Maine 2012 - Take 2. If This Ain't the Bottom...

[irishfan85]

Re: Maine 2012 - Take 2. If This Ain't the Bottom...

The "they are freshman and sophomores" excuse doesn't cut it either. Plenty of young guys doing good in Hockey East. Gryzelcyk at BU, Gaudreau at BC, O'Regan at BU, Wilson at UML last season, tons of freshman goalies have had success the past few seasons in this league. Even look back at what Flynn and Nyquist did their freshman years.

 

[carltonbarrett]

Re: Maine 2012 - Take 2. If This Ain't the Bottom...

Both of BC's Freshmen defensemen have more points than Maine's leading scorer, so your point is well taken...

 

[irishfan85]

Re: Maine 2012 - Take 2. If This Ain't the Bottom...

BC has an alright coach with 924 wins who has proven that you can win with character and class. The problem is Timmy gets all this credit for having players with good GPA's. That's great and all, but it isn't mutually exclusive. You can win with guys who will be good in the community and good in the classroom.

 

[hanasis]

Re: Maine 2012 - Take 2. If This Ain't the Bottom...

Happy show tunes? You've got to be kidding, right? The UMaine Pep Band has one of the most extensive song list of any school in Hockey East and has no need to repeat a song, and yet in both the 1st and the 3rd periods they played Paint it Black by the Rolling Stones. Have you looked up the lyrics to that song ever? Not much of a happy show tune if you ask me. The Pep Band is one of the only bright spots left when it comes to seeing a game at the Alfond. They are the best college hockey band in the East.

who said anything about them being anything less than the best? My point is that sometimes they step on the crowd when they wish to share a viewpoint with the on ice official. Oh well , who knows? Maybe thats what the team needs....more cowbell

 

[Carmine Scarpaglia]

Re: Maine 2012 - Take 2. If This Ain't the Bottom...

who said anything about them being anything less than the best? My point is that sometimes they step on the crowd when they wish to share a viewpoint with the on ice official.

Seriously? The band isn't allowed to play during the game. They have to play in between whistles. You want them to pass up this opportunity to do this so mopes like you can yell at the officials and be heard?

 

[walrus]

Re: Maine 2012 - Take 2. If This Ain't the Bottom...

so mopes like you can yell at the officials and be heard?

We mostly want to yell at Timmay

 

[Priceless]

Seriously? The band isn't allowed to play during the game. They have to play in between whistles. You want them to pass up this opportunity to do this so mopes like you can yell at the officials and be heard?

Referees are always looking for input from fans. Often they will poll the audience like on 'Millionaire' to see if they should make a call or not. Officals are very open-minded - especially the refs we have in Hockey East.

 

[Carmine Scarpaglia]

Re: Maine 2012 - Take 2. If This Ain't the Bottom...

Referees are always looking for input from fans. Often they will poll the audience like on 'Millionaire' to see if they should make a call or not. Officals are very open-minded - especially the refs we have in Hockey East.

I know I'm in the majority here and I'm preaching to the choir but I really don't go to games to enjoy the hockey and root for my team. I go because I feel as though I can influence how the game will play out if I yell at the officials enough. Nothing is better than high-fiving my buddy when the ref makes a call against the other team after we yell at the officials all game and we KNOW we caused that penalty to be called.

Unless of course the band plays and drowns out my shouting. Why would those jerks show up with all those instruments thinking people want to hear them? Jerks.

 

[sandiegoblkbr]

Re: Maine 2012 - Take 2. If This Ain't the Bottom...

I chuckled when I finally made it to the arena parking lot to see 2 barren empty lots being guarded so I can no longer park there. $23 at the door for Vermont!!! Once inside trying to make it over to the potato bar,groups of people standing chatting leaving no room to get past because there isn't any room to begin with! I wonder what they paid for that wonderful scoreboard that DOESN'T SHOW THE SCORE!!! The refs were ripe for criticism throughout the weekend but the GD band drowns everyone out when its time to yell at them for a blatant missed call! How can you have any kind of home advantadge when we serenade them with happy showtunes like we are having a wonderful time?? AHHH!!!!

LOL.........know one ever accused UM administrators of knowing how to run a D-1 sports program.

 

[sandiegoblkbr]

Re: Maine 2012 - Take 2. If This Ain't the Bottom...

Go have a gander at the 'Fire Mike Eaves?' thread if you think Maine is the only good program having a tough time. I think Timmy should go after this season but if/when a new coach comes in some of you need to establish realistic expectations of what success is.

Can we start by making sure that Maine players have appropriate conditioning and D-1 puck handling and shooting skills????

 

[sandiegoblkbr]

Re: Maine 2012 - Take 2. If This Ain't the Bottom...

Absoluetly nobody expected this team to make the Frozen Four this year, there were no unrealistic expectations. What was expected was for the team to get better, that hasn't happened. Other than Marty who has been a bright spot for this team, I'd go with Hutton. After that?? Steve Swavely?

I think that Maine fans are looking to achieve what Union and Ferris State do every once in a while.

 

[sandiegoblkbr]

Re: Maine 2012 - Take 2. If This Ain't the Bottom...

1 million profit... All is good in Black Bear land.

Not anymore!

Someone wrote a very interesting post in the BDN........it said that many corporate sponsors are abandoning Alfond Arena for the new Cross Center in Bangor. Makes sense and cents! Companies have limited budgets, especially in a smaller market like Greater Bangor. With shrinking attendance and being associated with a losing product at Alfond...........who can blame them making the switch to a shiny new facility where WAY more potential customers will see their advertising.

 

[Chuck Murray]

Re: Maine 2012 - Take 2. If This Ain't the Bottom...

I know I'm in the majority here and I'm preaching to the choir but I really don't go to games to enjoy the hockey and root for my team. I go because I feel as though I can influence how the game will play out if I yell at the officials enough. Nothing is better than high-fiving my buddy when the ref makes a call against the other team after we yell at the officials all game and we KNOW we caused that penalty to be called.

Unless of course the band plays and drowns out my shouting. Why would those jerks show up with all those instruments thinking people want to hear them? Jerks.

Best post on this thread. Everything else makes me want to open up a vein and bleed out.

I have much love for the UMaine-iacs ... but this is all very painful to read through.

God help us all if the AD allows Coach Whitehead to finish out his contract next year ...

 

[KnowItAll]

Re: Maine 2012 - Take 2. If This Ain't the Bottom...

who can blame them making the switch to a shiny new facility where WAY more potential customers will see their advertising.

i also suppose that the sponsors want their names associated with something good, or pleasurable.

also someone (forsyth) is posting how the hockey team still ranks in revenues... but also posted that BC practices questionable accounting when BC reports that they bring in exactly as much as they pay out.

is there a chance that other schools besides BC practice questionable accounting?

 

[all bear]

Re: Maine 2012 - Take 2. If This Ain't the Bottom...

Best post on this thread. Everything else makes me want to open up a vein and bleed out.

I have much love for the UMaine-iacs ... but this is all very painful to read through.

God help us all if the AD allows Coach Whitehead to finish out his contract next year ...

Ha, ha. A UHN fan with much love for Maine-iacs. Now thats rich.

Oh, I think theres no question that Abbott will allow Whitehead to finish out his contract. He's pro-active so far but not that much. After all, he is a football guy, probably knows little about hockey.

 

[KnowItAll]

Re: Maine 2012 - Take 2. If This Ain't the Bottom...

Referees are always looking for input from fans. Often they will poll the audience like on 'Millionaire' to see if they should make a call or not. Officals are very open-minded - especially the refs we have in Hockey East.

referees do make make-up calls at times.
and if you do not remember the Piotrowski 2002 final, I can remind you... the fans had an impact on how that game was called.
the fans and Walshie USED to have an impact at the Alfond, whether you want to remember it or not.

 

[sandiegoblkbr]

Re: Maine 2012 - Take 2. If This Ain't the Bottom...

After all, he is a football guy, probably knows little about hockey.

Key point! Abbot IS a football guy........his father was head coach, he's dealing with the Cosgrove contract situation (and there IS something going on here IMO). Cosgrove and Walsh always butted heads about their respective programs.......battling for athletic dept. dollars and attention. I wonder if Cosgrove is taking a stand for more money (don't ask me where that is going to come from) for his program? Either way........the budget ax is being sharpened and it couldn't come at a worse time.

 

[Fishman'81]

Re: Maine 2012 - Take 2. If This Ain't the Bottom...

Any mention of the guys' GPAs and upstanding lack of criminal behavior, etc. is either embarrassingly naive or outright disingenuous... This is not Harvard hockey we're talking about here, where the occasional decent season is merely icing on the cake for guys who plan to go on in life to become Senators, captains of industry and astronauts.

Nope, a nationally-prominent D-1 program is not about academics, folks... It's about attracting recruits who plan to play hockey professionally. Going to college is just a way for this ilk of player to refine their skills and/or get noticed by the NHL. Period.

Tell ya what: I'd rather have a 10-2 team with an aggregate GPA of 2.5 with two players in the can, than being 2-10 and having gold stars on every forehead.

Let's all get real about how this stuff works!

 

[fiqure8]

Re: Maine 2012 - Take 2. If This Ain't the Bottom...

Any mention of the guys' GPAs and upstanding lack of criminal behavior, etc. is either embarrassingly naive or outright disingenuous... This is not Harvard hockey we're talking about here, where the occasional decent season is merely icing on the cake for guys who plan to go on in life to become Senators, captains of industry and astronauts.

Nope, a nationally-prominent D-1 program is not about academics, folks... It's about attracting recruits who plan to play hockey professionally. Going to college is just a way for this ilk of player to refine their skills and/or get noticed by the NHL. Period.

Tell ya what: I'd rather have a 10-2 team with an aggregate GPA of 2.5 with two players in the can, than being 2-10 and having gold stars on every forehead.

Let's all get real about how this stuff works!

What would look worse though, a 2 and 10 team with a GPA lower than 2.5 and 2 guys in the can? Then TW would have no more excuses the type on player profile he is going after?

By the way what is the typical Maine Player profile? Size, speed, skill, strength, skating, smarts, smurf ?

I do not think Maine goes after the academic folks first...........I think when they get to UMaine they take online basket weaving courses to prop up the team GPA, although there are the exceptions............

 

[Priceless]

Re: Maine 2012 - Take 2. If This Ain't the Bottom...

Any mention of the guys' GPAs and upstanding lack of criminal behavior, etc. is either embarrassingly naive or outright disingenuous...

Let's all get real about how this stuff works!

To people who run an educational institution it matters just a tad. It isn't about what you or any other fan wants. It's about what Paul Ferguson expects from student-athletes. I'm going to guess his expectations don't align with yours.

However, I did run into Steve Abbott at the game Saturday night and from what little was said, it seems to me he is gathering ammunition to try to justify replacing TW at the end of the year. I realize to all you "fans" of the program it's a simple matter of wins and losses, but to school administrators it's a little more than that. Ridicule kids getting solid GPAs all you want, but to people running a school those things do matter. Abbott and Ferguson also have to walk a fine line and not p!ss off the wrong donors. While we're "getting real" let's be honest about the fact that all you in the Fire Whitehead brigade aren't going to contribute even a fraction of what these donors give to the university. As has been said several times, Abbott is a politician first and foremost. If he feels he has enough to make his case to the boosters after the season he will pull the trigger; if not TW serves out his contract - may even get an extension so the school doesn't have a "lame duck" coach. I would point out that writing a letter to Abbott, spelling out what you believe TW's shortcomings are and why you are no longer supporting the team would help his case, but we all know none of you will actually sign your real name to anything.

That's my take based on what was said. Of course, he is a politician so he could be saying one thing while doing another. Or he may decide he doesn't have enough to warrant going to the boosters; or the boosters could back TW anyway. There's also the fact that his position as AD is up on June 1, 2013 so he may feel no need to do anything and let his successor deal with it. It may just be idle speculation on my part, but that seems to be the way things are done around here now. For example, posting that families and alumni are being charged $20/game to go into the lounge after games - that was a total lie (I know because I asked) but it didn't stop anyone from spreading lies around the Internet...

Oh, and for all those expecting budget cuts to the hockey program: the only season 2003-2010 the football program turned a profit was 2006. Since then they have bled the university for $2.7M while expenses have increased to $3.5M/year. If cuts need to be made, it appears there are better targets than the hockey program.