Fort Wayne! Comment Count

Brian

Wow. After years of screwing one and two-seeded Michigan teams, the committee went off the reservation and gave Michigan the kindest possible draw in the history of draws:

Fort Wayne

1. Miami vs. 4. Alabama-Huntsville
2. Bemidji State vs 3. Michigan

That bracket is crazy better than going to Massachusetts to play WCHA champion North Dakota and facing a probable road game against BC if you survive that. Michigan gets to play virtual home games against Bemidji, the #8 overall seed—North Dakota is #5—and probably Miami, a team they just beat handily. I have no idea why the committee would do this except the big one: attendance. Fort Wayne is now going to be packed and Michigan's chances of making it to Detroit probably just doubled. This is totally unfair for the rest of the field.

UPDATE: Just to emphasize what a favor the committee just did Michigan, everyone thinks KRACH is a much better rating system than the Pairwise. KRACH has North Dakota 4th and Bemidji 13th. In its world, Michigan is 10th and actually a favorite in the first round game. Of course, then Michigan has to take on #2 Miami instead of #5 BC, but I'll take it.

UPDATE II: Tickets here.

Comments

Wolverine In Exile

March 21st, 2010 at 1:10 PM ^

on uscho's live blog of the bracket announcement that up til this weekend, Ft Wayne had only sold 1000 ticket packages or so. Looking at the way the rest of the brackets shook out, it seems that not going bankrupt (i.e. "attendance issues") took center stage after the seeds were grouped. If this is this big of an issue, then I think the tourney comittee really needs to look again at placing regionals at the top seed's home rink.

Funny, there was also a bunch of Miami fans bitching about how Mich's in their bracket, but then the moderators taking them behind the woodshed for not traveling. "If you want to be a top team, you're going to have to find a way to go to games farther than Cincinnati". Oooh snap!

Although, I have to say, I was really looking forward to a possible "Molly game" rematch with SCSU.

Thank you Michigan Attendance Loving God.

Wallaby Court

March 21st, 2010 at 1:12 PM ^

I have only one request. Whenever the powers that be start the open thread, I humbly submit that it be title the "Bemidji is Not a State Open Thread". Anything after that is just gravy. With the exception of winning of course.

lhglrkwg

March 21st, 2010 at 1:21 PM ^

think back to a month ago. if you told me that we'd have just swept the ccha tournament behind louie's 7 goals and 4 assists with HUNWICK backstopping us (with 10000+ people chanting his name) I would've give you exactly a 0.00% chance of that happening.

it's been an incredible month of hockey

JustGoBlue

March 21st, 2010 at 1:43 PM ^

you will never get a CCHA ref officiating a game in which even one CCHA team is present. So I hope that goes double for games with two CCHA teams, even though conference favoritism becomes a moot point. I thought the refs at the Air Force game were decent, aside from throwing about 11 people out of EVERY faceoff (drop the FREAKING puck!) and the "embellishment" call on Wohlberg, when he was hauled down just inside AF's zone, from behind with nobody in front of him but the goalie, without getting a shot off. By definition, I'm pretty that's a penalty shot and I'm pretty sure that you don't embellish something like that where you have the clear advantage and the penalty would be less beneficial than play continuing. But what happened happened.

YAY FOR NO MORE CCHA REFS UNTIL NEXT YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

pz

March 21st, 2010 at 1:45 PM ^

I didn't know that this was the case; it is always funny to me how different refs can really have an impact on the flow / style of the game.

I'm sure Red and the staff will know what to expect depending on who we are assigned.

Bando Calrissian

March 21st, 2010 at 5:18 PM ^

Be careful what you wish for. We think (and know) CCHA officiating is bad, but then you watch other conferences and you see just how much worse it is elsewhere.

I mean, think back to TJ Hensick's 10-minute misconduct in Denver for offending a thin-skinned minor-conference official... I would have taken Shegos in a heartbeat that day.

ColinMacLeod

March 21st, 2010 at 4:26 PM ^

ESPNU's schedule, broken down by day: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?page=10frozenfoursked

ESPN is only dedicating ESPNU for regional games. On Friday, there's only one game (of 4) they can't fit live. On Saturday, they have only 3 of 6 live (although it's arguable they could get BC-Alaska if they bumped up the start to closer to 12). Given that we're the 7:30 game, I totally agree with having the regional finals live instead of us. At least there will still be an HD feed, even if it's at 11:30 at night. Comcast agreed to stream ESPN360 last August, so at least we have that going for us.

daveheal

March 21st, 2010 at 1:35 PM ^

I can't believe how expensive these tickets are. Or, rather, I can believe it, but I think it's highway robbery. I don't even want to think about what the Ticketmaster fees are going to add to the total. I paid 60 bucks for 3 $12 tickets to yesterday's game.

Anybody know if season ticket holders will get access to cheaper tickets through the school?

pz

March 21st, 2010 at 1:52 PM ^

Filling Ford Field given the capacity they've opened up for the frozen four isn't exactly apples to apples with a regional.

Those $40 weekend seats are going to require binoculars... (and they are subject to the same fees as this weekend's...)

Bryan

March 21st, 2010 at 4:17 PM ^

It appears by the way the rink will be positioned at Ford Field, only half of the stadium will be used.

But really, just buy tickets outside the stadium 5 mins before the drop. Scalpers will not be able to give them away. Did the same for the CCHA this weekend.

Bando Calrissian

March 21st, 2010 at 5:24 PM ^

NCAA tournament tickets are ALWAYS easy to procure, especially for day 2 of any given weekend. I remember people picking up tickets for day two of the Grand Forks regional in 2006 from soul-crushed Minnesota fans for free/5 bucks. And perhaps one of the easiest tickets of the bunch to get (especially this year with such a large arena) is the final game of the Frozen Four. Just stand outside the arena after the semifinals and pounce, always disgruntled fans looking to unload. Scalpers abounding, too, with tons of tickets they can't unload at full price.

daveheal

March 21st, 2010 at 1:47 PM ^

But those prices are also before the Ticketmaster fees of around 10 bucks per ticket. And the single game prices just strike me as being a bit steep. I'm not planning on heading down early to watch the early game and won't stay to watch the championship game if Michigan isn't in it.

I'm not outraged or anything, but I just don't get why there's not a cheaper option like there was at the CCHA tournament. I guess the arena's considerably smaller, but still.

michelin

March 21st, 2010 at 2:32 PM ^

Does anybody know how safe it is to download the espn360 media player (I think it is called MoveMediaPlayer or something like that)? Has anyone used it had any related spyware problems?

South Bend Wolverine

March 21st, 2010 at 3:00 PM ^

Am I the only one who is not feeling good about this draw? Yes, Bemidji State is a favorable first round draw, but unless Alabama-Hunstville pulls off an epic upset (go Alabama-Huntsville!), we'll be facing an elite team that he a massive score to settle against us. I am really, really worried about the possibility of facing Miami again so soon.