seacoastonline.com/story...ns/6360792002/

To the surprise of absolutely no one, the cardboard cutouts are all folks recognizable only in the UNH "bubble". But kudos for not including BS35+infinity, in either an apparent oversight that will cost someone their job, or an uncharacteristic moment of modesty. All in all, what could have been a fun, creative attempt to engage folks beyond the "bubble" in good nature ... pfffffffttttttt ...

I will say, in other news, it apparently was an interesting afternoon in and around Effingwoods ...

I laughed then immediately deleted the email asking for me to buy a cardboard cutout. Here is a better solution let me physically sit in my seat. The $1300 I sent in for tickets is way more than the $200 for the cardboard.

The perfect revenue generator is butts in seats. There is/can be a way to get people there and be safe. It’s not like it’s a sell out and 100% season ticket holders

[Chuck Murray]

I laughed then immediately deleted the email asking for me to buy a cardboard cutout. Here is a better solution let me physically sit in my seat. The $1300 I sent in for tickets is way more than the $200 for the cardboard.

The perfect revenue generator is butts in seats. There is/can be a way to get people there and be safe. It's not like it's a sell out and 100% season ticket holders

Totally agree. It's classic "follow the leader" herd mentality. "You go first, we're right behind you."

Come to think of it, pretty much the same approach to playing actual HE games (so far anyway) ...

[Nick Papagiorgio]

I laughed then immediately deleted the email asking for me to buy a cardboard cutout. Here is a better solution let me physically sit in my seat. The $1300 I sent in for tickets is way more than the $200 for the cardboard.

The perfect revenue generator is butts in seats. There is/can be a way to get people there and be safe. It’s not like it’s a sell out and 100% season ticket holders

Whoa, did they honestly charge $200 per cardboard cutout? BC did them for football and were only charging a fraction of that.

[Dan]

UNH and HE are taking the steps and making revenue sacrifices in order to protect student-athletes and give us a season. They've also managed to get more games on television than they have in a long while and (according to the UNH season preview) will stream all games for free. I guess it is not a surprise none of this is appreciated, that's how it goes these days. If you can't get something on one's personal terms than **** 'them' for trying...

These are difficult times in athletic departments and even getting games off is a feat in and of itself. They've found a way to recoup a meager portion of that lost revenue, which may allow them to avoid furloughing any employees during the holiday season. Its too bad they didn't consider the embarrassment of an unoriginal idea when trying to support the student-athletes and the employees of the athletic department, but I can only imagine the reaction if they 'sat on their hands' and didn't pursue this easy, low maintenance idea 'that everyone else is doing'...

[Aerman]

Whoa, did they honestly charge $200 per cardboard cutout? BC did them for football and were only charging a fraction of that.

That's for four seats, Nick. Sounds like that might still be more than BC?

[The Zlax45]

Maine just announced a pause for Winter sports. Northeastern was earlier today. Will UNH follow?

[msprice]

The cardboard cutouts are $50 each.

[Chuck Murray]

Maine just announced a pause for Winter sports. Northeastern was earlier today. Will UNH follow?

I would bet a significant amount of money that UNH will eventually follow, sooner than later.

There's ample cover to be had when you run with the herd, precious little when you go on your own.

[Chuck Murray]

UNH and HE are taking the steps and making revenue sacrifices in order to protect student-athletes and give us a season. They've also managed to get more games on television than they have in a long while and (according to the UNH season preview) will stream all games for free. I guess it is not a surprise none of this is appreciated, that's how it goes these days. If you can't get something on one's personal terms than **** 'them' for trying...

Maybe once they actually get around to, y'know ... "giving us a season" and the rest of the things you outlined that they've said they're going to do, then maybe they'll catch some credit, Dan? So far, the football season has been delayed into the Spring, our Hockey East season has already had its first two games postponed, and accordingly there have been zero (0) televised games. All talk, all promises ... and no actual games or telecasts to date. Talk is cheap, action speaks louder than words. "Action" has been to kick the can down the road, not play. Until they play, honestly, what is there to "appreciate"??

These are difficult times in athletic departments and even getting games off is a feat in and of itself. They've found a way to recoup a meager portion of that lost revenue, which may allow them to avoid furloughing any employees during the holiday season. Its too bad they didn't consider the embarrassment of an unoriginal idea when trying to support the student-athletes and the employees of the athletic department, but I can only imagine the reaction if they 'sat on their hands' and didn't pursue this easy, low maintenance idea 'that everyone else is doing'...

Even if they sold a cardboard cutout for every seat in The Whitt ... you can only go so far with $300K. Realistically, the AD should be turning cartwheels if he sold 1,000 which would probably reflect a 50% share of the usual season ticket holders (if there are really still that many hanging in). $50K isn't likely to forestall any furloughs, and I doubt they're going to raise even a small fraction of that amount.

Norbert is right - sell actual tickets to the ST holders only, and if there's too many folks who want to buy to hinder proper distancing, then allot their tickets to only have 500-1,000 in the building at a time tops. It might be a way to restore some faith and goodwill with a segment of UNH fans who have been taken advantage of far too often.

More money in the till, AND you make a nice goodwill gesture to your STH's. But that would take some extra work with the State, and a fair share of humility, too. So, cardboard cutouts it is then ...

[norbert]

UNH and HE are taking the steps and making revenue sacrifices in order to protect student-athletes and give us a season. They've also managed to get more games on television than they have in a long while and (according to the UNH season preview) will stream all games for free. I guess it is not a surprise none of this is appreciated, that's how it goes these days. If you can't get something on one's personal terms than **** 'them' for trying...

These are difficult times in athletic departments and even getting games off is a feat in and of itself. They've found a way to recoup a meager portion of that lost revenue, which may allow them to avoid furloughing any employees during the holiday season. Its too bad they didn't consider the embarrassment of an unoriginal idea when trying to support the student-athletes and the employees of the athletic department, but I can only imagine the reaction if they 'sat on their hands' and didn't pursue this easy, low maintenance idea 'that everyone else is doing'...

The only reason there are ore games on TV is because the Bruins are not scheduled to play until at least January. This is why the schedule for games isn’t a full season.

The way to so Revenue is have people in seats. We wouldn’t be on the ice so there is zero risk to athletes. 1500 people per game is $30,000 in tickets which is $300k for the year. Do minimal drink sales. Bottled water and soda you average 1 per person that’s 150k bottles and more money. Easier than cardboard picture that no one is gonna buy.

[norbert]

Maybe once they actually get around to, y'know ... "giving us a season" and the rest of the things you outlined that they've said they're going to do, then maybe they'll catch some credit, Dan? So far, the football season has been delayed into the Spring, our Hockey East season has already had its first two games postponed, and accordingly there have been zero (0) televised games. All talk, all promises ... and no actual games or telecasts to date. Talk is cheap, action speaks louder than words. "Action" has been to kick the can down the road, not play. Until they play, honestly, what is there to "appreciate"??



Even if they sold a cardboard cutout for every seat in The Whitt ... you can only go so far with $300K. Realistically, the AD should be turning cartwheels if he sold 1,000 which would probably reflect a 50% share of the usual season ticket holders (if there are really still that many hanging in). $50K isn't likely to forestall any furloughs, and I doubt they're going to raise even a small fraction of that amount.

Norbert is right - sell actual tickets to the ST holders only, and if there's too many folks who want to buy to hinder proper distancing, then allot their tickets to only have 500-1,000 in the building at a time tops. It might be a way to restore some faith and goodwill with a segment of UNH fans who have been taken advantage of far too often.

More money in the till, AND you make a nice goodwill gesture to your STH's. But that would take some extra work with the State, and a fair share of humility, too. So, cardboard cutouts it is then ...

I am totally with Chuck. Season ticket priority picks for certain games and allow all of us to go to a couple games. Between Durham, UNH, and the Governor it’s 3 authorities of extremism.

Give us the choice to go. I say the same with everything. Open up. You are worried? Stay home

There are ways to get ST holders in and students and keep things safe and distant.

Though since no games have played as somehow last minute there was a positive this is all for nothing

[The Zlax45]

I am totally with Chuck. Season ticket priority picks for certain games and allow all of us to go to a couple games. Between Durham, UNH, and the Governor it’s 3 authorities of extremism.

Give us the choice to go. I say the same with everything. Open up. You are worried? Stay home

There are ways to get ST holders in and students and keep things safe and distant.

Though since no games have played as somehow last minute there was a positive this is all for nothing

Has there been any pro or college games played in front of "FANS" in New England or New York/Jersey since this pandemic started? I don't think so