Re: AP: UNO, UND to play at TD Ameritrade Park in February 2013
More details on this "event":
http://www.omaha.com/article/20120214/MAVS/702149838/-1#outdoor-games-will-be-event-for-omaha
Wonder what the "North Dakotans" will be calling themselves by the time we play this?
Interesting that it was the Lancers that championed this whole thing and made it happen. I gotta say that Trev Alberts, being very vocal about "we are a hockey school" and "hockey
must succeed", hasn't been very visionary about it when it when it comes to stuff like this---promoting UNO hockey, the team, and the game experience. It was not too bad his first year and it has gone downhill, since. A lot of stuff that goes on at games just makes me cringe as does the omission of things that
should be going on.
I'll say this, it's apparent that everybody involved in hockey around here is serious about making Omaha more of a hockey town than it already is, something that I would think would surprise any outsider if they moved here, despite the respective pronouncements of others in other threads about this city's collective hockey IQ, or, lack thereof. I know it did me when I moved here. True or not, we're tryin'.
Looking at the picture in the article, I find myself wondering where the best seats would be for sight lines at the game (assuming this is the actual orientation). My guess is in the upper deck somewhere, which, if you have ever been in this park, is not on a par, height-wise, with your typical major league stadium. It isn't all that high. This park has something of the
feel of a major league park, but, it falls just short of it and is also a tad antiseptic. Just my personal opinion. That said, its a very nice facility and very worthy of this event. Given the orientation here, it would seem they could add a LOT of temporary seating if they needed to do so.
FYI, the
seating capacity of TD Ameritrade is 24,000. With standing room, capacity is much more than that. It has voluminous standing room areas all over the park, particularly in the outfield. If this event isn't a big success, I'll be shocked. If its really cold we'll find out who they hockey fans really are and how many of them there are, too. Anything less than a "sellout", for an event like this, would be unacceptable from a PR standpoint. Thankfully, we'll have a horde of green-clad hockey freaks from one state north of us to help out in that regard not to mention all those Lincoln Stars fans from nearby Lincoln. Plus, throw Lancers fans in there, who don't really cross over with UNO fans, for the most part. My bet is demand exceeds availability. I have friends in Kansas City that have already stated they are going to drive up for this.
