Ford Field Rink Installation

[aparch]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

God forbid that college hockey tries to reach out and drum up some additional interest.

For fu**s sake, the NCAA had PLENTY of time to shoot down the bid put together by the Detroit Commission of Sports and the CCHA. And just who's bid did they accept?

 

[northeastern]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

Watching the BC- Miami gm with a couple buddies.. 3 of them non (college) hockey fans but trying to understand/ enjoy the gms. I have to say... the amount of time Barry & other announcers have spent pondering the quality of ice, the humidity.. blah blah for the non hockey crowd.. (on national TV) is boring..and an embarrassment.

These guys are like.. this is your National semifinal.. shouldn't the ice be the best?.. Anyway, i know its not a hockey arena.. but i sure wish it was. On the other hand, the stands (fans) look good. But dear NCAA.. going forward.. please schedule these things in Ice Hockey venues only. Thank you

 

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

God forbid that college hockey tries to reach out and drum up some additional interest.

For fu**s sake, the NCAA had PLENTY of time to shoot down the bid put together by the Detroit Commission of Sports and the CCHA. And just who's bid did they accept?

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

[The Freds]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

Watched a game at the Joe last night. Please, please, play hockey in a hockey venue. Sorry slurpees, but Hockeyman is right on. Empty seats, lack of atmosphere. This was a big mistake.

 

[Puck Swami]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

First off, do you really think that Notre Dame has more hockey fans than Wisconsin?

So you're saying that when they booked this, they assumed that Michigan, MSU and Notre Dame were going to be in it? It's not even a good assumption that ONE of those would be there in any given year.

Even if they were, those programs play in the CCHA finals at JLA every season and there are 1000's of empty seats, every year. I've seen this in good economies and bad.

You can't defend the thinking behind this for a FF.

Of course UW has a bigger hockey fan base, but ND is not that far from Detroit and with all the avalible seats there at Ford Field, Notre Dame would have a huge turnout for a final, as would UM or MSU. I think with the success of all three programs appearing in recent Frozen Fours, having one of the three would have assured much more local interest. This bid was about innovation, and it's still too early to call it a failure.

 

[The Freds]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

This bid was about innovation, and it's still too early to call it a failure.

Sorry, I disagree.

 

[Gurtholfin]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

Of course UW has a bigger hockey fan base, but ND is not that far from Detroit and with all the avalible seats there at Ford Field, Notre Dame would have a huge turnout for a final, as would UM or MSU. I think with the success of all three programs appearing in recent Frozen Fours, having one of the three would have assured much more local interest. This bid was about innovation, and it's still too early to call it a failure.

This bid was in place in about 2005 and Notre Dame was not even a blip on the radar at that time. This was also a time of unprecedented WCHA dominance, so I cannot believe that they were looking into their crystal ball and assuming or even hoping that the CCHA would send several schools to this.

 

[Greyeagle]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

They're playing on a slurpee inside an aircraft hanger, hard to get excited about the concept being repeated. I can see the reasoning behind the idea, I see no reason for it to be done again.

 

[Puck Swami]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

Sorry, I disagree.

If they get 35,000 in there on Saturday night and the ice is okay, I think it will be looked at fondly with the passage of time.

20,000 rattling around the the big place around would be bad.

The games need to be closer, too.

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

God forbid that college hockey tries to reach out and drum up some additional interest.

For fu**s sake, the NCAA had PLENTY of time to shoot down the bid put together by the Detroit Commission of Sports and the CCHA. And just who's bid did they accept?

Which is why we are ripping the NCAA! They screwed up by accepting this bid!

Sorry, I disagree.

Yep, I'm with you. It is a complete failure.

 

[JF_Gophers]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

They're playing on a slurpee inside an aircraft hanger, hard to get excited about the concept being repeated. I can see the reasoning behind the idea, I see no reason for it to be done again.

The 2020 Frozen Four will be played in Mexico at their national team's soccer stadium (Azteca).

 

[du78]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

I just looked at the box score for the 1st game and the attendance is reported as 0.

 

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

If they get 35,000 in there on Saturday night and the ice is okay, I think it will be looked at fondly with the passage of time.

20,000 rattling around the the big place around would be bad.

The games need to be closer, too.

Will we get legit numbers reported anyway? I'm sure they will list tickets sold, not actual attendance for these games...I bet there were a ton of tickets on the street there...

 

[STATEdude3]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

Looks like the ice is getting better as game 2 goes along. Everyone in standard seats is praising the views. Everyone in risers is complaining. I think at this point things are wait and see. It's easy to call it a failure if you are not here to experience it. Right now i'm at 50/50 on my opinion.

 

[redheadzeb]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

I just looked at the box score for the 1st game and the attendance is reported as 0.

Hehe, they did that for the regionals, too. The 2nd game will have the total 2 game attendance

 

[IrishHockeyFan]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

I just looked at the box score for the 1st game and the attendance is reported as 0.

Its always been this way. Anytime a single ticket is stubbed or scanned for two games the first game attendance is either listed as 0 or n/a. I'm guessing since the NCAA and the FF organizing committees are already on record as claiming an advance sale in the neighborhood of 30,000 you can bet that will be about the number they release. I think the sheer size of the venue (even with it partitioned) is why it seems somewhat empty, but I am willing to bet this is still the most butts in seats for any FF semi-final ever. I'm not saying one way or another if that makes this a success (and no matter how many tickets were sold that is only one small factor to consider before this is declared a success or failure), I'm just saying...

 

[blockski]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

They're playing on a slurpee inside an aircraft hanger, hard to get excited about the concept being repeated. I can see the reasoning behind the idea, I see no reason for it to be done again.

"Nice catch, Hayes. Don't ever *******in do it again."

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[slurpees]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

It's easy to call it a failure if you are not here to experience it.

This

 

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

Looks like the ice is getting better as game 2 goes along. Everyone in standard seats is praising the views. Everyone in risers is complaining. I think at this point things are wait and see. It's easy to call it a failure if you are not here to experience it. Right now i'm at 50/50 on my opinion.

Its way easier to call it what it is when you step away from your own personal beliefs about your home town and stop being defensive about the location itself. I don't blame Detroit for bidding on the Frozen Four this way because maybe the NCAA has repeatedly rejected Joe Louis Arena since 1990 and Detroit found a way to change it up and the NCAA saw nothing but benjamins.

 

[STATEdude3]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

Its way easier to call it what it is when you step away from your own personal beliefs about your home town and stop being defensive about the location itself. I don't blame Detroit for bidding on the Frozen Four this way because maybe the NCAA has repeatedly rejected Joe Louis Arena since 1990 and Detroit found a way to change it up and the NCAA saw nothing but benjamins.

I get defensive about the city itself...I'm calling the venue choice and ice quality as it is. I am actually here to judge those things...unlike many of you sitting back and making judgments from a thousand miles away.

As I said before part of my job is evaluating the experience that out of towners have for events like this one. I have talked to probably 50 people to gauge their opinions tonight. As I stated before, almost all of them sitting in permanent seats were pleased with their view and the experience as a whole. Almost everyone in the risers was displeased with their experience from the length of walk to get to the seats, to the view itself.

I called it as it is...I had a great time, and a great view from section 243. The block and a half walk home saw lots of people smiling and saying things like "awesome" and "cant wait until Saturday". I'm sure there are people that feel the other way about it too...but like I said, you cant judge something accurately from a thousand miles away.

My opinion is that it is not great, but not terrible. I will see how the rest of the weekend plays out before making my final judgment.