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Wisconsin Hockey: Vol. XVIII - Belief in a Better Tomorrow

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Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Vol. XVIII - Belief in a Better Tomorrow

Gurtholfin said:
I'm not a big fan of the Fox Valley either. Seems like a 40 mile strip mall.

To the other points, I just gotta think it would get old to get beat up on by the UNDs of the world. I get the prestige factor of being in the WCHA as it stood before all of this, but at some point you need to be competitive or what's the point of Prestige?
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It's awful. I'm from Houghton. This place absolutely blows. I'd take forcing myself not to gag at all the red and live in Madison if I had the chance, much cooler town.

I'm also a Cubs fan. Tech's streak has got nothing on that one. The current administration finally seems to get your last point, but we won't be able to see it come to fruition in the WCHA. That is what I'm most bummed about. Will I be happy in 4 years if we have a winning record for the first time in forever? Of course I will, it would have just been more satisfying to have it happen in the WCHA with Mel at the helm. (and for the love of god I hope he can turn the program around)
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Vol. XVIII - Belief in a Better Tomorrow

solovsfett said:
I don't know if it's hysterical to say you don't like the changes, and why you don't like the changes. we have no idea how this will shake out in the end but I personally have less interest at this time in a b10 hockey conference than I would in watching hockey east really.
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You have less interest in watching Wisconsin vs Michigan then a Hockey East game. Huh?
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Vol. XVIII - Belief in a Better Tomorrow

blockski said:
Here's the thing, though - more conferences with more autobids is a good thing for college hockey.

It will give a team like UAA or MTU in the leftovers conference an actual chance to win and make the NCAAs again. Personally, I think the potential for winning games will probably be far more of an attendance draw than the opposing team, but that's just me.

With PSU, college hockey was trying to squeeze 36 'western' teams into just three conferences - that was simply not sustainable.
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I don't think that the "this landscape change is really scary and I'm a little scared of the consequences" and the "let's face it, the changes had to happen" thoughts are mutually exclusive. You and Chuck are 100% right that the status quo wasn't sustainable, but that doesn't change how rightfully fearful many of us are about the fallout from the BTHC/BHHC bombshell.

The fear that we wont' be scheduling UND, DU, CC, UMD, etc. for non-conference games anytime soon is, IMO, both real and reasonable, when you look at how non-conference scheduling works for the rest of our sports. The fear that the endgame in this realignment winds up putting several of the weakest programs in the west together appears to have become a reality. If that truly means that there is now more room for the sport to grow (courtesy of smaller conferences), then great. If it means that we now have two CHA-style conferences, just biding their time before several schools drop their programs and dissolve, then what have we gained?
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Vol. XVIII - Belief in a Better Tomorrow

Chuck Schwartz said:
You have less interest in watching Wisconsin vs Michigan then a Hockey East game. Huh?
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the quote to paraphrase is I have less interest in the b10 hockey conference than hockey east and it's true. I don't give a **** about osu/psu/msu hockey. I just don't. michigan I'd put in the st. cloud type rival space for now

as a Wisconsin fan I'll be forced to watch the b10. I know you're not happy w/people griping about the changes but that's part of what this board is for.

wisconsin hockey: solo still not on-board with the b10, weeknight (scheduling AROUND roundball) games, not playing NODAK.
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Vol. XVIII - Belief in a Better Tomorrow

ExileOnDaytonStreet said:
I don't think that the "this landscape change is really scary and I'm a little scared of the consequences" and the "let's face it, the changes had to happen" thoughts are mutually exclusive. You and Chuck are 100% right that the status quo wasn't sustainable, but that doesn't change how rightfully fearful many of us are about the fallout from the BTHC/BHHC bombshell.

The fear that we wont' be scheduling UND, DU, CC, UMD, etc. for non-conference games anytime soon is, IMO, both real and reasonable, when you look at how non-conference scheduling works for the rest of our sports. The fear that the endgame in this realignment winds up putting several of the weakest programs in the west together appears to have become a reality. If that truly means that there is now more room for the sport to grow (courtesy of smaller conferences), then great. If it means that we now have two CHA-style conferences, just biding their time before several schools drop their programs and dissolve, then what have we gained?
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to your last point...yes. we'd gain a 50-team field or less and a 12-team tournament field which was awful while around. with teams having 1st round bye
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Vol. XVIII - Belief in a Better Tomorrow

another point with regard to b10 and the nodak conference. they've stacked the western deck into 2 conferences where let's face it, these teams will beat the **** out of each other and may end up with .500 (or thereabouts) records.

when it comes time for at-large bids does a 2nd or 3rd place b10 or nodak conference team with a 20-18 record or 19-19 record get in over a st. cloud 26-12 team?
 
solovsfett said:
another point with regard to b10 and the nodak conference. they've stacked the western deck into 2 conferences where let's face it, these teams will beat the **** out of each other and may end up with .500 (or thereabouts) records.

when it comes time for at-large bids does a 2nd or 3rd place b10 or nodak conference team with a 20-18 record or 19-19 record get in over a st. cloud 26-12 team?
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I would assume yes, because overall those conferences should have a very high NC winning percentage. So, all things being equal, the team from the stronger conference should get the nod. In this example, 6 or 7 wins might be enough of a premium to give scsu the bid. Much of that will depend on if the(se) new league(s) are on par with the ECAC (which gets about an at large a season) or Atlantic Hockey (which seldom gets above a 4 seed).

The other thing is that many of these good western teams are going to be 3 and 4 seeds making upsets in the NCAA tournament more likely.
 
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Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Vol. XVIII - Belief in a Better Tomorrow

Gurtholfin said:
I'm not a big fan of the Fox Valley either. Seems like a 40 mile strip mall.
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Er, what I meant to say was that I LOVE the Fox Valley BECAUSE of the shopping options. I mean if the Best Buy I'm at doesn't have what I'm looking for, there's another Best Buy five miles up the road... in BOTH directions!

:p
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Vol. XVIII - Belief in a Better Tomorrow

Gurtholfin said:
Er, what I meant to say was that I LOVE the Fox Valley BECAUSE of the shopping options. I mean if the Best Buy I'm at doesn't have what I'm looking for, there's another Best Buy five miles up the road... in BOTH directions!

:p
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:D That's more like it! Actually I agreed with you until I moved to the Appleton area...that entire stretch of 41 from Fond du Lac to Green Bay is boring, repetitive, ugly, etc. But get off a bit and there's quite a few cool areas with non-cookie-cutter businesses and activities. Still plenty of that, mind you, but no more than the east or west side of Madison.
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Vol. XVIII - Belief in a Better Tomorrow

ExileOnDaytonStreet said:
I don't think that the "this landscape change is really scary and I'm a little scared of the consequences" and the "let's face it, the changes had to happen" thoughts are mutually exclusive. You and Chuck are 100% right that the status quo wasn't sustainable, but that doesn't change how rightfully fearful many of us are about the fallout from the BTHC/BHHC bombshell.

The fear that we wont' be scheduling UND, DU, CC, UMD, etc. for non-conference games anytime soon is, IMO, both real and reasonable, when you look at how non-conference scheduling works for the rest of our sports. The fear that the endgame in this realignment winds up putting several of the weakest programs in the west together appears to have become a reality. If that truly means that there is now more room for the sport to grow (courtesy of smaller conferences), then great. If it means that we now have two CHA-style conferences, just biding their time before several schools drop their programs and dissolve, then what have we gained?
Click to expand...

Oh, the fears are legit - I get that. We fear change.

I don't worry about the quality of non-conference scheduling (though equity is a concern) for one reason - the PWR. I think there will still be an incentive to schedule good OOC games because you'll need them to earn an at-large bid (of which, fewer will be up for grabs). Combine that with more OOC games thanks to the Big Ten's 20 game slate instead of 28, and I think things will be just fine.
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Vol. XVIII - Belief in a Better Tomorrow

With the sue joining the little 6, would UW fans support an annual 2 game home and home series with the sue? Both teams are in need of filling out their schedules with n/c games when both leagues fire up. UW will have to play a few n/c games on the road.
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Vol. XVIII - Belief in a Better Tomorrow

Timothy A said:
With the sue joining the little 6, would UW fans support an annual 2 game home and home series with the sue? Both teams are in need of filling out their schedules with n/c games when both leagues fire up. UW will have to play a few n/c games on the road.
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I doubt there's anyone that wouldn't love to see an annual anything with the <strike>Sioux</strike> Flickertails. But that last sentence is the rub. Will UW accept that condition?

blockski said:
Oh, the fears are legit - I get that. We fear change.
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:rolleyes: Yup. That's totally why people are freaked out over the future. :rolleyes:

blockski said:
I don't worry about the quality of non-conference scheduling (though equity is a concern) for one reason - the PWR. I think there will still be an incentive to schedule good OOC games because you'll need them to earn an at-large bid (of which, fewer will be up for grabs). Combine that with more OOC games thanks to the Big Ten's 20 game slate instead of 28, and I think things will be just fine.
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I think that equity is a huge factor, since that's one of the ways that you get the quality opponents. Beyond that, I hope you're right. We'll have to see. Perhaps if the football team ever gets robbed in the BCS, we might see a change in non-conference philosophies.
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Vol. XVIII - Belief in a Better Tomorrow

ExileOnDaytonStreet said:
I doubt there's anyone that wouldn't love to see an annual anything with the <strike>Sioux</strike> Flickertails. But that last sentence is the rub. Will UW accept that condition?
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UW's going to have to go on the road for some n/c games. They aren't going to play 10 road games vs b10 teams and have 24 home games, 14 being n/c after they play the b10 teams. It would be great (though booking all cupcakes would hurt the pairwise), but I just don't think it's practicle. When they are going to hit the road, I don't think they'll be going to Tech or Kato, it will be higher profile opponents, perhaps out east or from the little 6 conference.
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Vol. XVIII - Belief in a Better Tomorrow

I am surprised the Badgers have stayed 'status quo'? They are attracting a lot more local talent these days. Which is good.
 
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Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Vol. XVIII - Belief in a Better Tomorrow

Roster was released today. Didn't notice any surprises. All the incoming freshies were listed, doesn't look like we lost anyone to attrition.

Jason Clark changed numbers from #29 to #17.
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Vol. XVIII - Belief in a Better Tomorrow

tangent....has #15 or will #15 become the new #21 (assuming mr. smith is successful in the NHL)?

21 - chelios, granato, anyone other famous future nhl'ers wear that #?
15 - heatley, smith
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Vol. XVIII - Belief in a Better Tomorrow

What a great day to be a Gopher fan...first JT Miller says see ya to the Susie's...and next Sconi's leading scorer from last year goes pro!

Good Times!
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Vol. XVIII - Belief in a Better Tomorrow

Well sucks Smith had to leave now this just turned our season around. Hope he does good as pro. Man this sucks.
 
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