TigerFan86-87
R!!!!...I!!!!!...T!!!!!!
Re: >>> RIT Tigers 2010-11 - Part II - The Dream is Still Alive <<<
I agree that "dismal failure" is not an appropriate description, IMHO. I must say that I tried from the minute the Wisconsin game ended until yesterday to temper the urge to think that they could go and do what they did last year again. The goal for this team for now should continue to be winning this tournament and making the NCAA's. Whatever happens in Nationals really is just gravy (and boy, did we have our share of gravy in 2010!). For the foreseeable future, the Tigers will be a # 15 or 16 seed and enormous underdogs if and when they make the NCAA's again. So expecting FF runs is just unrealistic. Knowing it is possible is certainly exciting, thanks to the 2010 team, however.
The only failure of this season in my estimation really isn't due to any shortfall of the team's, but of the local media. It is fantastic how much coverage the Tigers got this season (partially thanks to the Amerks sucking and the Sabres struggling much of the season until just recently). However, the FF run of last year is clearly what inspired the increased coverage and has aided in the reporters framing their stories about the Tigers almost exclusively with respect to the Frozen Four, creating an impression to the newly acquired and as yet relatively college hockey-uneducated "casual fans" that RIT is to be judged by whether or not they reach the Frozen Four. I know they're just trying to create excitement and make the stories interesting, but it's clear that most of the time they either don't know much about D-I hockey or just don't care because most of the viewers/readers don't either. I remember one Ch13 reporter (Toby Motika sp?) promoting the RIT-AIC series by mentioning that the two teams split their two games in the regular season, so they are really evenly matched on paper... ok, whatever. Then there's always the ones who mention when RIT is going to play UConn and talk about it as though their playing the UConn basketball team, not the perennially poor to mediocre hockey team. I just fear some of the "wave" of increased interest from the community can wane when it appears as though the Tigers are consistently not meeting expectations because they're not amongst the elite of D-I teams. Oh well. Maybe that's no big loss. The interest in the RIT community is still very strong and growing. They'll be fine.
I agree that "dismal failure" is not an appropriate description, IMHO. I must say that I tried from the minute the Wisconsin game ended until yesterday to temper the urge to think that they could go and do what they did last year again. The goal for this team for now should continue to be winning this tournament and making the NCAA's. Whatever happens in Nationals really is just gravy (and boy, did we have our share of gravy in 2010!). For the foreseeable future, the Tigers will be a # 15 or 16 seed and enormous underdogs if and when they make the NCAA's again. So expecting FF runs is just unrealistic. Knowing it is possible is certainly exciting, thanks to the 2010 team, however.
The only failure of this season in my estimation really isn't due to any shortfall of the team's, but of the local media. It is fantastic how much coverage the Tigers got this season (partially thanks to the Amerks sucking and the Sabres struggling much of the season until just recently). However, the FF run of last year is clearly what inspired the increased coverage and has aided in the reporters framing their stories about the Tigers almost exclusively with respect to the Frozen Four, creating an impression to the newly acquired and as yet relatively college hockey-uneducated "casual fans" that RIT is to be judged by whether or not they reach the Frozen Four. I know they're just trying to create excitement and make the stories interesting, but it's clear that most of the time they either don't know much about D-I hockey or just don't care because most of the viewers/readers don't either. I remember one Ch13 reporter (Toby Motika sp?) promoting the RIT-AIC series by mentioning that the two teams split their two games in the regular season, so they are really evenly matched on paper... ok, whatever. Then there's always the ones who mention when RIT is going to play UConn and talk about it as though their playing the UConn basketball team, not the perennially poor to mediocre hockey team. I just fear some of the "wave" of increased interest from the community can wane when it appears as though the Tigers are consistently not meeting expectations because they're not amongst the elite of D-I teams. Oh well. Maybe that's no big loss. The interest in the RIT community is still very strong and growing. They'll be fine.
