For ECAC Fans: Where Should Our Tournament Be Held?

[Eph72]

There has been a lot of discussion on a number of different threads about where our tournament should be held. While Atlantic City is fresh in everybody's minds lets all put our heads together and discuss the best possible alternatives.

To start the discussion off, I have done some research. I have calculated the total distance between each of nine possible cities (which is not to say there aren't other possibilities) and the twelve ECAC teams. Then I have divided the total distance by twelve (teams) to obtain the average distance between possible venue and ECAC team.

Then I have listed the number of teams which are within 200 miles (approx 3 hour drive) of the venue in parentheses.

Then I looked up the population of the metropolitan area in which the venue lies and listed this to the right of the team number.

The results are as follows:

Albany 1614/12=134.5 (12) 825,000
Springfield 1810/12=150.8 (9) 680,000
Hartford 1893/12=157.75 (8) 1,148,000
Bridgeport 2081/12=173.4 (7) 882,000
Worcester 2094/12=174.5 (7) 750,000
New York City 2341/12=195 (6) 18,000,000
Boston 2393/12=199.4 (7) 4,391,000
Lake Placid 2416/12=201.3 (6) 2,638
Atlantic City 3591/12=299.25 (1) 252,552

You will quickly see that Albany was quite a logical place for the tournament from the point of view of proximity and population and that Atlantic City makes no sense at all. Atlantic City is more than twice as far away on average as Albany from each member school, it is close to only one school and its population is far smaller than Albany's. Not to mention that there is virtually no local hockey in the area. It would make more sense to have the tournament in Rochester or Buffalo!

Other locations may make a great deal of sense depending upon which school's fans actually travel, which fans travel regardless of whether their school is in the tournament, and which locations can produce local fans to attend the tournament. Other important factors will include the relative cost of a weekend in each location and the importance of, and availability of, non-hockey activities in the nearby area.

Next I plan to look up the seating capacities of arenas in the various cities and will post them here.

Other interesting data might be the size of the alumni body for each school, which would be one possible proxy for the fan base of each school. Another proxy might be the number of members of the hockey booster club at each school and the number of season ticket holders.

I am also interested in your thoughts regarding how the final weekend could be expanded to five or six teams in order to increase fan interest.

For example, and just as an example, a six team tournament might be set up as follows: All twelve teams could play a three game first round with six teams being eliminated. The winning six would make the "finals" to be played Wednesday through Sunday the following week. The finals could then consist of two three team round robins (consisting of a total of six games -three per round robin) with the winners of each round robin then playing for the championship, the second place finishers playing for third place and the third place finishers playing for fifth place (for a total of nine games played over four or five days).

In theory, and in theory only, the bottom six teams could play a similar round robin so that all 12 teams could play over the same five day period in the same place. It might require more than one venue, but areas like Boston, Albany, Hartford/Springfield and Bridgeport/New Haven could easily accomodate all of the teams. Perhaps fans of all twelve teams could enjoy an end of season tournament culminating with a championship game in a major arena with fans of all twelve teams looking on. Why not?

I'm looking forward to your thoughts and contributions!

 

[goblue78]

Re: For ECAC Fans: Where Should Our Tournament Be Held?

Add Providence and, as long as we're spitballing here, Mohegan Sun. Nice work so far, though.

 

[FreshFish]

Re: For ECAC Fans: Where Should Our Tournament Be Held?

I am also interested in your thoughts regarding how the final weekend could be expanded to five or six teams in order to increase fan interest.

A more typical six-team playoff is to give the #1 and #2 team a bye and have #3 vs #6 and #4 vs #5. Doesn't seem to quite work for a 12-team league.....nice thinking though!

 

[Ralph Baer]

Re: For ECAC Fans: Where Should Our Tournament Be Held?

A more typical six-team playoff is to give the #1 and #2 team a bye and have #3 vs #6 and #4 vs #5. Doesn't seem to quite work for a 12-team league.....nice thinking though!

That's how the WCHA did it this season. It trades those byes for the byes that 1-4 currently get and eliminates a week of playoffs.

 

[achillesrink-3-7-5]

Re: For ECAC Fans: Where Should Our Tournament Be Held?

I'd like to see the league consider Glens Falls as an option as well.

 

[BigRedTerrier]

Re: For ECAC Fans: Where Should Our Tournament Be Held?

Ahh...this thread again? Listen, I'm in agreement with everyone that AC was/is a terrible decision (I'd love for them to go back to LP, but that isn't going to expand a following), but for one you have to give it at least 2 years to see if some interest builds. Want to build interest?

1. Decrease ticket prices for God's sake...easy enough...esp if what people say about the ECAC not having to pay for the rink is true.

2. Have better games. All 3 meaningful games are shutouts (I know Dartmouth's was meaningful at the time, but try explaining the meaning of the PWR rankings to a random, non-college fan). I don't care how big of a hockey fan you are, if this is your first time going to a college game, you're not coming back. I think it's great that Yale, has a chance at a championship here and I'd say Union would have a realistic one for a FF, if they weren't in Yale's region. But you need to have that quality spread around to a few more teams so that the level of play as a whole is higher and the games are then closer and more intense.

I pray that ECAC teams have a great showing in the tournament this year. I think that a FF birth, or dare I say an NC for the conference would be a great start for getting more people interested in coming to these games. But as long as you're having 3 shutouts, and charging what you charge? You could have this game in Boston or NYC and still only get 8-9K max and maybe even than I'm being optimistic.

Point being...yes AC sucks...but there are other problems that are just as important reasons for the poor attendance.

 

[LTsatch]

Re: For ECAC Fans: Where Should Our Tournament Be Held?

I say try Springfield, the rink is the right size and there are a few things to do in town, I would certainly live at the "Student Prince" German restaurant, one of the best of it's kind in New England.

As far as ticket prices go, you could see four hockey games at A/C for $52 and sit wherever you want to, that is only $4 more than I would pay for 4 regular season games at Ingalls. The tickets were the cheapest part of my trip there this year.

 

[jcarter7669]

Re: For ECAC Fans: Where Should Our Tournament Be Held?

The #1 seeds home rink. Regular season title should count for more.

 

[Eph72]

Re: For ECAC Fans: Where Should Our Tournament Be Held?

I included Glens Falls, Mohegan Sun, Providence, Binghamton and Syracuse in the distance and population analysis:

Albany 1614/12=134.5 (12) 825,000
Springfield 1810/12=150.8 (9) 680,000
Glens Falls 1882/12=156.83 (9) 124,000
Hartford 1893/12=157.75 (8) 1,148,000
Bridgeport 2081/12=173.4 (7) 882,000
Worcester 2094/12=174.5 (7) 750,000
Mohegan Sun 2241/12=186.75 (8) 18,546
Binghamton 2289/12=190.75 (5) 252,320
Syracuse 2315/12=192.9 (6) 650,154
Providence 2322/12=193.5 (7) 621,000
New York City 2341/12=195 (6) 18,000,000
Boston 2393/12=199.4 (7) 4,391,000
Lake Placid 2416/12=201.3 (6) 2,638
Atlantic City 3591/12=299.25 (1) 252,552

If you take 200 miles as an arbitrary cut off (3 hours drive at 67
mph), all except Atlantic City qualify (LP is only slightly over). Glens Falls is within 200 miles of 9 schools and closer than all except Albany and Springfield. Mohegan Sun is a bit further than Hartford, Bridgeport and Worcester, but it is within 200 miles of 8 schools, more than Bridgeport and Worcester. Interestingly, Syracuse and Providence, on opposite ends of the ECAC map, are about equidistant on average from the 12 schools and are in similar sized metro areas, although Providence would probably benefit from being nearly adjacent to the Boston metro area. Both Boston and New York are at the outer limits, but both might have the advantage of better air and rail service than some of the other locations.

I can think of no advantages for Atlantic City, neither relative to other sites or absolute, although I confess I have not been there in decades. I am not a gambler, but I do understand and appreciate the appeal of gambling. Mohegan Sun might be an interesting possibility. From what I read on various sites during the tournament, Atlantic City is a horrific place.

 

[ColSkate65]

Re: For ECAC Fans: Where Should Our Tournament Be Held?

1. Albany
2. Glens Falls
3. Binghamton

 

[BigRedTerrier]

Re: For ECAC Fans: Where Should Our Tournament Be Held?

As far as ticket prices go, you could see four hockey games at A/C for $52 and sit wherever you want to, that is only $4 more than I would pay for 4 regular season games at Ingalls. The tickets were the cheapest part of my trip there this year.

Remember now though that we're talking about driving up interest outside of the normal college fans. I'm sure someone like you or I would be willing to even pay a little more than $52 to see our team in the ECACs...the hockey fan who's interested in just checking out college hockey for the 1st time, or the avg student can't pull that.

On the student side...Hockey East has offered $10 tickets for students for 1 night for years now and they get 14,000 plus each night. I'm not saying that would get 14,000 to the ECACs, but it'd surely help students make the trip, wheever the tourney is

 

[critsports]

Re: For ECAC Fans: Where Should Our Tournament Be Held?

I say try Springfield, the rink is the right size and there are a few things to do in town, I would certainly live at the "Student Prince" German restaurant, one of the best of it's kind in New England.

Agree with you on the "Student Prince" however of all the cities listed in the analysis, Springfield probably has the diciest downtown area in terms of crime, bad area's, etc. Springfield does have great access though for driving being at the juncture of the Mass Pike (Rt. 90) and Rt. 91.

I included Glens Falls, Mohegan Sun, Providence, Binghamton and Syracuse in the distance and population analysis:

I can think of no advantages for Atlantic City, neither relative to other sites or absolute, although I confess I have not been there in decades. I am not a gambler, but I do understand and appreciate the appeal of gambling. Mohegan Sun might be an interesting possibility. From what I read on various sites during the tournament, Atlantic City is a horrific place.

Thanks for all your hard work.
The advantage of Atlantic City???? Can you say "arena for free"!!!!! My guess is if that is true (as we have heard from multiple sources) then that is most likely why we are there.
Glens Falls is interesting in that the downtown is right there and small enough where the ECAC crowd wouldn't get lost, however the capacity of the arena (being optimistic) is on the small side listed at only 4,807. Considering our attendance figures in most years that would be just about enough but in good years it realistically would likely be too small. Having said that....there's a lot to be said for a "full" arena and Glens Falls would likely fill up. As far away as Binghamton is from where I am the size of the city and arena are about the right fit. I think these second tier sized cities and arena's are the best options to look at for us. Let's face it....we are a smaller fish and I think if we stay in a smaller pond it's a better fit all around for us.

 

[bothman]

Re: For ECAC Fans: Where Should Our Tournament Be Held?

Someplace that rewards the teams and fans for making it there.

That would eliminate Albany, Bridgeport, and Springfield (I'm sorry, but I would rather pound sand than to have to spend a weekend in any one of those areas).

If attendence is explicitly correlated to driving distance, then some of the above locations can be justified.

 

[kingdobbs]

Re: For ECAC Fans: Where Should Our Tournament Be Held?

Just for information, I do not think Mohegan Sun has ice making capabilities.

 

[Eph72]

Re: For ECAC Fans: Where Should Our Tournament Be Held?

Here is a cut and paste summary of miscellaneous information about the arenas in the various cities (except New York -- NY has innumerable possibilities-- and Mohegan Sun, which does not yet have a rink). Most of the info comes from Wikipedia. I'm not giving any warranties for accuracy.

Bridgeport

The hockey facility in Bridgeport is now called the Webster Bank Arena at Harbor Yard. The Arena is a 10,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut, built alongside The Ballpark at Harbor Yard. The Arena opened on October 10, 2001 and is managed by the Bridgeport Sound Tigers and Centerplate. Webster Bank entered into a 10-year $3.5 million agreement with the City of Bridgeport for naming rights in 2011. The Arena houses 33 executive suites, 1300 club seats, and 3 large hospitality suites. Capacity for hockey is listed at up to 9,000. The Arena is home to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL and the Fairfield Stags basketball teams of the MAAC. Other hockey facilities in the area include the Ingalls Rink at Yale, the TD Banknorth Center at Quinnipiac, and the Milford Ice Pavilion (home to Sacred Heart hockey teams).

Hartford

The XL Center, formerly known as the Hartford Civic Center, is a multi-purpose arena located in downtown Hartford. It is owned by the City of Hartford and operated by Anschutz Entertainment Group under contract with the Connecticut Development Authority. In December 2007, the arena's naming rights were sold to XL Capital insurance company in a 6-year agreement. The arena is ranked the 28th largest among college basketball arenas. It is the full-time home of the Connecticut Whale AHL hockey team and part-time home of the University of Connecticut basketball teams. The arena seats 15,635 for ice hockey and contains 46 luxury suites and a 310-seat Coliseum Club. Hartford and Springfield, MA are only 25 miles apart.

Worcester

The DCU Center (originally the Worcester Centrum) is an indoor arena and convention center complex, located in downtown Worcester, Massachusetts. It is owned by the City of Worcester and managed by SMG. The naming rights were purchased in 2004 by Digital Federal Credit Union. The Centrum opened in September 1982 with a capacity of roughly 12,000 and was expanded to 14,800 seats in 1989 with the addition of the 300-level balconies. The venue received further updates with the DCU naming rights purchase, including new signage both inside and outside the facility, and a new center-hung video scoreboard for the arena bowl. The arena's primary tenant is the Worcester Sharks AHL team.

Lake Placid

The 1980 Rink Herb Brooks Arena has a capacity of 7,700. This arena was built for the 1932 Winter Olympics. The arena hosted various events during the 1980 Winter Olympics, most famously the United States's 4–3 victory over the Soviet Union, the game commonly referred to as the Miracle on Ice. In 2005, the facilities were renamed in honor of the 1980 team; the arena was named after the late Herb Brooks and the rink was redubbed as 1980 Rink. The arena has been used several times for college hockey championships in the United States. It hosted the 1970, 1984 and 1988 men's NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship, the Frozen Four. The arena has hosted the NCAA Women's Ice Hockey Championship as well, in 2007. From 1994 to 2002, the arena annually hosted the ECAC Hockey League's championships.

Albany

The Times Union Center is an indoor arena, located in Albany, New York, that can fit from 6,000-17,500 people, with a maximum seating capacity of 15,500, for sporting events. The arena also has 25 luxury suites located at the top of the inner bowl. The arena was opened on January 30, 1990 as the Knickerbocker Arena. The naming rights of the arena were sold to Pepsi in 1997 and it was known as Pepsi Arena from 1997-2006. In May 2006, the naming rights were sold to the Times Union, a regional newspaper, and the name of the arena became the Times Union Center on January 1, 2007. The building is managed by SMG. It is within walking distance from the city's Greyhound bus station, as well as being close to hotels, bars and restaurants. Current tenants include Siena College's men's basketball team, the Albany Devils, of the AHL and the Albany Firebirds (formerly Albany Conquest) of af2.

Providence

The Dunkin' Donuts Center (formerly Providence Civic Center and also known as The Dunk), is an indoor arena, located in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It was built in 1972, as a home court for the emerging Providence College men's basketball program. Current tenants include the Providence Bruins, of the AHL and the Providence College men's basketball team. Capacity for hockey is 11,940. In 2001, the arena was named the Dunkin' Donuts Center as part of a naming-rights deal with Dunkin' Donuts. In December 2005, the Rhode Island Convention Center Authority authorized spending $80 million on an extensive renovation. These renovations were completed in October 2008.

Glens Falls

Glens Falls Civic Center is a 4,806-seat multi-purpose arena, located in downtown Glens Falls, New York, that currently serves as the home of the Adirondack Phantoms, of the AHL. Built in 1979, it was originally the home of the Adirondack Red Wings, AHL affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings. In April 2008, the building became one of the management properties of Global Spectrum for the city of Glens Falls, New York. In 2009 it was announced that the Center would be the temporary home to the Philadelphia Phantoms AHL team, who would leave Philadelphia following the 2009 season.

Springfield

The MassMutual Center is a multi-purpose arena and convention center, in downtown Springfield, Massachusetts. Hockey capacity is 7,276. The facility opened in 1972 as the Springfield Civic Center and was at the time considered to be the largest arena in the region. In 2005, the Center was renamed when Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company entered into a naming rights agreement for the arena and convention center. It is home to the Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey League and the Springfield Armor of the NBA Development League. It is nicknamed "The Nest", because it is home to the Falcons. The building has hosted an American Hockey League franchise since it opened in 1972. The building, located in the "Birthplace of Basketball", has also hosted numerous NCAA Men's Division II Basketball Championships, first in 1977, then from 1980–94, and finally 2006 through 2011. The UMass Minutemen basketball team has used the building for a number of home games in recent years.

Springfield is only 25 miles distant from the Mullins Center at Umass Amherst. The William D. Mullins Memorial Center, also known as the Mullins Center, is a 10,600 seat multi-purpose arena, located on the campus of the University of Massachusetts, in Amherst, Massachusetts. The Mullins Center is the home of UMass Minutemen Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, and Men's Ice Hockey. The Mullins Center is managed by Global Spectrum, which manages over 70 different event arenas throughout the United States.

Boston

TD Garden is a sports arena in Boston, Massachusetts. Its capacity for hockey is 17,560. It is named after its sponsor, TD Bank, N.A. and is often simply called The Garden, The Fleet, or the traditional Boston Garden. It was formerly known as the FleetCenter and the Shawmut Center (title sponsor Shawmut Bank was bought by FleetBoston Financial before the arena opened). TD Bank has been in control of the arena's naming rights since 2005, with the arena called TD Banknorth Garden until July 16, 2009, when the TD Banknorth name ceased to exist. TD Garden is the home arena for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League, the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association, and the Boston Blazers of the National Lacrosse League. It is the site of the annual Beanpot college hockey tournament, and hosts the annual Hockey East Championships. The arena has also hosted many major national sporting events including the 1999, 2003, and 2009 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball regional first and second rounds, the 2009 Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight, the 2004 Frozen Four, and the 2006 Women's Final Four.

There are numerous additional possible venues in Boston, including the 7,200 seat Agganis Arena on the campus of Boston University, the 8,606-seat Conte Forum on the campus of Boston College, and 4,666 seat Matthews Arena, which is the oldest indoor ice hockey arena still being used for hockey and is the oldest multi-purpose athletic building still in use, in the world. Of course, there is also the 2,850-seat Alexander C. Bright Hockey Center at Harvard.

Syracuse

The War Memorial at Oncenter, originally the Onondaga War Memorial, is a 6,230-seat multi-purpose arena in Downtown Syracuse, New York. It is part of the Oncenter Complex. Built in 1951, it featured the first poured-in-place concrete roof in the U.S It is listed with the National Register of Historic Places as "an early and sophisticated example of single-span thin-shell [concrete roof] construction". The War Memorial is home to the Syracuse Crunch Ice hockey team.

Binghamton

The Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Binghamton, New York with a hockey capacity of 4,710. The Arena was completed in 1973. Since 2002, the Arena has been home to the Binghamton Senators, who are affiliated with the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League.

Atlantic City

Boardwalk Hall, formally known as the Historic Atlantic City Convention Hall, is an arena in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It was Atlantic City's primary convention center until the opening of the Atlantic City Convention Center in 1997. It was declared a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1987. The venue seats 10,500 people for ice hockey.

 

[MarkEagleUSA]

Re: For ECAC Fans: Where Should Our Tournament Be Held?

As long as we're stuck in AC for at least 2 more years, I have two suggestions for the powers that be. My biggest complaint with this weekend was the general arena experience. It just didn't feel like hockey to me, probably because of that gaudy wall behind the stage at the far end of the rink. Cover the **** thing with a black curtain! Next up: concessions. I understand needing to keep us penned up inside and not allowing outside food or drink in but lets be realistic here. The concessions stunk and were (surprise) overpriced. With that huge stage in the building, why not off an all-event buffet style food service for an additional fee? At QU they have the Bobcat Club where people can go between periods and grad a beverage and something to eat. Best of all, it would allow fans to mingle and socialize. We were stuck in the building for close to 7 hours each day and our only options were overpriced hot dogs and pretzels!

 

[blueshirts]

Re: For ECAC Fans: Where Should Our Tournament Be Held?

What was the attendanc in AC ?

 

[unh1982]

What was the attendanc in AC ?

How about Anchorage Alaska say 10,000 miles, makes for decent frequent flyer miles. WOULD SETTLE FOR PROV.RI

 

[Eph72]

Re: For ECAC Fans: Where Should Our Tournament Be Held?

As long as we're stuck in AC for at least 2 more years...

Here, for the record, are links to three articles written at the time the move to AC was announced:

http://www.collegehockeynews.com/news/2009/09/29_ecacmoving.php
http://www.dailygazette.com/weblogs/schott/2009/sep/29/ecac-hockeys-big-gamble/
http://www.uscho.com/2009/09/29/ecac-hockey-tournament-moves-to-atlantic-city-in-2011/

In hindsight, the AC decision was at best a triumph of wishful thinking. At worst, it was a money deal that benefited the ECACH in some financial way, but has absolutely no benefit for the fans who support the their teams and the league during the season, some of whom would be interested in travelling to a hospitable, convenient and affordable place to watch our end of season tournament.

I know that Albany was not successful in terms of attendance, and the declines over the years certainly were a cause for concern. But how could the ECAC have believed that if fans would not travel in numbers to Albany, they would travel over twice as far to a place near no team, with no hockey tradition, in the middle of an urban disaster zone.

If you google "Atlantic City" it quickly becomes apparent that the place is a terrible place and no place that the ECAC Hockey League should want to have identified with its teams, its sport, its league or its schools.

Here are some excerpts from an admittedly somewhat sensationalistic article in a UK newspaper about Atlantic City, written to warn the English city of Manchester about the dangers of relying on casino development for urban renewal:


ATLANTIC CITY boasts 12 super-casinos which rake in nearly £3billion a year. But beyond the glitzy boardwalk the US gambling mecca is battling an epidemic of crime, prostitution and social problems.

...[T]he town still grapples with blocks of dilapidated buildings and seamy motels that draw drug dealers and prostitutes within the shadows of towering, brightly lit casinos.

...Figures show that homelessness, unemployment and crime have all risen in Atlantic City.

Crime in the city is about three times the US average, and the murder rate is twice the national average, according to FBI data.

Property prices have boomed, forcing many of the town’s poorer residents into trailer parks, while recent census figures show that nearly 24 per cent of the city’s population lives under the poverty line.

US gambling addiction groups say the casinos lead to significant debt, family disruption, job losses, criminal activity and even suicide.

Chris Armentano, from the Institute of Problem Gambling in nearby Connecticut, said: “The casinos try to lure people who have less hope into believing that something could happen to change your life.

“The problem is that the change is usually for the worse.

“They attract poorer people chasing a dream that the big win will solve all their problems. Gambling is about escapism.

“People can sit on the slot machines all night until the money runs out. It’s a mindless activity but gets people hooked.

“You see many more working-class people getting into problems with gambling.

“With casinos open 24 hours a day, we are seeing more people getting into trouble. They will keep gambling until they run out of money. And that leads to depression, debt, family problems and often crime as they try to cover up their losses.

“Each casino brings with it an explosion of gambling-related crime. ...”

...[A]lthough thousands of jobs were created, many argue that the glitzy additions did little to stop the surrounding poverty and urban blight. Drug dealers and prostitutes flock to the area.

And pawn shops, where compulsive gamblers desperately swap their worldly goods for cash, are a common sight on the back streets.

While profits pour into the casinos, restaurants and bars struggle to compete with the cut-price hotel rooms, free drinks and food used to lure in punters.

Casinos are built without windows and have no clocks on the wall, so gamblers lose their sense of what time it is in the outside world. Fresh oxygen is pumped in to keep them awake and spending money.

Professor Bill Thompson, of the University of Nevada in Las Vegas, said: “The only reason people go to Atlantic City is to gamble. They do not go to lie in the sun, go to shows or eat in restaurants.

“The city is still not a desirable place to live. It’s still a dump.”

Most of those employed in the casinos live ten or 15 miles outside the city.

In the late Nineties an official report by the National Gambling Impact Study Commission found that when casino gambling is introduced into a community, the compulsive gambling rate doubles. It also concluded that 60 per cent of casino communities saw an increase in child neglect because parents were more focused on gambling.

Violent crime is nearly four times the national average in Atlantic City.

Police are still investigating the ritualistic murders of four prostitutes late last year. Their bodies were found in a ditch behind a seedy motel outside Atlantic City. At least one died of strangulation. Another, officials said, died of asphyxia “by unspecified means”. The killer has not yet been found. The murders led to some locals claiming that the police department discourages arrests for prostitution. On the streets outside the casinos dozens of prostitutes lurk, offering services for as little as $5 to feed their drug habit.

But, despite the killings, officials say they don’t expect any decrease in the number of people drawn to the excitement of Atlantic City. William Southrey, president of the Atlantic City Rescue Mission, said: “There are 35 million people a year who pass through this little town. “So if someone is looking for action, there are things going on all the time, legal opportunities and perverse ones.”

His colleague Fred Soper added that every time a new casino opened in Atlantic City, the town saw a 20 per cent increase in homeless people. He said: “People come looking for work but they don’t realise they will be drug tested and their background checked. “If they don’t get work, they simply end up on the streets. When the first casinos opened we’d have 50 people every night sleeping at the mission. Now we have 350. “We’re at max now. We can’t handle it any more.”

But residents say the sad truth is that Atlantic City is now dangerously dependent on casinos. William McDevitt, a retired shipbuilder, admitted: “Without casinos, this place would fall into the ocean.”

The whole article can be found at: http://www.pactoregon.org/news-070201-AtlanticCity.html

 

[Eph72]

Re: For ECAC Fans: Where Should Our Tournament Be Held?

What was the attendance in AC ?

According to the Albany Times Union the “announced” attendance for 10,300-seat Boardwalk Hall on Friday for the semis was 3,357.

According to the Boston Globe, "Attendance, which was light for all four games in Atlantic City, was not published or announced on either day".

It is pretty likely that some fans went home after Friday, making Saturday attendance probably lower than Friday. I'll guess they were very lucky if they got 6,000 total.

A check of boxscores at USCHO and CHN, as well as the Yale website, indicates the reported attendance was 0. Which is probably also pretty close to accurate.

According to the Schnectady Daily Gazette, the tournament averaged 10,185 (total for two days) in the seven years it was in Albany. In 2005, it drew a peak of 16,217, falling to 13,348 in 2006, 10,049 in 2007, 9,925 in 2008 and 8,104 in 2009.

Based on the Albany numbers, shouldn't the tournament end up in a 6-8000 seat building which is less than a 200 mile/three hour drive from a majority of the schools and is located in a place where both local fans and travelling fans will attend? There are plenty of choices.