Frozen 4 site selections?

[Greg Ambrose]

Re: Frozen 4 site selections?

First and foremost, the issue is with the venue more than the city. The United Center is located in a bad area of town with little or no bars/restaurants/hotels around the arena. Kind of the same problem in Philly.

I also think Chicago is "too big" of a city to host the FF. Because of the above reason, people are going to spread out all over town and some of the vibe is going to be lost.

Overall I like all four spots, although living 20 minutes from the Garden will probably put a damper on weekend excitement for me and my compatriots. I know Chicago will be great, I need to explore Tampa more (golf?) and, in St. Paul, at least I know I will be around those who know college hockey. But I don't get this "bad side of town" stuff regarding Chicago. So what. We went to Chicago a few years ago in conjunction with a BC-Notre Dame football (not a fan of either team but Touchdown Jesus was on my bucket list). Except for the endless trip to South Bend on Saturday, we spent the entire time in and around the Michigan Avenue/Loop area and had a great time. As for the "vibe" what pray tell is around the Xcel Center in St. Paul? Or how about Pittsburgh? Last year, after the final, 18,000 plus people poured out of the Consol Energy Center. We decided to go back to the bar that we went to just a few short hours before the game (decent food, good beer selection) and a block from the arena. The place was CLOSED and at 10PM. So much for showing college hockey fans a good time.

Bottom line is that no matter where we go, we look at the FF as a great excuse to celebrate the end of a 6 month season. It's been our attitude since we started going every year back in 1992. Every year it is a given that we will go, it is a given that we will consume too much, and it is a given that we will have a great time. Meeting up with likeminded fans of what is, face it, a niche sport is very satisfying and enjoyable. It's probably the best thing I do every year.

[aparch]

...The United Center is located in a bad area of town with little or no bars/restaurants/hotels around the arena.

I wholeheartedly agree with the second part of that sentence. There isn't anything in the vacinity of the UC, meaning most people would have to drive/taxi into the North Loop area to partake in Michigan Ave / Rush St.

Hotel accomodations mean some people may find it's cheaper to stay out near O'Hare and take the Blue Line in. Or stay in the suburbs and drive in / Metra in / drive to an L stop.



As for the area of town, it's not terrible (but not great either). Just don't venture a couple blocks West of the arena along Madison.

I can take you to some really rough neighborhoods if you want to "see parts of the city most people don't want to see" as a co-worker puts it.

[bigblue_dl]

Re: How does Bangor, Maine feel now ?

About as good as could be expected, given the cities that bid/were finalists. I would have expected to see DC in there instead of Tampa, but given the positives I've heard about Tampa, I don't have a problem with it. I just really wish Nashville would have bid, that would have been an amazing good time.

[CLS]

Re: Frozen 4 site selections?

Here's a video with Frozen Fours for 2015-18, and Regionals for 2015-16. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7w4miGEYK60

Love the pronunciation of "Wooster" Massachusetts. Should've said "Worse-ter" (pun loosely intended) if he wanted to sound like a normal person, or "Wustah" if he wanted so sound like a native.

Sheels Arena in Fargo only holds 5,000. Seems kinda small to me.

May not be too bad. At least if the crowd is small, as many Western Regionals have been, the rink won't seem empty.

... if Notre Dame misses the tourney, South Bend will be a disaster. I like the fact that they are ok with smaller facilities now for these things, but South Bend, Indiana? Come on.

Worse will be if Notre Dame makes the Regional as a low seed. That's the worst of both worlds. The competitive purists like me hate it, and the "home arena of the higher seed" folks are unhappy as well.

[jmh]

Re: Frozen 4 site selections?

Minimum $25 or $30 to park, not an L stop for blocks, and nothing within the immediate area surrounding the UC. Yep, ChIraq will be a great venue.

Looks like a 10-minute walk from the nearest L stop, half of which is through the parking lot. We'll manage.

(That being said, it seems odd to me that there isn't a station closer; Wikipedia says there used to be a Pink Line station at Madison, and given the amount of empty space around that intersection, I don't get why they wouldn't build one.)

[gscott13]

Re: How does Bangor, Maine feel now ?

About as good as could be expected, given the cities that bid/were finalists. I would have expected to see DC in there instead of Tampa, but given the positives I've heard about Tampa, I don't have a problem with it. I just really wish Nashville would have bid, that would have been an amazing good time.

i have said it a couple of times... if it goes to nashville, i'm going for the week... good music, good bbq, and good hockey.... hopefully someone will put together a bid in the next round....

[Rover]

Re: Frozen 4 site selections?

Screw Nashville, if any out of the norm Southern city should get one, its New Orleans, baby! I don't care if the FF is Bentley-AIC-UAH-BGSU. It would be the BEST FF EVAH!!!!

[aparch]

But I don't get this "bad side of town" stuff regarding Chicago. So what. We went to Chicago a few years ago in conjunction with a BC-Notre Dame football (not a fan of either team but Touchdown Jesus was on my bucket list). Except for the endless trip to South Bend on Saturday, we spent the entire time in and around the Michigan Avenue/Loop area and had a great time.

You didn't leave the Near North Side or the Loop. You were well sheltered from the rest of the city (not that you had a reason to go elsewhere). THE UC is in the Near West Side, but too much further and you get into the Garfield Park neighborhood, not the best area. And driving to South Bend, you probably didn't leave the comforts of the expressway. Chinatown, Englewood, Back of the Yards, Woodlawn... all areas that you wouldn't want to spend the day walking around.


You're absolutely right though in that it won't affect 98% of atendees because they won't be in those areas, won't go near those areas, or even know about it. Those 2% just better hope they have a full tank of gas when they accidentally make a wrong turn into those areas. :P

Just those driving in from the West suburbs will have to drive through some of those areas on I-290 and I-55.

[Siouxfaninseattle]

Re: Frozen 4 site selections?

Pretty much my wishlist of choices. I've never been to Boston so I'm looking forward to seeing the town. The Tampa FF was great (I have a friend to stay with there so it makes the trip easier on the wallet) and how can you go wrong with Florida in April? Friends and relatives in Minnesota and Chicago. I think I'll go to all four!

[TonyTheTiger20]

Re: Frozen 4 site selections?

Midwest - Compton Arena (Notre Dame) South Bend IN
West - Scheels Arena (NoDak) Fargo ND

So much for the committee moving away from campus sites.

So they dropped the prohibition on on-campus arenas for regionals and lowered the required seating capacity for them as well?

Yeah I'm sorry but this is absolutely ridiculous.

[bigblue_dl]

Re: How does Bangor, Maine feel now ?

i have said it a couple of times... if it goes to nashville, i'm going for the week... good music, good bbq, and good hockey.... hopefully someone will put together a bid in the next round....

Yeah, I probably would make an extended vacation out of it as well. I had an overnight in Nashville once on business travel, so I got to go out and see some of the nightlife, but with a 6am flight, I had to make it an early night. That area right around the arena is packed with bars and restaurants and more music than anyone could want. It would be hell on my liver, even more than a normal Frozen 4.

New Orleans would be great. The last time I was there I didn't get back to the room until 7am.

[cF[Authentic]]

Re: Frozen 4 site selections?

Yeah I'm sorry but this is absolutely ridiculous.

If they were going to allow on-campus arenas, they should have accepted UND's bid for the Ralph instead of the Scheels arena. The Ralph would likely sell out before the teams are even announced so there's double the tickets available at Scheels arena.

Interesting the Notre Dame's AD is the head of the committee the first year they go back to on-campus sites.

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: Frozen 4 site selections?

If they were going to allow on-campus arenas, they should have accepted UND's bid for the Ralph instead of the Scheels arena. The Ralph would likely sell out before the teams are even announced so there's double the tickets available at Scheels arena.

Interesting the Notre Dame's AD is the head of the committee the first year they go back to on-campus sites.

Ralph will never happen because of the logos all over the place.

I will say I'm kind of disappointed in the order. I don't like having Chicago and St. Paul back to back.

[pgb-ohio]

Re: Frozen 4 site selections?

You didn't leave the Near North Side or the Loop. You were well sheltered from the rest of the city (not that you had a reason to go elsewhere). THE UC is in the Near West Side, but too much further and you get into the Garfield Park neighborhood, not the best area...

I'd describe the Near West Side as an integrated neighborhood that's coming back, but isn't all the way back.

The construction of the UC itself was a positive factor. The addition of Oprah's Studio -- yes, that Oprah -- sprouted some adjacent development, including new restaurants that might be worth a try. Depending on what counts as part of the neighborhood, the UIC campus area has made progress. But would I walk back and forth between these places, including after dark? Probably not. First and foremost, the area isn't particularly compact; substantial walking would be involved. And then there's the "not all the way back" thing. I suppose walking from the "sort of close" train station to the UC would be OK. But how a person actually votes with their feet can be revealing, and I'll be honest. When I've gone to events at the UC, I've parked right there, then used my car immediately afterwards to get to other Chicago destinations. Love Chicago and am pleased it got a tournament, but one does have to be realistic.

[Gurtholfin]

Re: Frozen 4 site selections?

But I don't get this "bad side of town" stuff regarding Chicago. So what. We went to Chicago a few years ago in conjunction with a BC-Notre Dame football (not a fan of either team but Touchdown Jesus was on my bucket list). Except for the endless trip to South Bend on Saturday, we spent the entire time in and around the Michigan Avenue/Loop area and had a great time.

As for the area of town, it's not terrible (but not great either). Just don't venture a couple blocks West of the arena along Madison.

I can take you to some really rough neighborhoods if you want to "see parts of the city most people don't want to see" as a co-worker puts it.

LOL Greg.

What Aparch said.


Had the pleasure of driving on Madison from Forest Park all the way to the lake shore this summer coz 290 was a snarl.

Stay east of the UC and you'll be fine.