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Alaska Nanooks 2013-14 Season Thread - On the Road to Perdition...

Re: Alaska Nanooks 2013-14 Season Thread - On the Road to Perdition...

I've thought the same thing, but we cleared over 3000 for both Brice games, and DU and WMU aren't exactly big names in the general sports world. Historically the Brice has been a pretty low attendance draw.

Missing the days when we averaged over 4000. That's what deployments, a decade of rising ticket prices combined with an economic downturn, and Doc DelCastillo will do.

Go look at our historical attendance averages...it tanked when Doc was coach and has never really recovered back to the Gadowsky and MacMillan levels, despite the program being as strong as it's ever been.

Yep everything about ole Doc was bad for the program. I think things will change if they can establish a strong winning tradition. With this new league I think it’s possible. The fringe fans will return if they can win more and more. The last few years have been good for the program, but I think it will take more than hovering around .500 or a little over to put butts back in seats.
 
Re: Alaska Nanooks 2013-14 Season Thread - On the Road to Perdition...

Looks like attendance was around 2900 last night.
 
Re: Alaska Nanooks 2013-14 Season Thread - On the Road to Perdition...

What’s the status on the arrival of our new HD video equipment? I hope we bought a set up that can zoom out or I hope the camera guys watch another broadcast as a learning tool. Seriously, I know the video quality is bad, but is our current setup not able to shoot wide enough to keep the goaltender and the blue line all in frame. I watched a little of the streaming replay against NMU and it’s impossible to follow the play, and the cameraman trying to follow the puck/play while zoomed in makes it extremely jerky.

One of the things I dislike about taking photos at a hockey game with my DSLR is that I have to zoom in and so I miss much of the game action. I would think the same drawback applies to video if you zoom in too much. Watch last weekends AmericaOne’s video of Bemidji and MSU. The camera follows the play down the ice…but at either end the goalie and blue is in frame, and the whole neutral zone and both blue lines when in transition. They rarely zoom in except for after the whistle.

Maybe Methodical can jump in here give us the low down.
 
Re: Alaska Nanooks 2013-14 Season Thread - On the Road to Perdition...

I would think the same drawback applies to video if you zoom in too much. Watch last weekends AmericaOne’s video of Bemidji and MSU. The camera follows the play down the ice…but at either end the goalie and blue is in frame, and the whole neutral zone and both blue lines when in transition. They rarely zoom in except for after the whistle.

Maybe Methodical can jump in here give us the low down.

I think the big problem with zoom is that you can quickly lose the play as it turns the other way. If you watch the big NHL broadcasts, they usually go with the one camera high-center opposite the benches and supplement with cameras around the rink. They're using great cameras that can pan and zoom very quickly without losing focus — probably in the high six-figures range (if that low). I don't know of anyone in the league that's doing much past single "coaches' camera" high. It would be great to have 2-4 other angles: one from the far end lined up on each offensive zone, then maybe one down in the corner on each end. However, I don't think that A1 is providing multi-camera production support, which would mean that you'd have one person (maybe two) managing that as well as the one person who is doing QC on the outbound feed (do you have signal, do you have your time/score overlay, is the audio up and running) that's pretty much mandatory.

I can tell you that at UAH we have two people on the broadcast (or we do if I'm not sick like I was on Saturday), one guy on the camera (who stands maybe two feet to my right), the guy next to him producing the feed, and the guy below me doing the QC work that pushes the feed out of the door. I expect that's common throughout the league.

While you could run those end cameras remotely, that's still two more people to train and pay to run cameras in the corners at ice level, plus the camera expense, plus the production software/hardware/training/pay to do that right.

Mind you, Northeastern has made the investment in it and puts it out for free, but they also have a broadcast journalism department. Anchorage does, Fairbanks does, Huntsville does not, Bemidji does, BG does, Ferris has a sports-focused one, Lake does not (that mess reads like what you see at UAH's CommArts site, but I better not say too much about UAH or UAHStatman will lock me out of our Website), Tech does not (best as I can tell they have no comms at all), Mankato does not, and Northern's course catalog indicates that they have one. Please note that I'm not working for digs here because 1) UAH doesn't have the program and 2) my brother has an RTF degree from Southern Mississippi, which is generally in the caliber of all WCHA member schools in this particular focus area. (And he uses that R and T six days a week.)

Now, you may say, "Why are we going to leave this in the hands of students? Won't they screw it up?" We're not going to get pros in here to do this for cheap. The only pros-from-Dover that could realistically be brought in are the local TV stations, and while we all generally have them, it's pretty likely that none of them are great given that Huntsville is the largest metro area in the league at 679,473[sup]1[/sup], and our TV stations suck for most everything save 1) BAMA/Auburn 2) tornado coverage 3) BAMA/Auburn and 4) high school football. (Oh, and 48 is great for manufacturing controversies to drive up ratings, except we all know that it's sensationalist crap.)

I will cross-post this on the WCHA topic for wider discussion.

GFM

[1] Actually, the Huntsville-Decatur CSA is larger than the metro areas of the other nine member schools' cities combined.
 
Re: Alaska Nanooks 2013-14 Season Thread - On the Road to Perdition...

This stuff isn't magic - it's basic sports and action video-ship for, what, about 50 years.

Any student and student director with just 10 minutes of orientation would know better than to try to follow a hockey game with a single camera at any setting other than what you guys are describing (wide enough so that about 1/4 to 1/3 of the rink is in the frame).

If they're zooming and trying to follow like you say, it's really beyond a rookie mistake to the level of a clueless mistake.

And note, I'm well aware that these guys are probably students. But I was a student learning basic videography back when "portable" cameras were really, really heavy. That was what we were taught literally on day one. No experience required to know that.

If you want to use anything except wide angle, you have to have multiple (at least two) cameras, with one set wide at all times, and a director who can call shots and switch. But even that is very, very elementary stuff which I believe any one of you could do competently with about 1 period of guided practice by someone who knows what they're doing. The wide camera always follows the action from a "distance" and the close-up or tighter camera grabs shots which the director switches to with the "safety" of the wide camera always available for an instant switch when (a) the shot is lost or (b) just to keep things moving and interesting.
 
Re: Alaska Nanooks 2013-14 Season Thread - On the Road to Perdition...

This stuff isn't magic - it's basic sports and action video-ship for, what, about 50 years.

Any student and student director with just 10 minutes of orientation would know better than to try to follow a hockey game with a single camera at any setting other than what you guys are describing (wide enough so that about 1/4 to 1/3 of the rink is in the frame).

If they're zooming and trying to follow like you say, it's really beyond a rookie mistake to the level of a clueless mistake.

And note, I'm well aware that these guys are probably students. But I was a student learning basic videography back when "portable" cameras were really, really heavy. That was what we were taught literally on day one. No experience required to know that.

If you want to use anything except wide angle, you have to have multiple (at least two) cameras, with one set wide at all times, and a director who can call shots and switch. But even that is very, very elementary stuff which I believe any one of you could do competently with about 1 period of guided practice by someone who knows what they're doing. The wide camera always follows the action from a "distance" and the close-up or tighter camera grabs shots which the director switches to with the "safety" of the wide camera always available for an instant switch when (a) the shot is lost or (b) just to keep things moving and interesting.
 
Re: Alaska Nanooks 2013-14 Season Thread - On the Road to Perdition...

This stuff isn't magic - it's basic sports and action video-ship for, what, about 50 years.

Any student and student director with just 10 minutes of orientation would know better than to try to follow a hockey game with a single camera at any setting other than what you guys are describing (wide enough so that about 1/4 to 1/3 of the rink is in the frame).

If they're zooming and trying to follow like you say, it's really beyond a rookie mistake to the level of a clueless mistake.

And note, I'm well aware that these guys are probably students. But I was a student learning basic videography back when "portable" cameras were really, really heavy. That was what we were taught literally on day one. No experience required to know that.

If you want to use anything except wide angle, you have to have multiple (at least two) cameras, with one set wide at all times, and a director who can call shots and switch. But even that is very, very elementary stuff which I believe any one of you could do competently with about 1 period of guided practice by someone who knows what they're doing. The wide camera always follows the action from a "distance" and the close-up or tighter camera grabs shots which the director switches to with the "safety" of the wide camera always available for an instant switch when (a) the shot is lost or (b) just to keep things moving and interesting.

Sure, it's not hard. I'm just arguing that there are both capital and personnel costs. I had heard (but do not have confirmed) that Fox Sports Go was going to require multiple cameras that would be directed centrally by Fox after you shipped all video out over the Internet. That doesn't make as much sense to me as directing locally, because you're going to be shoving more data down a pipe. (I'm not sure that the VBC has the bandwidth for it.)

GFM
 
Re: Alaska Nanooks 2013-14 Season Thread - On the Road to Perdition...

UAH is heading to Anchorage this week, but this piece I wrote for uahhockey.com looks back at the period when UAH was a regular visitor to Anchorage and Fairbanks.
http://uahhockey.com/blog/2013/11/06/uah-returns-to-the-last-frontier/
Wow that's pretty cool, wasn't aware of the history between the teams since I was just starting out as a fan around the last time the teams played each other.
 
Re: Alaska Nanooks 2013-14 Season Thread - On the Road to Perdition...

LSSU 4, Alaska 1. That was embarrassing
Not because we lost to LSSU. But because…

a. There was nobody who looked like they were giving more than 90%. Embarrassing.
b. Our defense sucks. We used to take pride in defense. It is now our Achilles’ tendon. Embarrassing.
c. I can appreciate that Parayko and Quinn can skate, have stick skills, and can dipsie-doodle down the ice…but how about they man up and play defense…like you know…their position. Embarrassing.
d. And part of this is that we are getting out-coached. We are so predictable on everything, and don’t demand our players go to the dirty areas. We are weak where it counts. Embarrassing.
e. We didn't get beat by a hot goaltender, we got beat by crappy defense, and now that we are playing games that count, our continued inability to finish. Embarrassing.
f. Their potential is so much better than we saw tonight. Embarrassing.

That about covers it. Goaltending was OK. We should be well rested for tomorrow and salvage a split, because we really conserved energy tonight. Excellent strategy.

But no matter how disappointed I am in their performance tonight...tomorrow is a new day. Go Nooks!
 
Re: Alaska Nanooks 2013-14 Season Thread - On the Road to Perdition...

The Nooks pretty much kept the Lakers stymied for over half the game. To be honest I was a little nervous until Globke tied the game, the goalie played well and the skaters clogged up the shooting lanes very well.

The game was a lot closer then the 3 goal difference. Looking forward to another good one tonight.
 
Re: Alaska Nanooks 2013-14 Season Thread - On the Road to Perdition...

LSSU 4, Alaska 1. That was embarrassing
Not because we lost to LSSU. But because…

a. There was nobody who looked like they were giving more than 90%. Embarrassing.
b. Our defense sucks. We used to take pride in defense. It is now our Achilles’ tendon. Embarrassing.
c. I can appreciate that Parayko and Quinn can skate, have stick skills, and can dipsie-doodle down the ice…but how about they man up and play defense…like you know…their position. Embarrassing.
d. And part of this is that we are getting out-coached. We are so predictable on everything, and don’t demand our players go to the dirty areas. We are weak where it counts. Embarrassing.
e. We didn't get beat by a hot goaltender, we got beat by crappy defense, and now that we are playing games that count, our continued inability to finish. Embarrassing.
f. Their potential is so much better than we saw tonight. Embarrassing.

That about covers it. Goaltending was OK. We should be well rested for tomorrow and salvage a split, because we really conserved energy tonight. Excellent strategy.

But no matter how disappointed I am in their performance tonight...tomorrow is a new day. Go Nooks!
UAEmbarrassing
 
Re: Alaska Nanooks 2013-14 Season Thread - On the Road to Perdition...

Alaska 3, LSSU 2, in OT.
Solid win for the team on the road, where we haven’t had much success. The team worked hard and except for a few miscues, tightened up on defense. PK gave up a goal but was solid. And we did a better job on face-offs, just not in numbers, but at critical times. Good job in OT. That’s a gutty performance after the home team ties it up late in the game and takes the momentum going into OT. Those were important points.

The Nooks get a weekend off before heading to Big Rapids to face Ferris State, another tough place to get points. We still have some work to do on team defense, but the bye week should help shore that up. And while I would like to see Kunyk get his 100th point at home, I would forgive him if his keepsake puck has a Bulldog on one side.

Go Nooks!
 
Re: Alaska Nanooks 2013-14 Season Thread - On the Road to Perdition...

Sounds like the guys are having some bus trouble on the way home. Good thing it's a bye week, I suppose.

Nice rebound W over a solid Laker team. With a couple of exceptions this has been a resilient team this year. Also nice to not only get a win over LSSU but also get a win in their barn. It's been a while since either of those things has occurred.
 
Re: Alaska Nanooks 2013-14 Season Thread - On the Road to Perdition...

Bump.
Looks like we've got Ferris just where we want them...over-confident. ;)

Go Nooks!
 
Re: Alaska Nanooks 2013-14 Season Thread - On the Road to Perdition...

I’m optimistic. After watching a number of games on-line, it seems that spots one through nine are up for grabs. UAH’s program has some catching up to do, but their upset of any conference team will probably be instrumental in determining home ice (hope we’re not one of them).

It’s too early with too many schedule inequities to pay attention to conference standings. We should be in most games. We have decent goaltending, speed, scoring, and defense. Nothing really lacking but nothing too dominating either. We need to put all the pieces together each game to be successful. We have had some issues on defense. We have some good individual talent, but we have really had some major miscues and questionable pay at inopportune times. It happens to every team on occasion, but our miscues are probably too frequent. Hope they tighten up on that.

Anybody know if Youngmun is back in the lineup?

I wouldn’t be disappointed with two points at FSU, but squeezing one or two more sure would be nice.

Go Nooks!
 
Re: Alaska Nanooks 2013-14 Season Thread - On the Road to Perdition...

Ferirs State is hot/unbeaten in past seven..ranked 10th and 14th in the polls/3rd nationally in goals per game ....first in the WCHA and still unbeaten in league play....they have two top scorers in the league/their goalie is 8-0-1..and they will have the home ice advantage this weekend...

BUTTTTTT....that said and done.

The Nanooks can win in that building....and I like their chances for at least some points coming off a BYE week..seems that coach and the staff have away of teaching the good stuff and correcting the bad stuff during the down time and some of the nagging bumps and bruises will have got better.
GO NOOKS!!!!

from what I know, Youngmun and Larson are still out...latest, unless it changes, was to after christmas....
 
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