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Bottom Feeders Bracket/Futile Four 2010

Re: Bottom Feeders Bracket/Futile Four 2010

Status report:

Good news and bad news. While the committee is pleased with many of the entries received at this point, we are concerned about two glaring problems:

A high percentage of the bids are from venues in New England, and as it appears likely that eight or more qualifying teams will come from Atlantic Hockey, it may be difficult to arrange seeding to keep attendance down. The other side of the equation is of equal concern...we need to find a suitable site for a true western regional. There must be some hideous site in a remote western state...South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming all come to mind.

We see the Flowood MS site as an early front runner for the Futile Four. It seems to have it all; inferior facilities in a hard to reach area. The perverted staff is a great bonus.

The two UP sites are both in the running the the MW regional. George Gipp Arena looks nastier, but the Kenner Dome's promise to create a rock slide might push them over the top.

Frear Park in Troy NY and Adelard Arena in Woonsocket RI appear to have the present edge on the eastern sites, but it's too early to tell.

We fear that Atlantic City and Lake Placid both offer too much in the way of pleasant surroundings and other recreational opportunities. We were initially encouraged by the offer from the St Lawrence Centre, as the chance to play inside a shopping mall was intriguing...but when we looked at the pictures on their website, the shoppers all looked too happy, preppy and affluent. Too bad that mall isn't located in Port au Prince.
 
Re: Bottom Feeders Bracket/Futile Four 2010

I would really like to know how the hell you found a rink in Mississippi :eek:
 
Re: Bottom Feeders Bracket/Futile Four 2010

Freddie said:
The two UP sites are both in the running the the MW regional. George Gipp Arena looks nastier, but the Kenner Dome's promise to create a rock slide might push them over the top.
Click to expand...

Given the Gipp's location within throwing distance of abandoned mineshafts, the Gipp Arena Welcoming Committee notes that the sudden appearance of a sinkhole on the building's main access road wouldn't be too surprising. It's offer to host the games at, say, 3 AM on a Tuesday also still stands.
 
Re: Bottom Feeders Bracket/Futile Four 2010

This member of the Gipp committee would like to point out having skated in both rinks. I would rather play hockey in the Kenner dome than the Gipp.
 
Re: Bottom Feeders Bracket/Futile Four 2010

Freddie said:
We were initially encouraged by the offer from the St Lawrence Centre, as the chance to play inside a shopping mall was intriguing...but when we looked at the pictures on their website, the shoppers all looked too happy, preppy and affluent. Too bad that mall isn't located in Port au Prince.
Click to expand...

You expect them to show pictures of dreadful people? I bet all those pictures were taken before they moved out the ITG machine.

But if we were worried about Mississippi being 5 hours from Alabama-Huntsville, perhaps it provides too much of an advantage for Clarkson, seeing as how it's only 20 miles from hel- er Potsdam.

BTW, are we limited to locations within this country? We might be able to find a dump or two in Canada.
 
Re: Bottom Feeders Bracket/Futile Four 2010

Painted_Bandit said:
This member of the Gipp committee would like to point out having skated in both rinks. I would rather play hockey in the Kenner dome than the Gipp.
Click to expand...

:eek: I never would have guessed that.

It's not looking good for the Kenner Dome... the committee will have to go back to the drawing board and see if we can come up with a few more incentives. :o
 
Re: Bottom Feeders Bracket/Futile Four 2010

FlagDUDE08 said:
You expect them to show pictures of dreadful people? I bet all those pictures were taken before they moved out the ITG machine.

But if we were worried about Mississippi being 5 hours from Alabama-Huntsville, perhaps it provides too much of an advantage for Clarkson, seeing as how it's only 20 miles from hel- er Potsdam.

BTW, are we limited to locations within this country? We might be able to find a dump or two in Canada.
Click to expand...

I think actual pictures of those who have been traumatized by the Mall experience may sway the opinion of the committee. I will see what I can conjure up.

I second the question about locations only within the country? If not, I already have a couple rinks in mind from my youth hockey days across the river.

Here's a western suggestion:

The Harry J McDonald Memorial Center, located in Eagle River, Alaska. Seating only 700 lucky people who might venture up to the frozen tundra to watch the wildlife and see some snow, this olympic sized ice sheet was built in 1984. While it is 15 miles from Anchorage, it is still a very long trip for all but 2 potential teams.

Picture: http://www.mcdonaldcenter.net/schedule.htm

facility history: http://www.mcdonaldcenter.net/facility_history.htm
 
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Re: Bottom Feeders Bracket/Futile Four 2010

New nomination for the Western Regional site: the L C Ice Arena of Lewiston, Idaho. Crappy website: check. Far from any D-1 hockey program: check. Zamboni parked out front: check.

EDIT: Never mind, the Palouse Ice Rink beats the LC Ice Arena any day. :o
 
Re: Bottom Feeders Bracket/Futile Four 2010

FlagDUDE08 said:
BTW, are we limited to locations within this country? We might be able to find a dump or two in Canada.
Click to expand...

The Tournament Committee's legal consul, the lowly esteemed firm of Howard, Howard & Fine, has just forwarded us a copy of a recent communication from the Canadian Foreign Ministry. It reads, in part:

"Whereas, Ice Hockey is legally designated as the Official Sport of the Dominion of Canada, and

Whereas, the Canadian people (regardless of political affiliation, gender, sexual preference or ethnicity) profess universal love and respect for the sport of ice hockey, and

Whereas, we (representing the aforementioned Canadian populace) have it on sound authority, that your 'event' known as "The Bottom Feeder's Bracket" and/or "The Futile Four" makes a mockery of our beloved national sport:

Let it be known that; the people of Canada shall consider any attempt, by any individual or group, to produce such an event within the sovereign borders of our nation, as an act of terrorism."
 
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Re: Bottom Feeders Bracket/Futile Four 2010

Freddie said:
The Tournament Committee's legal consul, the lowly esteemed firm of Howard, Howard & Fine, has just forwarded us a copy of a recent communication from the Canadian Foreign Ministry. It reads, in part:

"Whereas, Ice Hockey is legally designated as the Official Sport of the Dominion of Canada, and

Whereas, the Canadian people (regardless of political affiliation, gender, sexual preference or ethnicity) profess universal love and respect for the sport of ice hockey, and

Whereas, we (representing the aforementioned Canadian populace) have it on sound authority, that your 'event' known as "The Bottom Feeder's Bracket" and/or "The Futile Four" makes a mockery of our beloved national sport:

Let it be known that; the people of Canada shall consider any attempt, by any individual or group, to produce such an event within the sovereign borders of our nation, as an act of terrorism."
Click to expand...

Sounds like a perfect venture for the teams to really get some negative attention then, right? I say let's go north of the border!
 
Re: Bottom Feeders Bracket/Futile Four 2010

Freddie said:
How bout this:
http://www.ifyha.org/General/Area Ice Rinks.html#Idaho

scroll down to "Palouse Ice Rink" Moscow ID
Ice is only 165 x 65. No locker rooms or seating. Located in the Rotary Pavilion on the county fairgrounds.:eek:
Click to expand...

Nice. As of right now, I'm placing my support behind the following sites:

Northeast
Hockey Town USA (Saugus, MA) - I understand that it's near Boston and their may be several New England teams in the tourney, but I feel that the following aspects are being overlooked: It has no glass on one side of the ice, the boards lean away from the playing surface, the benches are only slightly bigger than your average penalty box, the puck disappears under the boards in the corner where the Zamboni door is, and whiffleballs can fly onto the ice at any given time from the whiffleball area upstairs.

East
Frear Park Ice Rink(Troy, NY) - I'm still not completely sold on this place, but it's the best suggestion I've seen at the moment. I need to hear a little bit more about how crappy it is.

Midwest
George Gipp Arena (Laurium, MI) - That pic FTB&G posted is just epic.

West
Palouse Ice Rink (Moscow, ID) - Love it.

Futile Four
The Ice Park (Flowood, MS) - As the one who suggested this place, I'll take responsibility for organizing The Ice Park's formal bid to host the 2010 Futile Four. I promise to put in no effort to ensure that this place is safe for the athletes, I will certainly not investigate the employees' perverse behavior and I will definitely not rearrange the Park's schedule to get the BFB/FF any convenient ice times.
 
Re: Bottom Feeders Bracket/Futile Four 2010

Canada would so work for this!!!!


USCHO posters in Canuck-istan totally has "International Incident" written all over it :eek: ;) :D
 
Re: Bottom Feeders Bracket/Futile Four 2010

I would like to nominate Blyth Arena since it actually was destroyed in the 1980s but if the rink must actually exist now, I nominate the replacement in High Camp, CA since no one will attend, there is no seating for people to watch and you have to take a cable car tramway to get there ;)
 
Re: Bottom Feeders Bracket/Futile Four 2010

Shirtless Guy said:
I would like to nominate Blyth Arena since it actually was destroyed in the 1980s but if the rink must actually exist now, I nominate the replacement in High Camp, CA since no one will attend, there is no seating for people to watch and you have to take a cable car tramway to get there ;)
Click to expand...

Outdoor rink, probably not going anywhere with the bid process.
 
Re: Bottom Feeders Bracket/Futile Four 2010

For the West Regional, I suggest Highland Arena in Shoreline, Washington. I have been in my share of dumpy sheds here in Minnesota, but this place took the cake.

http://pics3.city-data.com/businesses/p/7/9/3/7/6897937.JPG

I was there once for an evening public skating session, and holy cow that place is something else. Lighting was virtually non-existent. The end facing the street-side windows only had taut netting to keep pucks from sailing out the window. I'm not sure what crawled into the ventilation and died, but the smell was a combination of must, stale beer, and rotting flesh.

Aurora Avenue between Green Lake and the Snohomish County border is a notorious strip of used car dealers, check-cashing parlors, car theft, narcotics, prostitiution hotels, cemeteries, and seedy adult media stores. This article in the Seattle Times explains how North Aurora is clearly Seattle's seedy underbelly. The rink is smack dab in the middle of this strip of shame.

As for hockey indifference? Maybe 100 miles to the north in British Columbia it's alive, but on the Washington side of the fence, no one gives a lick about hockey.

The only potential drawback is that, much like the eastern counterparts of Atlantic City and Lake Placid, greater Seattle is a fantastic place to visit.
 
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