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

[manurespreader]

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

It's always been my belief that Joe wants Birks/Steman back, Kero wants to move on, and Anderson/Blacklock are done. Listening to the show now, seems that's about what he said.

I don't think it's exactly like that, but pretty close from what I hear. Of course it's all just rumor. FWIW i'm extremely happy about the recruits we have coming in. I think it's real good and I think it will only improve as time goes by. Coach is a very good teacher and recruits are finding that out.

My only complaints about the arena( food service and bathrooms in particular) would be solved by the opening up of the east end, which sadly is not in the cards for a little while yet.

[bigblue_dl]

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

I don't think it's exactly like that, but pretty close from what I hear. Of course it's all just rumor. FWIW i'm extremely happy about the recruits we have coming in. I think it's real good and I think it will only improve as time goes by. Coach is a very good teacher and recruits are finding that out.

My only complaints about the arena( food service and bathrooms in particular) would be solved by the opening up of the east end, which sadly is not in the cards for a little while yet.

I'm ok with waiting a few years to work on the east side of the arena. Make sure we have the funding, and we do it right. If the money isn't there yet, or if the school has other priorities (like the football field) it is fine to wait a few extra years on the east end. We just dumped a bunch of money into the arena, and it is now the best barn in the league, any improvements aren't urgent.

[Broseph Stalin]

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

I remember Russell saying that the PP music was making the team feel more pressured so he told them to play it during the PK.

I think Steman wants a graduate degree and I'd love to see him back.

We keep our drunk people contained in one area. At Northern there are drunken zombies pounding beer all over the place including at their seats. More than a few like to yell at opposing fans and even fellow Northern fans. At the earlier series I saw a few people getting tossed out for being belligerent. I don't want visiting fans to experience that kind of crap in our rink.

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?

[Lost_Husky]

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

Our women are dam hot. Exhibit A: Lindsey Vonn.

Sorry for the delayed reply. One out of a million doesn't count.

We both can both agree the scenery in Houghton is better than that in Iowa.

[aparch]

But... you've got the worst sitelines at the Berry. That alone means that there is no where the Berry is better.

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.

[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.