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Frozen Four 2023: Three Blue Bloods and and Upstart

Am I in the minority that would prefer Starman, his wife Saski, and Holden to call the finals? At least Matvick if not Holden? Sorta coming around to Heinert. Heck you could have Cohen reporting on 1 team & Saski on the other or have her do intermission interviews.
 
Basement Bias said:
Am I in the minority that would prefer Starman, his wife Saski, and Holden to call the finals? At least Matvick if not Holden? Sorta coming around to Heinert. Heck you could have Cohen reporting on 1 team & Saski on the other or have her do intermission interviews.
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Holden is terrific. As is Matvick. Not sure why they are not getting this FF job over Buccigross/Melrose.
 
Buccigross had it written into his contract with ESPN that he would do the games. Melrose needs to go, don't know if Buccigross forced that either but it's dreadful having Melrose on
 
From sportsmediawatch.com:

"Devils-Bruins averaged a 0.7 rating and 1.40 million viewers in ABC’s NHL regular season finale Saturday night, marking the second-largest audience of the season behind only the Penguins-Bruins Winter Classic on TNT in January (1.78M). The Bruins have played in six of the seven most-watched games this season, the lone exception being Capitals-Hurricanes in the Stadium Series in February (1.14M)...The strong numbers for the Bruins’ win came despite direct competition with the most-watched NCAA men’s hockey national championship in 12 years. The Quinnipiac-Minnesota title game on ESPN2 averaged a 0.40 and 808,000, up 90% in ratings and 100% in viewership from last year (Denver-Minnesota State: 0.21, 404K) and the largest audience for the men’s hockey final since 2011..."

Imagine what the FF number might have been if ESPN made any concerted effort to hype it to the same extent it does other, more mundane, events.
 
Have been to 22 of the last 23 Frozen Fours, missing the limited-attendance one in Pittsburgh.

While I still enjoy the event, some negative trends have emerged:
-- Ear-splitting, often tribal music on the PA system. We had four excellent bands in Tampa. Let them play.
-- Obnoxiously loud "arena announcers."
-- Gimmicky promos like Dance Cam, which pander to knuckleheads, many wearing baseball caps backwards.

For all this I blame the marketing focus groups and their drivel about the "arena experience."
 
BUPhD said:
Again. ESPN only covers this out of contractural obligations to get college football games. They'd be more than happy to drop it but its part of their deal with the NCAA. It'd be more effective to scream at the NCAA to let ESPN off the hook for this championship and shop it to CBS (for TNT coverage) or FS1 as part of their college football contracts. Frankly I don't see ANY network picking it up unless they're made to.

That aside,

I'm wondering why DC doesn't come up more in the conversation for hosting again. It seemed a succesful location. Lots of airports, easy transit, bunches of hotels. I guess you're competing with Cherry Blossom gawkers that time of the year sometimes but that's a nice off day activity as are all the Smithsonians. Which are free.
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Has DC applied to host again?
 
paulfb said:
Have been to 22 of the last 23 Frozen Fours, missing the limited-attendance one in Pittsburgh.

While I still enjoy the event, some negative trends have emerged:
-- Ear-splitting, often tribal music on the PA system. We had four excellent bands in Tampa. Let them play.
-- Obnoxiously loud "arena announcers."
-- Gimmicky promos like Dance Cam, which pander to knuckleheads, many wearing baseball caps backwards.

For all this I blame the marketing focus groups and their drivel about the "arena experience."
Click to expand...

I hated this guy.

It bummed me out that they mic'd the bands as I thought the bands were all loud enough. When they mic'd them, it kind of distorted the sound.
 
paulfb said:
Have been to 22 of the last 23 Frozen Fours, missing the limited-attendance one in Pittsburgh.

While I still enjoy the event, some negative trends have emerged:
-- Ear-splitting, often tribal music on the PA system. We had four excellent bands in Tampa. Let them play.
-- Obnoxiously loud "arena announcers."
-- Gimmicky promos like Dance Cam, which pander to knuckleheads, many wearing baseball caps backwards.

For all this I blame the marketing focus groups and their drivel about the "arena experience."
Click to expand...

The PA music will always happen, and honestly sometimes a bit of that is better than small pep bands - the NCAA only pays for 25 band members/cheerleaders to travel. QU's band contingent was small and honestly didn't sound the best. But the two can coexist.

Otherwise, agree on the last two. That hype announcer guy was annoying as hell. And there was no need for the dumb dance cams, etc.
 
brassbonanza said:
The PA music will always happen, and honestly sometimes a bit of that is better than small pep bands - the NCAA only pays for 25 band members/cheerleaders to travel. QU's band contingent was small and honestly didn't sound the best. But the two can coexist.

Otherwise, agree on the last two. That hype announcer guy was annoying as hell. And there was no need for the dumb dance cams, etc.
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I agree with you, but I think all of the 3 trends are currently present at some Division I rinks.
 
Also, in full disclosure, I live in DC and want it in my back yard again now that I have a positive number for income and could afford to get tix.


Navy was the host along with DC Sports Consortium. I've no idea if they have the will to try again.
 
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paulfb said:
Have been to 22 of the last 23 Frozen Fours, missing the limited-attendance one in Pittsburgh.

While I still enjoy the event, some negative trends have emerged:
-- Ear-splitting, often tribal music on the PA system. We had four excellent bands in Tampa. Let them play.
-- Obnoxiously loud "arena announcers."
-- Gimmicky promos like Dance Cam, which pander to knuckleheads, many wearing baseball caps backwards.

For all this I blame the marketing focus groups and their drivel about the "arena experience."
Click to expand...

Agreed on all.

At Michigan's home games I bring ear plugs because of the too loud piped in music. I sit 1 section over from the band (which is 70ish people I think) and their volume is not the problem. I bring this up to guest services and they at least hand out ear plugs...but it's awful.
Arena announcer invaded our rink for a couple of seasons. Didn't have one this year, thankfully
Dance cam, etc are not likely to go away. People like seeing themselves on the big screen, and many sports fans are happy to play along to see themselves on a jumbotron.

For my school, the basketball games on campus have way too much of these things, such that I don't go unless I get a free ticket, and even then I consider not going. Michigan's athletic/sports marketing department has determined there cannot be any downtime, zero time without noise. It makes it hard to talk to your friends at a game.

I wish college athletics would spend less time trying to recreate a pro atmosphere. The college atmosphere is part of what makes the sport great. I want more bands, less production. This is why I've been to 13 Frozen Fours and fewer than 10 NHL games.

I will however admit to enjoying the players lip reading challenge. I was amused.
 
paulfb said:
...negative trends have emerged:
-- Ear-splitting, often tribal music on the PA system. We had four excellent bands in Tampa. Let them play.
-- Obnoxiously loud "arena announcers."
-- Gimmicky promos like Dance Cam, which pander to knuckleheads, many wearing baseball caps backwards.
Click to expand...

This! All of it. Stifle the public address announcer cheerleading not the bands. This is the pinnacle of college hockey. Bands and undergrad cheers/chants are a big part of the atmosphere. Stop trying to turn the college atmosphere into the pro atmosphere. I do understand the need to limit band sizes but the cap of 25 pieces per band in a 19,000+ venue IMO is unreasonable.
 
Split-N said:
This! All of it. Stifle the public address announcer cheerleading not the bands. This is the pinnacle of college hockey. Bands and undergrad cheers/chants are a big part of the atmosphere. Stop trying to turn the college atmosphere into the pro atmosphere. I do understand the need to limit band sizes but the cap of 25 pieces per band in a 19,000+ venue IMO is unreasonable.
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If you saw the area the bands were seated in....there was room to double the band size. Q had their cheerleaders standing next to the band in space that was not utilized by the other 3 bands. Other schools with cheerleaders had them in the aisles with their fans, so plenty of room for cheerleaders and a larger band.
 
BUPhD said:
Also, in full disclosure, I live in DC and want it in my back yard again...Navy was the host
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Also in DC (actually, just outside). That was a really good show and a great job by all involved. Would have been even better if NU hadn't spit the bit in the regionals. Hoping there's another bid in the works.
 
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