Beanpot LXVII: It Never Gets Old!

[J.D.]

Re: Beanpot LXVII: It Never Gets Old!

Rover is right, product is also a factor. At least last year's NU team had that top line. Tomorrow's game has little appeal. With enormous goalie equipment and too many coaches scared to preach an attacking offensive system, you end up with boring *** 2-1 games with coaches beaming because their systems and structure were good. Systems and structure, just what fans care about!

[Split-N]

Re: Beanpot LXVII: It Never Gets Old!

...nobody is entertained by boring games where a 1-0 score in insurmountable because no player can score with any consistency...The value isn't equal to the cost...Now? Who exactly is a can't miss seeing live player in HE?... .

...With enormous goalie equipment and too many coaches scared to preach an attacking offensive system

I'll admit to be one of a dying breed that actually appreciates sound defensive hockey. Just about everyone these days is so preoccupied with the red light going on that defensive skills and strategies are neither noticed nor appreciated. That being said, Mr. JD is spot on about outsized goalie equipment. (I can only imagine what Jacques Plante, Glenn Hall, Ken Dryden, et al would have been able to accomplish with today's equipment.) Blame the IIHF, USA Hockey, and Hockey Canada for sitting back and letting it happen.

Notwithstanding the outsized equipment, HEA probably has the strongest league-wide goaltending I've ever seen. Start with Oettinger, Woll, and Pimeau. Then add Wall and Hernberg at UML; Murray and Lindberg at UMA, Hawkey at PC, Swayman at Maine; Lekkas at UVM, and Huska at UConn. Then Pantano at Mack has had his moments while Robinson seems to be holding his own at UNH. So in that sense, I'm not entirely surprised at the low scores.

BTW, maybe Tyler Madden is one of those players that's worth seeing live.

[chickod]

Re: Beanpot LXVII: It Never Gets Old!

With enormous goalie equipment...

BINGO! Go back and watch tape of an "old" game. The pads don't even come up to the knees and are half the width. Today's catching "mitts" are bigger than lacrosse baskets. I'm not taking anything away from the goalies themselves, but now teams want giants in the net and there is less of an emphasis on athleticism. They might as well just put one of those boards they use for the skills competition in front of the net and see if players can hit the hole. How is that a lot different from a 6-7 230 pound guy blocking out the entire net like driving behind a mini-van on the highway? (OK...so there's a "little" sarcasm there, but it's not that far off)

It's not that we don't "appreciate" a good defensive game, but the problem is, a good defensive game in basketball is a score in the 50s. A good defensive game in football is a score in the teens. But there is still plenty of scoring. A good defensive game in hockey is, what, 1-0? It's NO fun not to have ANY scoring. This is why I don't watch soccer. I don't want hockey to become like that...

[Rover]

Re: Beanpot LXVII: It Never Gets Old!

Rover is right, product is also a factor. At least last year's NU team had that top line. Tomorrow's game has little appeal. With enormous goalie equipment and too many coaches scared to preach an attacking offensive system, you end up with boring *** 2-1 games with coaches beaming because their systems and structure were good. Systems and structure, just what fans care about!

It's like watching Lowell play during their run like 5 years ago. If they got a 2-0 lead in the 2nd, you might as well go home.

I can appreciate a low scoring game with a lot of action. Remember awhile back the USA vs Canada medal game where Crosby won it in OT? That was an astounding display of skilled hockey being kept in check by great goaltending. What we're seeing in HE now ain't that.

Changing the venue isn't the answer. Better players and more action (NCAA hockey passing rules further limiting goalie equipment is a great idea) is the solution.

EDIT: I'm also not sure of the current ticket allocation policies ("Paging Scarlet: Call for you on line 1") but less suits and more kids would help. Schools should purchase tix and offer discounts to young alums up to 10 years out. THAT's the people you need to capture to keep them interested in the sport as they get older and start families.

[chickod]

Re: Beanpot LXVII: It Never Gets Old!

Schools should purchase tix and offer discounts to young alums up to 10 years out. THAT's the people you need to capture to keep them interested in the sport as they get older and start families.

KEEP? They're not interested now...that's why the attendance has been declining. If they're not going now, what makes you think they would go as they get older?

[J.D.]

Re: Beanpot LXVII: It Never Gets Old!

Hutsko is out tonight, congrats to NU and Primeau on the shutout

[Rover]

Re: Beanpot LXVII: It Never Gets Old!

KEEP? They're not interested now...that's why the attendance has been declining. If they're not going now, what makes you think they would go as they get older?

1) its too expensive, 2) too many tickets to go suits instead of younger people, and 3) its a boring product.

Fix these all in tandem and maybe attendance picks up. Its not an either/or proposition.

[JerryP66]

Re: Beanpot LXVII: It Never Gets Old!

There is no question that BC and BU have been down the last couple of years. The attendance from those schools at the beanpot has been concerning. Harvard, do students know they play the beanpot? BUT, the garden could help out a liitle bit, my ticket is $45, parking is $50. Im out a c note before I even get in there and my $20 vanishes in the air when a say hot dog and a beer. C'mon, its a college tourney, if you want to fleece the bruins and Celtics fans every night, go for it. But can't they have an NCAA pricing schedule? You want students? Give them a break! Maybe with your purchase of a ticket you get a voucher for a $5 drink and hot dog, not beer obv. There are things they could do to try and increase attendance. Lets see a $200 night with ticket, parking, eating and drinking, or a $15 night at home watching it with a pizza. More and more people are picking the later.

1) its too expensive, 2) too many tickets to go suits instead of younger people, and 3) its a boring product.

Fix these all in tandem and maybe attendance picks up. Its not an either/or proposition.

[northeastern]

Re: Beanpot LXVII: It Never Gets Old!

all valid points.. not to mention the darn 4K, 8K whatever ultra HDTVs.. the reception.. its so darn good! (almost like being there)
my my, things they are a changing.. except the mind$et of folk$ that run these thing$.

[McBain75]

Re: Beanpot LXVII: It Never Gets Old!

The problems they're having putting people in seats are not exclusive to this event. Look all around college sports - even Nick Saban was complaining a little while ago about how the student section wasn't full for some games. Every program, for every sport, is facing the same challenges right now. The cost of going to games and a night out; the increased ability to watch pretty much any game at home, especially from higher level leagues; the time and hassle of dealing with a trip into town, traffic and parking; the bang-for-your-buck entertainment factor; all are valid reasons why every program is hurting for fans in a time of great interest in sports in general. Heck, I watch the NU games online, the end zones are full of students but more often than not the sidelines are too bereft of fans. Short term, programs aren't able to market that exciting college game atmosphere, plus they're out game-day revenues; long term, they're short on the kind of passionate, interested potential donors that fuel so much of these endeavors.

I make it to one or two games a year (from 450 miles away). Yeah I can keep up with things online, but I make the trips to BE there. To hear the fight song when they score, to smell the mix of cold and sweat and popcorn, to yell to some practical effect. It's simply too easy for too many people not to bother going however.

[walrus655321]

Re: Beanpot LXVII: It Never Gets Old!

$50 to park? Park at Post Office Sq garage for $9 and get a nice bit of exercise!

[JerryP66]

Re: Beanpot LXVII: It Never Gets Old!

I take the T so it is free, but that is the cost.

[J.D.]

Re: Beanpot LXVII: It Never Gets Old!

I will be parking on the couch and then will complain about the poor attendance.

[northeastern]

Beanpot win or lose, nothing's coming close (for this NU fan) to last yrs atmosphere. The NU student sections were amazing, that first line was 'automatic' & then to have Gaudette have the night he had.. break the drought for us (not to mention win Hobey shortly thereafter); was pretty special all in all. Even the NCAA Michigan gm had a good atmosphere. I will be happy for them if they win tonight (longshot, my opinion), but atmosphere wise, anticipation wise, last yr was just something else.

Hoping for a good gm regardless of score. Pats win their 6th Super Bowl, NU..let's go for just our 6th pot of beans. Have fun!
Go Huskies

[kdiff77]

Re: Beanpot LXVII: It Never Gets Old!

Another outstanding NU student turnout tonight!