Alan Mayberry Letter to the Editor

Warthog · Post by **Warthog** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 4:40 pm

Thanks Falcon Fanatic, that is what I was thinking.

hammb, you could probably use your support of the local watering holes as justification for your discount.

cbjhack · Post by **cbjhack** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 8:22 pm

pdt1081 wrote:
Rod Fausnaugh wrote:I have not heard of the university discouraging a community owned sheet but it does make sense.

Technically, the Hockey Team rents the Ice Arena for games and practices. The ice time is factored into the budget for the team. The Ice Arena does not see any difference in income if there are 5,000 people in the stands, or 50. The same goes for high school hockey and the Ice Horizons. The ice is rented and admission prices cover that cost. This is why the University has a marketing department. They are the ones who put the people in the stands. Not the Ice Arena.

There has been some talk of rink being built by the BGYHA for some time. I remember talk back in the early nineties, so it isn't something new. One idea had it being built at the mall or next to Kroger on North Main in one of the strip centers.

The second part is something that I have been waiting to read throughout this whole thread. The Ice Arena is run by Rec Sports, the Athletic Department rents the ice from Rec Sport for games, etc.

As for my thoughts on a new/improved facility. I still think the tennis courts should be torn up and replaced by a second sheet. The courts would then move to another location on campus. But I have been also thinking that instead of building a new sheet that holds 500-700 people, how about building a new 5000-6000 seat facility where the courts sit, then renovate the existing arena. This way tournaments can be held, as well as figure skating competitions and much more. People would then be traveling from hell holes like Findlay to BG instead of the other way around.

BGFan · Post by **BGFan** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 9:36 am

Findlay just recently renovated their rec center.....it's hard to call it a hell hole anymore.

rc_ziggy84 · Post by **rc_ziggy84** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 1:09 am

pdt1081 wrote:
Warthog wrote:Reading through some of the comments, I get the feeling that there are feelings that the University has some responsibility to provide a facility for the city's youth hockey program to use. If there was a similar youth football program in BG, would you expect the university to provide a facility for it? Does the university provide Anderson Arena for any youth basketball programs (besides Jr. Falcons)?

You guys probbaly know I am not a hockey fan, but don't discount my question. I looking for an honest answer. Since I am not involved with the hockey, I would like to hear the explanation.
And realize that the BGYHA is one customer of the BGSU Ice Arena. One of many. Then realize that in business, usually you will give your biggest customer as much as you can before you have to say "Enough, we have other customers to worry about." Think about this for awhile, then reread my previous post.

I'm not sure, but it doesn't seem to me like you've grown up in Bowling Green. I did grow up there and to me BG was a hockey town. Every home weekend, there was no question where people were headed.. to the ice arena. Youth hockey was huge during this time too, and that fed into a the most successful era of the BG High School program. I played in the youth program and it meant a lot to me and the other players in the program to skate on the same ice as the Falcons. I guess that's part of the reason I'm so passionate.. I've grown up in it. Please don't take offense, it's nothing personal, but it's frustrating to see outsiders come in and say that hockey at all levels in this town is nothing special.

The excitement generated from the university hockey program put butts in seats, which obviously equaled revenue for the university. The community also benefited from the success of hockey for all the reasons mentioned previously. Going to BGSU games growing up is what made me want to join the youth hockey program; this also meant more money for the university. The success of the High School hockey in the area also brought the state finals here every other year. Top to bottom, it was a win-win situation. The community and university together kept that building rocking all winter long. Without the communities involvement, where would things have been? Was it solely students & faculty who attended games in the 80's & 90's when it sold out? Heck no. I know tons of BG families who never missed a game during that era. It was those families that then got their children involved in the youth program and kept the revenue coming BGSU's way.

Someone also made a great point that bringing people in from all over Ohio and surrounding states undoubtedly brought students to BGSU.

Maybe I'm just sentimental about this issue? It's entirely possible, but I've always seen the community of Bowling Green, and BGSU share a love for hockey. Seeing the change in people's attitudes towards the sport both in the university and community is definitely a bummer, and it doesn't have to be that way.

NWLB · Post by **NWLB** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 2:23 am

Lets really boil this down to size. The fact is that BGYH, the local fans, the students, all are parts of what made BGSU hockey what it is. There isn't a deeper grass-roots story in college hockey, than the decades of growth and such in this community, of the sport of hockey, the BGSU Falcons, and it all centers on that venerable old building.

What creates a profound sense of depression about hockey, and BGSU men's sports in general, is the exceptional sense of decay and such that abounds.

If you were an outside consultant, looking at BGSU sports, and giving a fair and balanced view of where matters stand. You could find lots of things to cling too. However you would have to rate the department as under-achieving at the moment. Save for women's basketball.

BG84 · Post by **BG84** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 1:35 pm

Alan Mayberry wrote in his letter, For whatever reason, the administration at BGSU has turned its back on the Ice Arena and those who have put BG in the spotlight for 40 years.

Coming a little bit late to this party... I don't think the BGSU administration has turned its back on the hockey program or Ice Arena. Seating was added to the north end in 198? Office, locker, and training space was added in 2002. The boards and glass were replaced before the start of this season. The Ice Arena is not the newest or the largest, but it ain't bad.

I visited Yost and was surprised how crummy it is. Lawson and Ewigleben are small. (The Schott is too big.) A problem BG has is the Ice Arena isn't small enough or crappy enough to justify a new building. If the Falcons string together some really outstanding seasons, then maybe there'd be talk of a new building. More likely, luxury suites and that kind of stuff would be added. The recent (last season? The season before?) fan survey was full of questions like "Would you pay more for a larger seat?"

I lived in BG only during my college years, so I don't have any history, but it does seem odd that--I'm overstating it--BGYHA expects BGSU to upgrade the Ice Arena for BGYHA's benefit.

pdt1081 · Post by **pdt1081** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 2:18 pm

BG84 wrote: Coming a little bit late to this party... I don't think the BGSU administration has turned its back on the hockey program or Ice Arena. Seating was added to the north end in 198? Office, locker, and training space was added in 2002. The boards and glass were replaced before the start of this season. The Ice Arena is not the newest or the largest, but it ain't bad.

I visited Yost and was surprised how crummy it is. Lawson and Ewigleben are small. (The Schott is too big.) A problem BG has is the Ice Arena isn't small enough or crappy enough to justify a new building.

The additional seating was added in 1988 I believe. The locker room addition in 2002 used zero University dollars. It was all privately funded. The new boards and glass were pushed through hastily, before the new AD took over. I'm not sure of the exact reasons for this, but the project happened very quickly.

Your comment about the Ice Arena not being crummy enough to justify a new building is spot on. The repairs needed are far from the cost of a new building, but they need to be done before the Ice Arena gets to that point.

As for someone earlier who said it sounded like I didn't grow up in BG, you're kind of correct. I grew up outside the city limits, but spent most of my time growing up in the Ice Arena itself. My connections to the Ice Arena, which are known by some on this board, are the reason for my views.

BGFan · Post by **BGFan** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 2:34 pm

A couple of notes on the new boards:

1). If memory serves, the university was required to update the boards due to their non-compliance. The old boards didn't give enough and were considered a danger because of their rock like stiffness and their deep dashers.

2). The old boards were also rotting which is another reason for their replacement. Not as big of a reason as the first one, but a reason nonetheless.

3). The new boards are designed such that they can be moved to a new facility if one were built so they weren't considered a wasted expenditure if a new facility is ever put up.

rc_ziggy84 · Post by **rc_ziggy84** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 2:54 pm

BG84 wrote: I visited Yost and was surprised how crummy it is.

I don't know why everyone thinks yost is "crummy." It's old, but probably one of the best places to watch a game. It's got atmosphere.

Not everything is going to look like Miami's new arena or the Sch*tt center

BGDrew · Post by **BGDrew** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 4:33 pm

As much as I hate Michigan, Yost is a pretty damn good place to watch a game.

Bauer · Post by **Bauer** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 12:53 am

a new speaker system would be a start I always complain about how it is sooo bad haha. but like everyone is saying if you replace speakers add ice fix the roof you might as well start funding for a new ice rink. hey if sebo is willing to donate why not get hockey alum donating big bucks?

BGDrew · Post by **BGDrew** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 2:14 am

Bauer wrote:a new speaker system would be a start I always complain about how it is sooo bad haha. but like everyone is saying if you replace speakers add ice fix the roof you might as well start funding for a new ice rink. hey if sebo is willing to donate why not get hockey alum donating big bucks?

Sadly, that was like trying to take blood from a turnip as the team struggled to get real money from past alumni during the renovations. For some reason, alumni do not like to give a lot to the hockey program.

BG84 · Post by **BG84** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 4:47 pm

rc_ziggy84 wrote:
BG84 wrote: I visited Yost and was surprised how crummy it is.
I don't know why everyone thinks yost is "crummy." It's old, but probably one of the best places to watch a game. It's got atmosphere.

Yes, Yost does have great atmosphere. I said it's crummy because of the cramped "concourse" and the open wooden bleachers (at one end, anyway). At least they've run some corrugated iron under them so that something dropped can merely follow the slope to the first row rather than dropping straight to the follow below.