UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

[HockeyRef]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

Hey let's ditch our jerseys for opening day and all wear...pink. 'Cats have had them in the past and would love to get one. Maybe we'll get on the new 'tron

 

[Darius]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

I'm in. "Lets go pink!".

The point is we are blue and white. The Sox are red and blue. Pink is a blatant marketing cash grab. In the Sox case it appealed to a crowd that didn't know much about the game of baseball.

 

[Darius]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

The article by Breanne Mellen, an editor at SB Nation's Arctic Ice Hockey, raised my awareness that some female hockey fans view the term "pink hats" unfavorably:

"Women and Hockey, Pink Hats and Equality" from thehockeywriters.com

I completely agree with Greg that one goal of the new video boards is to sell more tickets and put more "fannies in the seats". If that means more "casual" hockey fans at the Whittemore Center, so be it. All of us were casual hockey fans one upon a time.

For about a day. The next day I was reading Orr On Ice and banning my brother's friend from re-entering the TV room if the Bruins had scored while he was taking a bathroom break.

 

[sonar]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

I'm in. "Lets go pink!".

The point is we are blue and white.

..... and thankfully the athletic teams haven't been "required" to use the new royal blue that has become the official blue seen all over campus .... kind of looks like Walmart is having a sale as you drive through campus.

 

[Snively65]

..... and thankfully the athletic teams haven't been "required" to use the new royal blue that has become the official blue seen all over campus .... kind of looks like Walmart is having a sale as you drive through campus.

Perhaps a Walmart superstore will be replacing the barns and greenhouses just west of the RR tracks?

 

[Greg A]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

... and you saved that little morsel until right at the end. You sly dog. Hope springs eternal.

Chuck, I'm a golfer (at least I try to be), not a fisherman (although I love to eat fish)

 

[HockeyRef]

..... and thankfully the athletic teams haven't been "required" to use the new royal blue that has become the official blue seen all over campus .... kind of looks like Walmart is having a sale as you drive through campus.

Ugh am soooo not a fan of that blue....

 

[Felger]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

Good points. I don't attend as many games anymore because, frankly, it gets annoying to have people get up fifty times a game to get food, go to the bathroom etc etc. In the "old days" we would go to watch the game, period. At the Hockey East tournament this year, there were two people in front of me that took selfies and were on Facebook on their phones all night. They never even looked at the ice once. Unfortunately, organizations need revenue. They are going to create an environment where there are even <I>more</I> of what are, to us "hard-core" fans, annoyances. I stopped going to Bruins and Celtics games because it was constant noise end to end. From the minute the whistle blows until play resumes, your eardrums get blown out. It's a function of immediate gratification and zero attention spans that this has become "necessary." So we are just going to have to put up with it because we're not going back to "The Way We Were." But I agree that the "pink hat" reference is not intended to be gender specific and is not aimed at "women." It's a generic reference to the "non hard core" fan.

+1

You got my point exactly. I went to a Celtics game the first year the FleetCenter opened. Have never been back. My last Bruins game there was over a decade ago. I understand and accept the fact that the dumbing down of the sporting experience is a reality nowadays. Doesn't mean I have to endorse it or support it. And I'm sure the B's and the C's don't miss me. There are more than enough people who have no problem with their intelligence being insulted that will purchase the seats instead.

My UNH hockey experiences date to a time when if you stood behind the goal at the far end you couldn't even see the game clock. Believe it or not, I can remember the goaltenders telling us how much time was left on occasion. (Back when there was chain link fence not glass.) Didn't matter to me. I was there for the action on the ice. That is still the only reason I go, not for all the other foolishness. I'd rather watch a championship caliber team play at Jacksons Landing than a mediocre one play in a facility with all the bells and whistles. But just as I accept the realities of today's sport I also accept that I am a dinosaur. And like the Bruins and Celtics, I'm sure that UNH hockey doesn't miss my diminishing attendance at its games.

 

[NCAA watcher]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

At the risk of sounding like an old foggie, I remember the old days when we used to have to suffer with wooden bleachers. It was so bad the fans had to create their own noise by stomping on them. Thankfully, with the advent of better technology, the fans no longer have to make noise and can just sit back and let the sound system do it for them.

 

[Nick Papagiorgio]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

Looks like TvR just got recalled up to Chicago.

 

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

Chuck, I'm a golfer (at least I try to be), not a fisherman (although I love to eat fish)

Just hoping we haven't seen the last of Walt Borisenok's largesse, and maybe he can land us a real *whopper* after Coach Umile retires.

 

[WildShawn]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

At the risk of sounding like an old foggie, I remember the old days when we used to have to suffer with wooden bleachers. It was so bad the fans had to create their own noise by stomping on them. Thankfully, with the advent of better technology, the fans no longer have to make noise and can just sit back and let the sound system do it for them.

At the risk of sounding like a cynic, the fans made plenty of noise in a state of the art arena in the late 90's and early 00's....

 

[e.cat]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

+1

You got my point exactly. I went to a Celtics game the first year the FleetCenter opened. Have never been back. My last Bruins game there was over a decade ago. I understand and accept the fact that the dumbing down of the sporting experience is a reality nowadays. Doesn't mean I have to endorse it or support it. And I'm sure the B's and the C's don't miss me. There are more than enough people who have no problem with their intelligence being insulted that will purchase the seats instead.

My UNH hockey experiences date to a time when if you stood behind the goal at the far end you couldn't even see the game clock. Believe it or not, I can remember the goaltenders telling us how much time was left on occasion. (Back when there was chain link fence not glass.) Didn't matter to me. I was there for the action on the ice. That is still the only reason I go, not for all the other foolishness. I'd rather watch a championship caliber team play at Jacksons Landing than a mediocre one play in a facility with all the bells and whistles. But just as I accept the realities of today's sport I also accept that I am a dinosaur. And like the Bruins and Celtics, I'm sure that UNH hockey doesn't miss my diminishing attendance at its games.

So I take it you don't sit in the stands pounding on your iphone either!

I think you're in the minority on this one Felger. The days of the chain linked fence at lively Snively are long gone. Those were the good ole days for sure though. I remember going to the Whit for the first time and there wasn't even a center ice scoreboard. Not for nuthin', but my UVM friends who went there for the first time also mockingly told me "It's a nice arena but the there is no center ice scoreboard." What do they know though??

 

[Felger]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

So I take it you don't sit in the stands pounding on your iphone either!

I think you're in the minority on this one Felger. The days of the chain linked fence at lively Snively are long gone. Those were the good ole days for sure though. I remember going to the Whit for the first time and there wasn't even a center ice scoreboard. Not for nuthin', but my UVM friends who went there for the first time also mockingly told me "It's a nice arena but the there is no center ice scoreboard." What do they know though??

Oh, I know I'm in the minority on this one. Hence the term dinosaur. Being in the minority not always a bad thing. 49 states voted for Richard Nixon. 20 months later what happened?

But I digress.

Honestly, I'm happy for all the "fans" who are thrilled with this news. I've just never understood all the wasted time, energy and brain cells over a jumbotron. I go for the action on the ice. Period. There is only one thing I care about adding to the rafters at the Whitt, and it sure ain't a friggin jumbotron.

BTW, UNH hockey fans are all over the place on this issue. The current AD has taken plenty of heat on this thread and others, perhaps deservedly so. Yet, I've heard little complaining that in the press release he refers to using the new screens for marketing and promotional opportunities. Likewise, many of these same fans whine about spending money on facilities across the street on a more successful program. They do so under the guise of worrying about the fiscal stability of the athletic department, though I would contend that much of the consternation is jealousy. However I've seen no similar mocking of the attempt to raise money to put up the sacred jumbotron.

Flame away. I'm sure the negative rep is coming way.

 

[C-H-C]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

I too have fond memories of watching the action through the chain link fence at the swimming pool end of Snively Arena. But I also think I understand the modern athlete. As I said in my article back in December, 2011, watch any hockey game, pro or college, and pay attention to what the players are doing on the bench after a goal, near-goal, or controversial play. They are looking up at the center ice jumbotron to watch the video replay. Watching video to prepare for games and for feedback on what he or she is doing correctly or incorrectly is ingrained in these young hockey players. That is why the addition of a jumbotron at center ice at the Whittemore Center is necessary. Young recruits and college players want to have that as an integral part of their college career.

Most fans do the same thing whether they are at home watching on their LED, big-screen TV or are in the arena. For better or worse (I think better) we have been trained to watch video replays to confirm what we think we saw in real time.

Am I looking forward to watching fans kiss or dance on the video boards? Of course not. But that is a minor annoyance - it bugs me more when the neighbor's dog craps on my lawn (a la Mr. Wilson).

As for sitting on my hands and letting the video boards do the cheering for me - that's just silly. The enthusiastic student fans are not going to go mute. The pep band isn't going to pack up their instruments and go home. I'm not going to stop cheering when I see an outstanding individual effort or team play.

One last observation. When the TV coverage scans the crowd at the TD Garden during a Bruins game, or any other NHL venue, I see an ocean of enthusiastic fans loving the atmosphere and cheering for their team. It's what hockey fans do in 2015, just like we did in 1975.

Watching the Rangers-Lightening game reminds me - I hope the Whittemore Center jumbotron and/or video board shows the live action on the ice. There aren't many seats in any arena where one can see every square inch of the ice.

 

[wildcatdc]

Oh, I know I'm in the minority on this one. Hence the term dinosaur. Being in the minority not always a bad thing. 49 states voted for Richard Nixon. 20 months later what happened?

But I digress.

Honestly, I'm happy for all the "fans" who are thrilled with this news. I've just never understood all the wasted time, energy and brain cells over a jumbotron. I go for the action on the ice. Period. There is only one thing I care about adding to the rafters at the Whitt, and it sure ain't a friggin jumbotron.

BTW, UNH hockey fans are all over the place on this issue. The current AD has taken plenty of heat on this thread and others, perhaps deservedly so. Yet, I've heard little complaining that in the press release he refers to using the new screens for marketing and promotional opportunities. Likewise, many of these same fans whine about spending money on facilities across the street on a more successful program. They do so under the guise of worrying about the fiscal stability of the athletic department, though I would contend that much of the consternation is jealousy. However I've seen no similar mocking of the attempt to raise money to put up the sacred jumbotron.

Flame away. I'm sure the negative rep is coming way.

No flame throwing here. EXCELLENT post.

 

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

Honestly, I'm happy for all the "fans" who are thrilled with this news. I've just never understood all the wasted time, energy and brain cells over a jumbotron. I go for the action on the ice. Period. There is only one thing I care about adding to the rafters at the Whitt, and it sure ain't a friggin jumbotron.

BTW, UNH hockey fans are all over the place on this issue. The current AD has taken plenty of heat on this thread and others, perhaps deservedly so. Yet, I've heard little complaining that in the press release he refers to using the new screens for marketing and promotional opportunities. Likewise, many of these same fans whine about spending money on facilities across the street on a more successful program. They do so under the guise of worrying about the fiscal stability of the athletic department, though I would contend that much of the consternation is jealousy. However I've seen no similar mocking of the attempt to raise money to put up the sacred jumbotron.

With you all the way on this one, Felger. And with all due respect, contrary to C-H-C's preference, I hope like heck they resist the urge to show the live action up there. It just irks me to no end when I go to other arenas, and some fans never take their eyes off the jumbotron for the live action. Good for them I suppose ... but you miss a lot of action when you watch a small screen and its constant focus on the puck. All you ever hear from hockey converts is how they never really appreciated the game fully until they saw it live and in person. So now the solution is to push people away from the live action?? This way, it's back to watching the game on a huge glorified high-def TV. What's the next move - recliners at center ice for the premium season ticketholders?

 

[C-H-C]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

With you all the way on this one, Felger. And with all due respect, contrary to C-H-C's preference, I hope like heck they resist the urge to show the live action up there. It just irks me to no end when I go to other arenas, and some fans never take their eyes off the jumbotron for the live action. Good for them I suppose ... but you miss a lot of action when you watch a small screen and its constant focus on the puck. All you ever hear from hockey converts is how they never really appreciated the game fully until they saw it live and in person. So now the solution is to push people away from the live action?? This way, it's back to watching the game on a huge glorified high-def TV. What's the next move - recliners at center ice for the premium season ticketholders?

So Chuck, you've never gone to a game at the Agganis Arena, for example, and briefly looked up at the live action on the jumbotron when the puck went into a corner you couldn't see from your seat, then returned your gaze to the ice when the play came back into your view? Wouldn't it be nice to have that option at the Whittemore Center?

 

[Snively65]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

Great stuff on all sides here today. As a long-time proponent for a jumbotron at Lake Whitt, I am looking forward to seeing replays of goals, and even SOG, as at the arena I sometimes find myself watching action behind or peripheral to the main play, and sometimes my eyes are not what they once were for picking up the puck in the net, etc. Yeah, I am sure that there will be a lot of promotional crapola before games begin and between periods, but I will not feel obligated to watch that stuff, just as I miss a lot of the on-ice events between periods now.

If we win even one more recruiting battle per year, the jumbotron will be worth every penny, I think.

 

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015

So Chuck, you've never gone to a game at the Agganis Arena, for example, and briefly looked up at the live action on the jumbotron when the puck went into a corner you couldn't see from your seat, then returned your gaze to the ice when the play came back into your view? Wouldn't it be nice to have that option at the Whittemore Center?

Honestly C-H-C, I never watch a jumbotron during live action, where they are available. Sometimes replays are fun, and obviously the clock and penalty times are important. But I'm also pretty much against instant replay for anything other than a goal/no goal call. I'm probably an even bigger dinosaur than Felger, and an older fogie than 'Watcher. So consider the source.

For what it's worth though ... I'm thinking your assumption of complete video coverage of the entire ice surface at The Whitt may prove to be flawed though. Most of the TV coverage I've seen from The Whitt has been from a single vantage point, along the press box area. To get at the so-called "blind spots" (i.e. corners on the press box side of the arena), they're going to need multiple camera locations, with at least one of those on the opposite side of the ice. Not to mention a director of some sorts that changes the camera shots, no? These are resources that no doubt exist at the TD Garden, and most likely at Agganis. Would the NHPTV crew be brought in to make this happen?