Ford Field Rink Installation

[alfablue]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

I think it is hilarious reading all of the Michigan people standing up for this attrocity. "Its not going to suck, I swear! Championship hockey in a football isn't a bad thing! blah blah blah"

There is a reason I'm not going to this frozen four, and it isn't because it is in the ****hole known as Detroit.

Sure must suck to be you, then. You get to spend the next two weeks *****ing to nobody in particular about hockey in a football stadium.

The ship has sailed.

The horse is dead.

it's going to happen even if you post in all caps.

We know you and others who share your opinion are not coming, and our experience will be richer for it.

Some of us just accept that fact, and move on to enjoying next weekend.

That, and your GLI experience does not match what we did at the CCHA championship the spring prior to your trip- so either you were not looking, or didn't care to look.

Again, must suck to be you.

[Beer Pong Horn]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

Sure must suck to be you, then. You get to spend the next two weeks *****ing to nobody in particular about hockey in a football stadium.

The ship has sailed.

The horse is dead.

it's going to happen even if you post in all caps.

We know you and others who share your opinion are not coming, and our experience will be richer for it.

Some of us just accept that fact, and move on to enjoying next weekend.

That, and your GLI experience does not match what we did at the CCHA championship the spring prior to your trip- so either you were not looking, or didn't care to look.

Again, must suck to be you.

Nah, he'll be able to ***** to Shirtless Guy about it.

I'm not going this year, but I'll be interested to see how it turns out. However, the NCAA ought to skip the football stadium from now on, and instead work on getting better TV deals.

[STATEdude3]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

Nah, he'll be able to ***** to Shirtless Guy about it.

I'm not going this year, but I'll be interested to see how it turns out. However, the NCAA ought to skip the football stadium from now on, and instead work on getting better TV deals.

We are lucky enough that it is on tv to a national audience. It's only because of the contract to host certain NCAA championships on their primary channel that we get to see it at all. If ESPN had their way it would be on ESPNU or maybe even The Ocho!

I seem to remember the championship games being not ABC or CBS when I was a kid--early 90's. Am I mistaken? I'm specifically thinking of one of the LSSU games. Maybe it was just on in the local markets?

[Caustic Undertow]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

All of the complaining and handwringing about the Ford Field FF has been alternately sad and amusing. Obviously the reality will reveal much.

Ford Field is not just a random experiment that happened to land in Detroit. The FF in Ford Field was moved for several other, good reasons:

1. Michigan has more college hockey teams than any other state, but had not hosted an FF since the Joe in '90. The CCHA has had only the Columbus FF in recent times, and Detroit is in a good central location close to many fanbases. It is, from a regional standpoint, a logical place to host a Frozen Four as often as Boston or Mpls-St. Paul, but has not hosted them.

2. Joe Louis Arena provides good sightlines (because the luxury boxes do not get in the way) but absolutely nothing else of value for this kind of event. The Palace is far away from the attractive area of Detroit and from anything else to do, and the Palace is not enthusiastic about college hockey. Without an existing logical venue, Ford Field becomes more attractive.

3. Ford Field is ideal for this sort of thing because it does not have luxury boxes underneath the upper deck, considerably lowering the balcony. I suspect that the difference between the upper levels of Ford Field that are over the rink and the upper levels of, say, the X, will be negligible. In fairness, there are seats that extend out away from the ice, but those are cheap seats--$40 gets people like my Mom into an event they would otherwise never be able to attend.

I think there are people who are happy if all the best hockey prospects go to Major Junior, wish ESPN would stop televising college hockey in favor of inconsistent syndication, want the FF held in sub-15,000 venues every year, and don't mind that college hockey's lack of growth could well eliminate teams like Huntsville from the landscape. It is natural to dislike a bigger FF when you already have ticket seniority and hold these views, and certainly people gripe about ESPN and Ford Field a lot.

However, if you want college hockey to compete, to get more attention on television, to add new teams, to preserve old ones, to attract the best prospects, and to thrive as a sport, it needs events that are unique and significant. The Frozen Four is one of the few things college hockey has to offer to the hot prospect that Major Junior can't. It is an event that can make ESPN pay attention. While it doesn't on its own provide revenues to new schools, it is an event that tells Penn State "this is a sport worth investing in."

Wishing it to fail is wishing college hockey to fail.

[WeAreNDHockey]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

People who are still responding to the FFFF with nothing more than Detroit sucks are sure lacking in imagination. My guess is for those making the trek to Detroit, you'll find enough things outside of hockey to keep you all occupied. This Detroit bashing for the sake of Detroit bashing is getting old. I'm willing to bet I can count on one hand how many USCHO posters have actually had a bad experience while in Detroit for hockey (and I'm not talking about your team losing).

So is the bashing of Ford Field as the venue. Everyone has an opinion. I've actually wavered back and forth on it. But after actually seeing the set-up, I don't know that it will be bad at all. If you don't want to go, fine, vote with your feet. But the total condemnation before the first practices, let alone the puck dropping on the first semi-, I just don't get that. As long as the venue doesn't turn the game into a joke (and every indication is the playing surface will be just fine and we've already had a number of games in football fields to begin working out the kinks) the teams are certainly not going to care where they play, especially that one that one that wins on the 10th. You think there haven't been problems with rinks at past Frozen Fours? Hell, I seem to recall the Zamboni crapping out at one FF (Providence IIRC) and seeing the sight of a replacement driving on city streets from another rink to the FF. If we can overcome that indignation, I think Ford Field won't kill us, or our sport.

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

First off, I will give the NCAA credit for putting the rink at one end of the stadium to have decent sight lines for most people. That was not the original plan and did not happen until after applications for the ticket lottery submission deadline. Them admitting their mistake with that and creating a ticket structure with multiple price points was a good idea. It's beyond what I actually expected of the NCAA. I still don't like it in a football stadium and will continue to put my money where my mouth is and not attend. It probably will be considered a success if 30k people show up and attend.

My beef is not with Detroit. In all honesty, I would be attending if it was being played at Joe Louis Arena and I have attended 2 GLIs. I enjoyed myself both times.

[Pinto]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

I'm going to give this FF a chance before judging. After going to both the Lambeau Field game in 2006 and the Camp Randall game this year I can definitely say I prefer the field being in the end zone. I don't know what to expect from an atmosphere since my only other FF was in 2006 but since the teams playing aren't from the state, it won't be as crazy as that was.

I'm looking forward to visiting Detroit, I'm only 22 and never had the experience to see the city yet even with the problems. I'm sure it won't be hard to find nice restaurants and stuff to do on Friday and Saturday. I might even try to get some cheap seats to the Tigers on Saturday since the Indians are my second favorite MLB team behind the Brewers.

Now just got to finish all this homework from the days I'm skipping :\

[Chris_NH]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

I don't know why they didn't put the rink down at one end to begin with. I mean, wasn't it a bit presumptuous of the NCAA to think that ALL of the Ford Field stands would be occupied? Even with the plan as it now exists, the NCAA is almost guaranteed to break all NCAA Frozen Four attendance records while making for a more intimate setting than it would otherwise be.

My fear is slow ice due to high ambient temperatures. And, oh yes...any risk of FOG?

[Chris_NH]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

What is the likelihood that the normal FF crowd is supplemented somewhat by curious hockey fans from across the river in Ontario? Or are they too consumed with Junior hockey to care about our college product?

[slurpees]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

My fear is slow ice due to high ambient temperatures. And, oh yes...any risk of FOG?

doubtful, FF is totally indoors and they're controlling the climate by keeping it at 60 degrees.

edit: and yes, they were stupid to originally put this as a center field configuration. That was their major screwup with this event, they bit off far more than they could chew originally.

[mookie1995]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

I don't know why they didn't put the rink down at one end to begin with. I mean, wasn't it a bit presumptuous of the NCAA to think that ALL of the Ford Field stands would be occupied? Even with the plan as it now exists, the NCAA is almost guaranteed to break all NCAA Frozen Four attendance records while making for a more intimate setting than it would otherwise be.

My fear is slow ice due to high ambient temperatures. And, oh yes...any risk of FOG?

detroit arenas/stadia>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>newton arenas

[REDMEN2002]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

detroit arenas/stadia>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>newton arenas

Good thing Kelley Rink is in Brighton.

[Beer Pong Horn]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

What is the likelihood that the normal FF crowd is supplemented somewhat by curious hockey fans from across the river in Ontario? Or are they too consumed with Junior hockey to care about our college product?

They're all cheering for RIT.

[mookie1995]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

Good thing Kelley Rink is in Brighton.

facts, facts, facts!!!! pffffft

[manurespreader]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

BTW, there are a lot of interesting tours of Detroit that leave from near downtown. The most interesting( to me at least) is a tour of old homes and significant buildings.These have to be booked ahead of time but they are easy to find and fun to do. Detroit is over 300 years old so there are lots of history type things. You can tour on a segway if you want to and there is a bar tour too!