Michigan Tech 2017-18 The Joe Shawhan Era Continues - Getting Better Everyday

[John J. MacInnes]

Re: Michigan Tech 2017-18 The Joe Shawhan Era Continues - Getting Better Everyday

We need to move on the East end of the rink in my opinion. If they build 12 suites they will sell in less than an hour. That's probably $150K a year + who knows how much in catering/concessions. I don't know what the rationale is on waiting. My only concern is where will the band go? Under the new suites?

Here's an ideal situation.

Complete the ring around at concourse level. Add in additional suites at east end. Create purpose built bar area on east end directly across from current location. Relocate band to original location in front of Wall of Fame.

This helps put more flow into crowd movement, gets you the additional revenue, makes the bar area much more polished, and puts the band behind the opposing goaltender for 2 of 3 periods while also releasing their seats back into usable tickets.

 

[stuckinwi]

Re: Michigan Tech 2017-18 The Joe Shawhan Era Continues - Getting Better Everyday

Throw in a gripe about the seats and how "it just isn't Lakeview," and you'd sound like a 100% MQT native.


Also, it makes it sound like you haven't been to the arena since it opened 20 years ago.

Was there this year. I generally HATE sitting down low anywhere though, I want to be able to see the play as whole. I don't like the height of the bowl at the Berry at all. It just feels too low to me and the pitch of the seats feels so low as well.

Speaking of Lakeview... I had no idea I had been there as a little kid until I went to one of my wife's brother's Electricians games when I was in college. Walked in and everything was familiar. It was just an odd feeling, knowing the arena, but not remember having been there. lol

 

[Broseph Stalin]

Re: Michigan Tech 2017-18 The Joe Shawhan Era Continues - Getting Better Everyday

Here's an ideal situation.

Complete the ring around at concourse level. Add in additional suites at east end. Create purpose built bar area on east end directly across from current location. Relocate band to original location in front of Wall of Fame.

This helps put more flow into crowd movement, gets you the additional revenue, makes the bar area much more polished, and puts the band behind the opposing goaltender for 2 of 3 periods while also releasing their seats back into usable tickets.

I believe you've nailed it. I love the banners on the east wall but they need to add one that says "this is what opportunity loss looks like".

Speaking of the banners I'd like them to be redone and hung from the rafters. I'd like to see the old logos and stuff used to keep it accurate with respect to the dates.

Before anyone accuses me of being negative about the rink- I still consider it a cathedral of hockey. I would trade it for no other.

 

[JohnsonsJerseys]

Re: Michigan Tech 2017-18 The Joe Shawhan Era Continues - Getting Better Everyday

Two cool design features I've seen at other college rinks I've visited:

Air Force - The "suites" on one end of the rink are constructed out of hockey boards and you enter each seating area through a door just like the players have at their benches. Each suite is named for a significant achievement in the program's history (Atlantic Hockey 20XX Champion's Box, NCAA Tourney 20XX Box, etc). They also have glass partitions that separate the boxes similar to the rink construction.

Alabama Huntsville - Rink side food & drink service at one end of the rink. Yes, you can literally be waited on while you sit at bar stools / tables and eat / drink right on the glass at floor level. They didn't seem to be very popular at UAH, but I could see Tech fans liking the concept since lots of folks tend to watch the games from the ends of the rink. I think you would have to establish a minimum spend per table ($40) above and beyond your SRO ticket price, but I could see that being successful, especially if alcohol was allowed in that area.

Ryan

 

[gfmorris]

Re: Michigan Tech 2017-18 The Joe Shawhan Era Continues - Getting Better Everyday

Alabama Huntsville - Rink side food & drink service at one end of the rink. Yes, you can literally be waited on while you sit at bar stools / tables and eat / drink right on the glass at floor level. They didn't seem to be very popular at UAH, but I could see Tech fans liking the concept since lots of folks tend to watch the games from the ends of the rink. I think you would have to establish a minimum spend per table ($40) above and beyond your SRO ticket price, but I could see that being successful, especially if alcohol was allowed in that area.

That's a vestige of the SPHL team, mostly. The same food service company serves both (since the arena employs them).

GFM

 

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

Re: Michigan Tech 2017-18 The Joe Shawhan Era Continues - Getting Better Everyday

Throw in a gripe about the seats and how "it just isn't Lakeview," and you'd sound like a 100% MQT native.


Also, it makes it sound like you haven't been to the arena since it opened 20 years ago.

Sorry, but the Berry does have really bad sightlines; especially if you're seated in the corners. I got taken down by food poisoning on Friday, so I didn't make it there despite being at my hotel a mile away, but I'll never forget how impossible it is to see the play in the northwest corner when you're seated in Section 9 or 10.

I know nothing about Lakeview, so I can't comment.

Here's an ideal situation.

Complete the ring around at concourse level. Add in additional suites at east end. Create purpose built bar area on east end directly across from current location. Relocate band to original location in front of Wall of Fame.

This helps put more flow into crowd movement, gets you the additional revenue, makes the bar area much more polished, and puts the band behind the opposing goaltender for 2 of 3 periods while also releasing their seats back into usable tickets.

That should be the goal for the Mac, IMHO.

 

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

Re: Michigan Tech 2017-18 The Joe Shawhan Era Continues - Getting Better Everyday

Alabama Huntsville - Rink side food & drink service at one end of the rink. Yes, you can literally be waited on while you sit at bar stools / tables and eat / drink right on the glass at floor level. They didn't seem to be very popular at UAH, but I could see Tech fans liking the concept since lots of folks tend to watch the games from the ends of the rink. I think you would have to establish a minimum spend per table ($40) above and beyond your SRO ticket price, but I could see that being successful, especially if alcohol was allowed in that area.

This sounds like something that, in principle (liability, local economy) seems very unlikely to happen, but apparently there is enough demand for more suites that maybe the financials would work out for such an idea. Still, I doubt the bleacher/SRO folks currently on the glass at the ends are going to pay for something like that. I'm all for improvements, but I also don't want to push out the folks who can only afford a few games a year, so they choose walk-up SRO for the games they care about.

I do agree with the suggestion that people should be able to take a beer to their seats - one beer at a time, per person, and limited to the corner sections nearest to the bar. I think that's a fair compromise.

 

[TalonsUpPuckDown]

Re: Michigan Tech 2017-18 The Joe Shawhan Era Continues - Getting Better Everyday

I do agree with the suggestion that people should be able to take a beer to their seats - one beer at a time, per person, and limited to the corner sections nearest to the bar. I think that's a fair compromise.

Not stirring up trouble, just curious...is this a State of Michigan thing or a local university rule? We serve Molson tall boys at our rink, which is on-campus, and I can buy as many as I want and drink them anywhere I please (including my seat). Only requirement is that I have one of those beer festival bracelets strapped to my wrist which I get when I place my first order.

 

[stuckinwi]

Re: Michigan Tech 2017-18 The Joe Shawhan Era Continues - Getting Better Everyday

Not stirring up trouble, just curious...is this a State of Michigan thing or a local university rule? We serve Molson tall boys at our rink, which is on-campus, and I can buy as many as I want and drink them anywhere I please (including my seat). Only requirement is that I have one of those beer festival bracelets strapped to my wrist which I get when I place my first order.

It may also be a local culture thing, there is a sizable amount of folks from a couple of churches that look down on drinking quite a bit. That may be a part too to be honest.

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: Michigan Tech 2017-18 The Joe Shawhan Era Continues - Getting Better Everyday

It may also be a local culture thing, there is a sizable amount of folks from a couple of churches that look down on drinking quite a bit. That may be a part too to be honest.

These kind of people **** me off. It is not your business, or responsibility to worry about whether or not I have a beer while watching hockey, so shut the **** up.

Also, I'd say 2 beers should be allowed to be purchased at a time (this is standard at pretty much any arena that serves beer), so you can get one for you and one for the wife/husband/girlfriend/boyfriend/buddy, etc.

 

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: Michigan Tech 2017-18 The Joe Shawhan Era Continues - Getting Better Everyday

Not stirring up trouble, just curious...is this a State of Michigan thing or a local university rule? We serve Molson tall boys at our rink, which is on-campus, and I can buy as many as I want and drink them anywhere I please (including my seat). Only requirement is that I have one of those beer festival bracelets strapped to my wrist which I get when I place my first order.

Those limits are his own choosing. The fact that MTU doesn't allow drinks outside of the Lamplighter's bar is the school's choice as far as I know. I personally would like to see them create a club style seating area where if you have a ticket between the glass and the concourse in front of lamplighters, you can take a drink to your seat. They would be prime seats since its where the offense attacks twice and then you could put the bar up tighter to the rail and not allow those under 21 to stand at that rail.

 

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: Michigan Tech 2017-18 The Joe Shawhan Era Continues - Getting Better Everyday

These kind of people **** me off. It is not your business, or responsibility to worry about whether or not I have a beer while watching hockey, so shut the **** up.

Also, I'd say 2 beers should be allowed to be purchased at a time (this is standard at pretty much any arena that serves beer), so you can get one for you and one for the wife/husband/girlfriend/boyfriend/buddy, etc.

I would be fine with that if you had both IDs...since it is a college.

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: Michigan Tech 2017-18 The Joe Shawhan Era Continues - Getting Better Everyday

I would be fine with that if you had both IDs...since it is a college.

That's fair. Although, The Ralph didn't require that for free drinks in the bar pregame.

 

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: Michigan Tech 2017-18 The Joe Shawhan Era Continues - Getting Better Everyday

That's fair. Although, The Ralph didn't require that for free drinks in the bar pregame.

pretty sure we needed to be 21 to have seats in that bar

 

[stuckinwi]

Re: Michigan Tech 2017-18 The Joe Shawhan Era Continues - Getting Better Everyday

These kind of people **** me off. It is not your business, or responsibility to worry about whether or not I have a beer while watching hockey, so shut the **** up.

It's not about you have a beer. It's about keeping a family environment and not wanting the younger kids around it.

I don't agree with it, but that's the logic.

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: Michigan Tech 2017-18 The Joe Shawhan Era Continues - Getting Better Everyday

pretty sure we needed to be 21 to have seats in that bar

I vote they add an exact replica of that place at the Mac, but throw in some copper accents to make it seem local.

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: Michigan Tech 2017-18 The Joe Shawhan Era Continues - Getting Better Everyday

It's not about you have a beer. It's about keeping a family environment and not wanting the younger kids around it.

I don't agree with it, but that's the logic.

Its not my fault that they can't handle having an actual conversation with their children about alcohol, and instead ignore that it exists. Its not my fault that this makes them bad parents.

 

[Broseph Stalin]

Re: Michigan Tech 2017-18 The Joe Shawhan Era Continues - Getting Better Everyday

It's not about you have a beer. It's about keeping a family environment and not wanting the younger kids around it.

I don't agree with it, but that's the logic.

It's more than logic- it's reality. Tech has a very family friendly environment. If you look at some of the best attended games over the last 20 years it's the Skate with the Huskies nights. We have visiting hockey teams and elementary classes every night, and there are hundreds of kids roaming the arena during the game. It's pretty cool. Even Shawhan's "apology" made reference to the impression left on the kids in the stands. The hockey team and the game experience are a large part of the Tech brand and it's not going to change because it works so well. It's not meant to be a frat party- it's meant to sell the school.

My experience in Marquette has been much different. I've been to non-Tech games there. They have different priorities.

 

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

Re: Michigan Tech 2017-18 The Joe Shawhan Era Continues - Getting Better Everyday

It has absolutely nothing to do with the State of Michigan. It's all on Tech, and their obsession with maintaining a family environment. Unfortunately, since I graduated, this has extended to squelching some of the students' supposedly 'offensive' cheers as well.

All that aside, frankly I hate dealing with drunks anymore myself, and in Marquette it is definitely an issue going back 10+ years to my student days. There is certainly a compromise to be made. Limit the open alcohol to very specific sections, enforced by ushers.

I know this is going to PO those who bring flasks, but most of them are overage Misfits, so that's on them if they get caught.

 

[manurespreader]

Re: Michigan Tech 2017-18 The Joe Shawhan Era Continues - Getting Better Everyday

It has absolutely nothing to do with the State of Michigan. It's all on Tech, and their obsession with maintaining a family environment. Unfortunately, since I graduated, this has extended to squelching some of the students' supposedly 'offensive' cheers as well.

All that aside, frankly I hate dealing with drunks anymore myself, and in Marquette it is definitely an issue going back 10+ years to my student days. There is certainly a compromise to be made. Limit the open alcohol to very specific sections, enforced by ushers.

I know this is going to PO those who bring flasks, but most of them are overage Misfits, so that's on them if they get caught.

I can tell you the administration already gets heat from alumni about the behavior of students, especially at GLI and other games where they don't go to the games regularly. For my part, I see your points but i'd hate to see it turn into Wisconsin. I'd never take my kid to a Wisconsin game.