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  • #31
    Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

    Originally posted by STATEdude3 View Post
    Shirtless guy you do realize that this ice is just as temporary as the stuff in the NHL arenas that is removed for concerts and basketball and things like that, right? The game is indoors and the climate is controlled. I bet there will not be one single problem with the ice.

    As for the venue...we went from a under 10k a year in providence, to 14k in Albany to 20k in DC. Is it really such a bad thing that the Frozen Four now sells out standard hockey venues. There is not a single arena that can match the demand or the Frozen Four. If there are 23k at Ford Field then the event is a success because it allowed the maximum amount of fans the opportunity to be a part of the championship.
    Yeah and a bunch of people spent $190 almost a year in advance to watch in a football stadium while others are being allowed to buy tickets tomorrow for $40 to attend the same event?

    I thought most NHL/NBA arenas just placed the court over the ice when changing?

    I think it is just plain stupid to not have the most important games in the College Hockey season played in a football stadium that won't be full. The players deserve to have better than temporary ice (even if you are right) and a half full stadium that probably won't any atmosphere. I can't argue that the regionals didn't have the same issues but I disagree with a regional at the X because that was overkill no matter who was there for the price.
    Michigan Tech Legend, Founder of Mitch's Misfits, Co-Founder of Tech Hockey Guide, and Creator/Host of the Chasing MacNaughton Podcast covering MTU Hockey and the WCHA.

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    • #32
      Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

      Originally posted by STATEdude3 View Post
      Shirtless guy you do realize that this ice is just as temporary as the stuff in the NHL arenas that is removed for concerts and basketball and things like that, right? The game is indoors and the climate is controlled. I bet there will not be one single problem with the ice.

      As for the venue...we went from a under 10k a year in providence, to 14k in Albany to 20k in DC. Is it really such a bad thing that the Frozen Four now sells out standard hockey venues. There is not a single arena that can match the demand or the Frozen Four. If there are 23k at Ford Field then the event is a success because it allowed the maximum amount of fans the opportunity to be a part of the championship.
      You do realize that they don't REMOVE the ice in NHL arenas when there's a basketball game or concert scheduled, right?

      r

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      • #33
        Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

        Originally posted by Shirtless Guy View Post
        Yeah and a bunch of people spent $190 almost a year in advance to watch in a football stadium while others are being allowed to buy tickets tomorrow for $40 to attend the same event?

        I thought most NHL/NBA arenas just placed the court over the ice when changing?

        I think it is just plain stupid to not have the most important games in the College Hockey season played in a football stadium that won't be full. The players deserve to have better than temporary ice (even if you are right) and a half full stadium that probably won't any atmosphere. I can't argue that the regionals didn't have the same issues but I disagree with a regional at the X because that was overkill no matter who was there for the price.
        In my opinion the atmosphere will be what the fans make it. The basketball regionals are often played in football stadiums that hold 65,000+ yet there is no lack of atmosphere when they cut it off at about 30,000. I believe that the atmosphere will all be determined by the fans of the schools involved.

        In St. Louis in 2007 the Maine, MSU, and BC fans were all dead. The only life in the building was the Sioux Nation. Without them that would have been a stale event. It's not about how full the place is, or how large the venue is. It's about what the fans put into it and the quality of the game on the ice.

        The rink will be completed this Saturday and there are various events including public skating that will make sure the ice is broken in and any kinks are worked out before the tournament begins on Thursday.
        MICHIGAN STATE
        1966:1986:2007

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        • #34
          Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

          We are sitting in Riser 01, about 30 something rows up.

          Does anyone know if the risers 01 through 05 on the east side of the rink (or right of the picture) will somehow be connected to the permanent seating areas?

          I have a funny feeling that if we want to use the restrooms or go to a concession stand on the concourse, it will be a 30+ row trip down to ice level and a 40+ row trip up to get to the concourse. And vice versa back to our seats.

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          • #35
            Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

            Originally posted by cetihcra View Post
            You do realize that they don't REMOVE the ice in NHL arenas when there's a basketball game or concert scheduled, right?

            r
            It depends on the event actually. Some venues do remove the ice for basketball, while others do cover it. For most concerts though the ice is removed. And even when it is not removed, there is a lot of work that goes into getting the ice back to top shape after it is uncovered. It's not like this portable ice system is going to be on a trial run.
            MICHIGAN STATE
            1966:1986:2007

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            • #36
              Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

              Originally posted by cetihcra View Post
              You do realize that they don't REMOVE the ice in NHL arenas when there's a basketball game or concert scheduled, right?

              r
              You're right, they don't actually remove the ice for basketball games - they insulate it and cover it.

              But he has a point - the actual technology isn't any different just because it's mobile. Ice melts, so all ice is 'temporary.' Even year-round ice arenas still melt off their ice and completely replace the sheet every so often.

              The ice will be relatively new, but so was the ice at last year's FF in DC (the Circus was in town a couple weeks before, IIRC, and they take the ice out for that).
              "...the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found."

              Wisconsin '05 Michigan '07

              http://noalibisnoregrets.blogspot.com/

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              • #37
                Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

                Originally posted by JD Doe View Post
                We are sitting in Riser 01, about 30 something rows up.

                Does anyone know if the risers 01 through 05 on the east side of the rink (or right of the picture) will somehow be connected to the permanent seating areas?

                I have a funny feeling that if we want to use the restrooms or go to a concession stand on the concourse, it will be a 30+ row trip down to ice level and a 40+ row trip up to get to the concourse. And vice versa back to our seats.
                I am not 100% certain but I'm pretty sure they will be setting up bathroom facilities (nice ones, not porta-jons) behind the risers. I would assume there would be concessions available there as well. There are going to be more than 7,000 people in the risers and the logistics of them all having to move to the main concourse for these needs is virtually impossible.
                MICHIGAN STATE
                1966:1986:2007

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                • #38
                  Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

                  Originally posted by STATEdude3 View Post
                  Shirtless guy you do realize that this ice is just as temporary as the stuff in the NHL arenas that is removed for concerts and basketball and things like that, right? The game is indoors and the climate is controlled. I bet there will not be one single problem with the ice.

                  NOT true, as far as I know (unless things have changed). I know in Boston, they lay down a complete floor OVER the ice and then they put the basketball court OVER that. I have seen the bull crew do this several times...often the Bruins and Celtics both play the same day. The problem with "new" ice is that it hasn't settled and is typically very slow. When they used to have the NCAA Regionals in Worcester at the Centrum (before there was a minor league hockey team there), the ice was terrible!

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                  • #39
                    Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

                    Courtesy of facebook...

                    http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos...70_53860_n.jpg

                    http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._7739481_n.jpg
                    MICHIGAN STATE
                    1966:1986:2007

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                    • #40
                      Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

                      Originally posted by STATEdude3 View Post
                      I am not 100% certain but I'm pretty sure they will be setting up bathroom facilities (nice ones, not porta-jons) behind the risers. I would assume there would be concessions available there as well. There are going to be more than 7,000 people in the risers and the logistics of them all having to move to the main concourse for these needs is virtually impossible.
                      Thanks STATEdude3, that would make more sense.

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                      • #41
                        Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

                        Originally posted by STATEdude3 View Post
                        It's not like this portable ice system is going to be on a trial run.
                        True, but that doesn't mean the ice will be GOOD, either. In all these cases that have mentioned where the ice is "removed" and replaced "a few times a year," it is typically done WELL before the event (and I don't mean a week). I stay say it won't be good having been installed this close to the event. On the other hand, since BU isn't there, it's not a grave concern to me.

                        But I AGREE with the person who said he just in principle doesn't agree with hockey in football stadiums. I guess the novelty idea that started with the NHL and now some colleges (i.e., "Frozen Fenway" and the other game in the Midwest this year) will have to run it's course. Hopefully the NCAA will get back to its senses and return to a hockey arena. I'm sorry, but getting 3,000 more fans in there is NOT a justification to me. If you're in the last row anyway, watch it on TV. Yes, the "atmosphere" is not the same, but how many of you have tried to watch a hockey game from that far away. I can tell you that the Frozen Fenway game was an "event," so we all went. I, for one, will not go back if they play there again. You really can't see anything. If I'm going to watch on a Jumbotron, I can see just as easily from my living room!

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                        • #42
                          Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

                          Originally posted by Shirtless Guy View Post
                          I don't care, its still a football stadium. These 3 games are way too important to be decided on temporary ice in a giant half full stadium. I hope the FFFF flops big time.
                          So you will be outspoken against the Gophers ever playing a game at TCF? This ice will no worse, and will actually be better than many of the arenas that the teams currently play their home games in. If will certainly be better than any of the outdoor games. The NHL ice techs are the ones handling it. This ice will actually have more time to cure than at any time when ice is reinstalled at multi purpose venues. It will be just fine. It will be made with the same cooling/chilling equipment that is standard in the NHL. So why would it be of any different quality?

                          The crowd will be bigger than any FF has ever been played in and the crowd area will be quite full. Obviously you are Mr Glass Half Empty.
                          "The use of common sense and logic will not be tolerated and may result in fine and/or suspension."- Western Professional Hockey League By-laws. 1999-2000.

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                          • #43
                            Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

                            So what's the hockey capacity as opposed to "full" capacity? Even if it's full, only half of the stadium will be full, right?
                            Originally posted by nmupiccdiva
                            ...anyone that can start a meme like that is welcome and will fit in just fine around here.

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                            • #44
                              Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

                              Originally posted by davyd83 View Post
                              The crowd will be bigger than any FF has ever been played in and the crowd area will be quite full. Obviously you are Mr Glass Half Empty.
                              Why is "bigger" always better? This society is obsessed with always "outdoing" the last person. Did you WATCH any of the games in the regionals? All of the arenas were half-empty. It's even worse in the bouncyball regionals. They send teams halfway across the world where their fans can't travel. So how does that create "atmosphere?" Put the game in a smaller building where the crowd is packed in and lively. The 1998 Frozen Four games in Boston were packed and the fans were wild. The Denver/Maine FF final (in I think it was 2004) was insane. It was so loud that you couldn't hear yourself think. Even last year in Washington was good.Unfortunately, without one of the ginormous state schools there, you didn't have great fan bases. BU travels OK, but it's a private school and is not #1 in the media's eyes in Boston - that honor belongs to you know who. Bemidji State was small and Vermont, although a state school, is not exactly Michigan. Miami had a good fan base, but there were MANY "neutral" fans. It was much louder in Boston when Maine had about 6,000 fans there. So how is putting it in a BIGGER arena with only one ginormous state university there going to make the "atmosphere" better???? It's not about "half full," it's about common sense. I, for one, won't go to one of those "arenas," even if BU DOES make it back there.

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                              • #45
                                Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

                                Originally posted by chickod View Post
                                Why is "bigger" always better? This society is obsessed with always "outdoing" the last person. Did you WATCH any of the games in the regionals? All of the arenas were half-empty. It's even worse in the bouncyball regionals. They send teams halfway across the world where their fans can't travel. So how does that create "atmosphere?" Put the game in a smaller building where the crowd is packed in and lively. The 1998 Frozen Four games in Boston were packed and the fans were wild. The Denver/Maine FF final (in I think it was 2004) was insane. It was so loud that you couldn't hear yourself think. Even last year in Washington was good.Unfortunately, without one of the ginormous state schools there, you didn't have great fan bases. BU travels OK, but it's a private school and is not #1 in the media's eyes in Boston - that honor belongs to you know who. Bemidji State was small and Vermont, although a state school, is not exactly Michigan. Miami had a good fan base, but there were MANY "neutral" fans. It was much louder in Boston when Maine had about 6,000 fans there. So how is putting it in a BIGGER arena with only one ginormous state university there going to make the "atmosphere" better???? It's not about "half full," it's about common sense. I, for one, won't go to one of those "arenas," even if BU DOES make it back there.
                                I agree with your post except for 1 thing...

                                The Frozen Four is always a hot ticket. It is often expensive for non-college hockey fans to get tickets. I think this is an opportunity for sports fans around Metro Detroit who do not know much about college hockey to affordably witness why we enjoy this sport. Try going to another NCAA championship for a comparable price. Sure it's outside the box, but it is an opportunity for regular joes to be introduced to college hockey, instead of us regulars who are there year after year. It is an opportunity to grow the sport.
                                MICHIGAN STATE
                                1966:1986:2007

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