Legitimate Problem: Hockey Home Opener or First Night?

[OkaForPrez]

I got Season Tickets to the #IceBus this year. But I'm first and foremost a UConn Basketball Junky.

I know this should be an easy call, but I'm genuinely thinking about going to first night instead.

Using a lifeline, polling the audience.

 

[4in16]

Same here, hoops come first but I'm going ice bus. Regular season comes first for me, also never been to first night as I usually work so I'll be ok. If it's on ESPN I'll record it or watch the replay on ESPN 3.

 

[tcf15]

I know it won't be the same as being there for the live show, but I expect First Night to be aired in its entirety on ESPN3 again this year, and we'll upload it to UCHG as well.

 

[OkaForPrez]

Saint @tcf15

 

[Waquoit]

Live games that count in the standings always come first for me. Plus beer.

 

[Leebo]

I voted for First Night, though I'm not going to either and have never watched a hockey game of any kind by choice in my life.

 

[ct06111]

Hockey. We need as many people as the BC game if not more. If you've never been to a Uconn hockey game, I highly recommend it. Team is going to be really good this year.

 

[Husky25]

I need to prepare for the football tailgate on Saturday. Did cstv get any better from last year? I may consider paying for it and putting hockey on the flat screen from the computer via HDMI.

If I'm being totally honest, I don't find 1st Night to be all that entertaining after the introductions, even when it was called Midnight Madness and held...you know...at midnight. Can easily watch it after the fact. In fact that may be tailgate entertainment the following morning.

 

[ctchamps]

Tough call because a loud and boisterous first night crowd could get a recruit or two.

 

[BUHusky]

If they were playing a Hockey East team, maybe I'd say go to hockey. But it's Arizona St. Meh.

I say go to First Night. UConn basketball above all.

 

[OkaForPrez]

55/45 after 31 votes. You guys are killing me.

 

[Penfield]

Go to the Hockey Game since its real competition.

 

[Husky25]

If they were playing a Hockey East team, maybe I'd say go to hockey. But it's Arizona St. Meh.

I say go to First Night. UConn basketball above all.

1. Regular season game vs. an exhibition.
2. The Powers-that-Be in the Big Ten will be keeping their eye on the hockey game. Hockey may not necessarily be a revenue generator at the box office, but it is valuable content for a certain network.

 

[HuskyCLT]

Do you believe the basketball team is going to win it all this year? If so, I'd want to be able to say I was at first night and there for everything I could be involving the basketball team. Recruits (including Diallo) will be there, so a good showing and loud environment will be awesome.

Hockey is important too, though. I'm not a big hockey guy, but you'll get to watch a real regular season hockey game instead of a co-ed scrimmage and a few dunks. The point above about the B1G watching our hockey is valid.

Logically, it's a wash, just go with your instinct. I'd personally go basketball because it means more to me.

 

[Yankees32123]

I hear all the excitement around Icebus but I'm just not a hockey fan. UConn ball is first and foremost, even if it is just First Night. But First Night being on ESPN, the Ray Allen tribute, trophy ceremonies, new players, first taste of the season is too important to our already "fragile" brand as a power 5 caliber school to put second to the hockey opener. So I'd rather basketball look really good/Gampel filled on ESPN for First Night than attendance be good for the home opener of hockey. I think it's an obvious choice, but then again, I'm not a hockey fan like a lot of you on here are, so I get the frustration with the scheduling conflict.

 

[pepband99]

Go to the Hockey Game since its real competition.

This.

Also, this isn't even a conflict. Want a conflict? Look at the 21st of November:

Football vs Houston TBA
Mens BBall vs Furman TBA @ Gampel

*That* has the potential to be awesome AND completely awful, depending on the TV timings we draw.

 

[HuskyCLT]

I hear all the excitement around Icebus but I'm just not a hockey fan. UConn ball is first and foremost, even if it is just First Night. But First Night being on ESPN, the Ray Allen tribute, trophy ceremonies, new players, first taste of the season is too important to our already "fragile" brand as a power 5 caliber school to put second to the hockey opener. So I'd rather basketball look really good/Gampel filled on ESPN for First Night than attendance be good for the home opener of hockey. I think it's an obvious choice, but then again, I'm not a hockey fan like a lot of you on here are, so I get the frustration with the scheduling conflict.

Actually, you just convinced me definitely basketball. The one thing we do best at UConn is basketball. We talk about not getting respect as a basketball program from the media. Having loud, rabid fans cheering the team on First Night would be awesome for the team, the recruits, for clips they will show on TV. Set the tone early, let them know UConn is serious about basketball this year.

Do you want to be fighting on the front lines taking care of business or being the behind the scenes support kind of guy? Are you a star actor or a boom operator? Are you a Tony Soprano or a Silvio Dante? Do the right thing.

 

[Matt1010]

First night. Hockey is great but it's not the first public look at the potential '16 National Champs.

 

[OkaForPrez]

50/50 after 48 lol.

 

[Husky25]

First night. Hockey is great but it's not the first public look at the potential '16 National Champs.

Wouldn't you feel bad if the Hockey Team won the Frozen Four?!?!

 

[Waquoit]

But beer!

 

[ctchamps]

But beer!

That's what happens when you ban OT subjects!

 

[zls44]

Picking first night over hockey is insane to me.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Arizona State has a hockey team?

 

[Yankees32123]

Picking first night over hockey is insane to me.

Because you're a hockey fan. I get it, and we should be encouraging more people to follow UConn hockey, but we are a basketball school and need to be supporting our national championship contending basketball team before our hockey team, in my opinion. A small crowd at First Night on ESPN with big time recruits in the stands would look horrible and way more detrimental than a sparse crowd at a hockey game that I dont think is even televised. This is a no brainer for UConn basketball fans.