Hockey East

[upstater]

There is a cultural gulf between Uconn folks and folks like me...from the deep south of football and baseball.

Hockey and women's basketball are talked of as top tier sports on this board...which fascinates me since hockey is non existent and women's basketball is a step or two below women's soccer and about even with volleyball. Women's basketball has started to come on in this area the last few years, mainly because of some SEC interest.

There are truly large differences in geographic fan culture....for instance...there is no Boneyard UConn Baseball Forum (while there is a Women's Basketball Forum)...at FSU the baseball board has a devoted following and Women's Basketball has no forum.

Billybud, you're making a differentiation between the south and north, but teh reality is, women's basketball is shown on CBS, ESPN and other channels, while women's soccer isn't. Nationally, women's bball gets play, and women's soccer doesn't. Either that, or ESPN doesn't know what it's doing.

 

[upstater]

I think it can be argued that it is a step up honestly. Michigan/Minnesota/Wisconsin are right there with BU/BC in terms of being national programs. Michigan State/Ohio State are also above the middle tier of HE and Penn St. has the hockey fever right now.

You're stretching it. And you're giving Michigan a ton of credit over a lot of pretty good HE programs. Ohio State? Really? You're going to credit them for being better than HE programs other than BU/BC? There are multiple HE teams that have made the national championship game in the last 10, 15, 20 years other than BU and BC. Ohio State hasn't done a thing. HE is actually very deep. UConn is going to have to bring it each and every game.

 

[billybud]

Billybud, you're making a differentiation between the south and north, but teh reality is, women's basketball is shown on CBS, ESPN and other channels, while women's soccer isn't. Nationally, women's bball gets play, and women's soccer doesn't. Either that, or ESPN doesn't know what it's doing.

While somewhat true...(I did watch some women's soccer on ESPN), it does not change the fact that specific sport interest varies regionally.

I am sure that college hockey is shown on TV...not that I have ever seen a game. We see a lot of televised volleyball here.

 

[billybud]

The Regional Sports Networks, I guess, have different packages..

FSU Women's Volleyball was televised for 8 games in 2013...FSU Women's Basketball had 10 games televised by ESPN or a Regional Sports Network...

 

[upstater]

While somewhat true...(I did watch some women's soccer on ESPN), it does not change the fact that specific sport interest varies regionally.

I am sure that college hockey is shown on TV...not that I have ever seen a game. We see a lot of televised volleyball here.

College hockey on NBCSN has been getting good ratings. Higher ratings than BE basketball on FS1. And women's bball is not regional. I can't understand why you're saying that.

 

[billybud]

I said that women's basketball (FSU) has been televised on the ESPN family or regional networks...10 games...

Women's basketball fan interest IS regional....believe me, UConn folks have a lot more interest then most in this most southern region...Heck...you guys talk like it's your #2 sport after men's basketball.

And..you don't discuss baseball..huh?

 

[GopherHawk]

You went back 14 years? I hate when people do this. I picked a 20 year period. Pick a 10 year or 20 year or 30 year. Why 14?

You complained about ancient history. I picked the information from the 21st century and then you don't like that. Admit it, if the period of time doesn't fit your argument you don't like it.

I used all time numbers and 21st century numbers. You are the one picking some number to fit your desire to show an Eastern Hockey league is the premier league. Hockey East is great. It just wasn't as good as the WCHA prior to this year. I don't care how you slice it.

Going forward the WCHA, Hockey East and the B1G will be on even terms. The top teams in each league can win the title on any given year. I still think the WCHA will have more depth, but Denver and UND will be the premier programs.

 

[upstater]

I said that women's basketball (FSU) has been televised on the ESPN family or regional networks...10 games...

Women's basketball fan interest IS regional....believe me, UConn folks have a lot more interest then most in this most southern region...Heck...you guys talk like it's your #2 sport after men's basketball.

And..you don't discuss baseball..huh?

I'm looking at who gets national ratings on TV.

Notre Dame, Baylor, Duke, Tennessee, etc. These are not northeeastern teams. They are all teams that get lots of fans.

I think we should end this ridiculous discussion because you're not acknowledging that women's bball is on TV nationally (not regionally) while women's soccer isn't.

End it.

 

[upstater]

You complained about ancient history. I picked the information from the 21st century and then you don't like that. Admit it, if the period of time doesn't fit your argument you don't like it.

I used all time numbers and 21st century numbers. You are the one picking some number to fit your desire to show an Eastern Hockey league is the premier league. Hockey East is great. It just wasn't as good as the WCHA prior to this year. I don't care how you slice it.

Going forward the WCHA, Hockey East and the B1G will be on even terms. The top teams in each league can win the title on any given year. I still think the WCHA will have more depth, but Denver and UND will be the premier programs.

Ancient history because you went back pre-war and HE hadn't even started till 3 decades ago. Just like ACC fans and B1G fans argued bball history with BE fans. It's ridiculous since the BE hadn't started until 1980.

And yeah, when someone picks an arbitrary cutoff like 14 years, alarm bells go off, that's why I think 10 years or 20 or 30 is more appropriate.

 

[billybud]

Just heard on the news that Florida will be sunned-in for the next several days.

Residents are being urged to use supreme caution and hunker down at the nearest tiki bar while this blizzard of sunshine continues.....and use high SPF lotion if you must venture out.

Hoping that my friends in the north keep me in their thoughts...

No wonder that we have a sand volleyball team and no hockey!

 

[billybud]

I'm looking at who gets national ratings on TV.

Notre Dame, Baylor, Duke, Tennessee, etc. These are not northeeastern teams. They are all teams that get lots of fans.

I think we should end this ridiculous discussion because you're not acknowledging that women's bball is on TV nationally (not regionally) while women's soccer isn't.

End it.

I wasn't even discussing national TV...I was discussing regional variation of sports interest.....

You seem to want me to kow tow...

Women's basketball in the south just ain't all that..

End it

 

[UConn Dan]

I wasn't even discussing national TV...I was discussing regional variation of sports interest.....

You seem to want me to kow tow...

Women's basketball in the south just ain't all that..

End it

Last I checked Tennessee, Baylor and Duke (all elite women's basketball teams) were located in the south... or are you not familiar with the subject of geography?

 

[GopherHawk]

Ancient history because you went back pre-war and HE hadn't even started till 3 decades ago. Just like ACC fans and B1G fans argued bball history with BE fans. It's ridiculous since the BE hadn't started until 1980.

And yeah, when someone picks an arbitrary cutoff like 14 years, alarm bells go off, that's why I think 10 years or 20 or 30 is more appropriate.

14 years wasn't meant to be a special line. It was a year with a 2 infront of it. That's recent history.

 

[billybud]

Yeah....

I am familiar with geography...(Baylor is in Waco....they serve beans not grits)

Are you familiar with english?

Know the difference between having an "elite" team and having fan interest?

FSU's sand volleyball team was elite....so was their women's soccer team (NCAA finalist)....heck...FSU Track has been elite...

Fan interest?

We are talking football and bowl games down here....

 

[frankthetank]

If UConn is invited to the Big Ten, they'll be joining the Big Ten hockey conference. No ifs, ands or buts about that one. If the Big Ten sponsors a sport, then you play as a Big Ten member in that sport.

If UConn is invited to the ACC, Big 12 or some other conference that doesn't sponsor hockey, then they can stay in the Hockey East.

Granted, I find it funny to hear any perceived complaints about Big Ten hockey vs. the Hockey East in the same way that some (not all) Maryland fans that couldn't see the forest for the trees in conference realignment last year regarding ACC basketball vs. Big Ten basketball. Even if basketball and hockey actually mattered much in conference realignment (and much to my chagrin as a hoops fan at heart, they don't), it's not exactly as if though Big Ten basketball (3 of the top 5 teams in the rankings as of this week) or hockey (2 of the top 3 teams in the rankings this week) aren't more than good enough competitively (and certainly not enough compared to financial football security that drives conference realignment decisions). We're not talking about getting sent to the Summit League in terms of quality here for other sports.

 

[upstater]

Last I checked Tennessee, Baylor and Duke (all elite women's basketball teams) were located in the south... or are you not familiar with the subject of geography?

I already made that point already. Doesn't seem to get thru.

 

[UConn Dan]

Yeah....

I am familiar with geography...(Baylor is in Waco....they serve beans not grits)

Are you familiar with english?

Know the difference between having an "elite" team and having fan interest?

FSU's sand volleyball team was elite....so was their women's soccer team (NCAA finalist)....heck...FSU Track has been elite...

Fan interest?

We are talking football and bowl games down here....

I'm definitely familiar with English - actually fluent. I also know that Baylor is Waco - it's my father-in-law's alma mater and also where my wife's grandfather coached football.

You don't have an elite team without fan interest, Billybud. You can have fan interest without an elite team, but show me an elite team that doesn't have fan interest. Your argument is just plain dumb. Understand that?

Women's basketball wins and has national interest, and you know it certainly makes money for the UConn athletic department. I personally don't follow every women's game, but support my school and the fact that they win makes me happy.

We talk about football here too. But we can talk about football, while also having elite basketball (men's and women's) and good soccer, field hockey, ice hockey and baseball too. They are all not mutually exclusive - do you understand what that means?

Last I checked football, basketball and baseball all originated in the northeast. You should go troll another board - you've exhausted your welcome here.

 

[HawkHusky]

Yeah....

I am familiar with geography...(Baylor is in Waco....they serve beans not grits)

Are you familiar with english?

Know the difference between having an "elite" team and having fan interest?

FSU's sand volleyball team was elite....so was their women's soccer team (NCAA finalist)....heck...FSU Track has been elite...

Fan interest?

We are talking football and bowl games down here....

Your argument that equates women's basketball to volleyball or soccer is ridiculous. No major sports network (ESPNs or CBS/NBC/ABC/FOX) televise the Olympic sports unless it is the national semi-final or final. Even then the ratings on those games are less than amazing. Women's basketball is regularly televised throughout the year. I'll bet you that tomorrow's game of 1UCONN vs 2DUKE ON ESPN2 will have ratings equivalent to a top 10 men's basketball regular season game.

 

[billybud]

Gets through fine....just has nothing to do with fan interest.

Duke IS a basketball school...and like UConn they have a women's basketball forum and fan interest....

Duke is all about basketball....UConn and Duke have much in common.

FSU's track team wins national championships...but nobody much cares.

 

[billybud]

And I am familiar with Waco as well...although my wife's family is actually from Killeen, Brownwood, and Coleman, Texas...near by.

And those folks are not southern....not in the southeastern sense of southern...a completely different culture are those Texans.

 

[billybud]

As a soccer guy... I was disheartened to see an elite FSU women's team play in front of 250-300 fans in the play off games conducted in Tallahassee.

 

[UConn Dan]

OK if Texas is not southern, is Tennessee not southern? My wife's family is from Arkansas, Tennessee and Louisiana, and Tennessee is just as "southern" as the rest of the Southeast. And Tennessee has plenty of fan interest for women's basketball.

One could argue that Florida is the least "southern" of them all. And being a soccer fan is definitely not a "southern" thing.

You like to speak in generalizations, but that will only get you in trouble. Everything with you is North/South, Black/White, Football/Everything else -- but the real world is just a little more complicated than maybe you can understand.

 

[billybud]

Kentucky is not southern.....

Tennessee is a border state but is southern in culture....And football is king in Knoxville...heck, where my cabin is in Murphy, NC...there are more Tennessee and Georgia fans then North Carolina fans. Basketball is big in North carolina...but when you get to extreme western North carolina where Tennessee and Georgia squeeze to wihin a few miles...football is the big sports.

If you ever in Murphy, drop by Coach's...the most perfect little sports bar in a 100 year old building. The regulars will talk sports with you at the bar...I love those guys.

Florida is a funny state...I am from north Florida and we are as southern as you get...the folks who populate the area are from families that migrated from Alabama (mine) and Georgia....

The "Sweet Tea Line" has been creeping north..it is now above Ocala. The sweet tea line is where the waitress brings you sweet tea if you do not ask different.

 

[billybud]

OK if Texas is not southern, is Tennessee not southern? My wife's family is from Arkansas, Tennessee and Louisiana, and Tennessee is just as "southern" as the rest of the Southeast. And Tennessee has plenty of fan interest for women's basketball.

One could argue that Florida is the least "southern" of them all. And being a soccer fan is definitely not a "southern" thing.

You like to speak in generalizations, but that will only get you in trouble. Everything with you is North/South, Black/White, Football/Everything else -- but the real world is just a little more complicated than maybe you can understand.

The real world?

Oh I understand the real world....kiddo. I have lived in it a long time. I do have strong opinions and express them. And my reality will be different from yours because we do not share the same vantage point. And that is the beauty of the interwebz....we can argue viewpoints, exchange vantage points.

Just like eskimo's may have 50 names for snow while I have not seen snow in two decades...we have different realities.

 

[HawkHusky]

Kentucky is not southern.....

Tennessee is a border state but is southern in culture....And football is king in Knoxville...heck, where my cabin is in Murphy, NC...there are more Tennessee and Georgia fans then North Carolina fans. Basketball is big in North carolina...but when you get to extreme western North carolina where Tennessee and Georgia squeeze to wihin a few miles...football is the big sports.

If you ever in Murphy, drop by Coach's...the most perfect little sports bar in a 100 year old building. The regulars will talk sports with you at the bar...I love those guys.

Florida is a funny state...I am from north Florida and we are as southern as you get...the folks who populate the area are from families that migrated from Alabama (mine) and Georgia....

The "Sweet Tea Line" has been creeping north..it is now above Ocala. The sweet tea line is where the waitress brings you sweet tea if you do not ask different.

I lived in central and western Tennessee for about 5 years and relocated back to Connecticut 2 years ago. I can say it is very southern in culture (I was a fish out of water there). Additionally, you are correct that in Knoxville, football is king, but the majority of people west of Knoxville couldn't care less about UT football. It's very split in terms of football loyalty (Tennessee, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Miss St, Vandy, Memphis..others just NFL Titans or Saints). Funny thing is that the one common fan base I saw throughout the state was their Lady Vols basketball.