More Than a Win

[BGDrew]

I've posted this over on Twitter and on my Facebook but I thought I'd cover all my bases about talking about it here as well.

Four years ago Bowling Green State University with all of it's history, banners, Stanley Cup Champions, and Olympic medals was one vote away from dropping BGSU hockey. Anger, outrage, confusion were the emotions of the moment. After a day or so of anger and "how could you's" the real Bowling Green stepped forward. Alumni started e-mailing each other, community members organized, and the university started receiving pledges of financial donations from fans nationwide. A Facebook group drew thousands of supporters from across the nation. The outpouring of support was reported across hockey blogs, news sites, and social media. The program had comeback from the brink.

Then, tonight happened. Dan DeSalvo wrote himself into the BGSU and CCHA record books and the Falcons are advancing to the CCHA semi-finals for the first time since 2001. While the accomplishments of Coach Bergeron, this Senior class, and every single student-athlete should not be forgotten there's another group we owe thanks to tonight.

Names like Garry Galley, Mike Pikul, Rob Blake, Scott Hamilton, Dr. Jack Vivian, Dr. Carol Cartwright, and I could go on-an-on. We have the most sincere of thanks to give to the individuals who made tonight a possibility. To those who helped save the program, bought tickets, made donations, and even the players who stuck with the program:

Thank You.

[SicSicalum]

I've posted this over on Twitter and on my Facebook but I thought I'd cover all my bases about talking about it here as well.

Four years ago Bowling Green State University with all of it's history, banners, Stanley Cup Champions, and Olympic medals was one vote away from dropping BGSU hockey. Anger, outrage, confusion were the emotions of the moment. After a day or so of anger and "how could you's" the real Bowling Green stepped forward. Alumni started e-mailing each other, community members organized, and the university started receiving pledges of financial donations from fans nationwide. A Facebook group drew thousands of supporters from across the nation. The outpouring of support was reported across hockey blogs, news sites, and social media. The program had comeback from the brink.

Then, tonight happened. Dan DeSalvo wrote himself into the BGSU and CCHA record books and the Falcons are advancing to the CCHA semi-finals for the first time since 2001. While the accomplishments of Coach Bergeron, this Senior class, and every single student-athlete should not be forgotten there's another group we owe thanks to tonight.

Names like Garry Galley, Mike Pikul, Rob Blake, Scott Hamilton, Dr. Jack Vivian, Dr. Carol Cartwright, and I could go on-an-on. We have the most sincere of thanks to give to the individuals who made tonight a possibility. To those who helped save the program, bought tickets, made donations, and even the players who stuck with the program:

Thank You.

+ 50 Billion!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Tech83]

Well stated.

[Rod Fausnaugh]

Anybody remember these? My wife and another BG Youth Hockey Assoc. Mom handed them out downtown and grabbed signatures for the Ice Arena.
This was our little part trying to save Falcon Hockey. It was quite a site seeing the "I support Falcon Hockey" signs ringing the ice arena....Best part is....

We still have a box and plan on taking them up to the JOE!!!

Not sure where or if we will be allowed but we plan on handing them out to Falcon fans to show the team our support!!!

[tiznow]

Drew, well said indeed. Also thanks for your tweet updates from the games.

[Falcon Fanatic]

I was going to post something similar as I look back over the last few years and all this program went through, but you stated it better than I ever could! The emotions that I've gone through since Friday night when we won that first game over Ferris have just been a roller coaster with Friday's loss and then going down 3-0 in the first period on Sunday. As a long time fan who has stuck by this program since the fall of 1983, I am so happy for the fans, the community and mostly for the former and current players! I sat in that summer alumni golf outing meeting with nearly 80 former players asking VERY tough and emotional questions to Dr. Cartwright, Greg Christopher and Jack Vivian. Many of the them left that meeting not knowing what was going to happen to their program. I knew one thing after that meeting: Either they (Dr. Cartwright & GC) "got it" today or they'd NEVER "get it!!" Within a week, Dr. Cartwright emailed the former players who had attended that meeting and pledged university money ($2.5 Mil) to add to the $1.5 Mil that Randy Gardner had gotten us from the state. Those two amounts replaced the $4 Mil that was originally announced for ice arena renovations...and thus began the "Bring Back the Glory" I did a search and found the thread that went on for 21 pages regarding the program being cut. I read through every post again. It brought back a lot of emotions. Hard to believe how far we’ve come since bgbill first started that thread on February 1, 2009. Near the bottom of Page 7 has bgbill’s cryptic post that got the ball rolling on the Save Falcon Hockey campaign. Here’s the thread if any of you want to go back in time.
http://www.ay-ziggy-zoomba.com/phpBB3/v ... =4&t=22683

Thank you to EVERYONE who spoke up and created a voice that no one could ignore!!!

GO FALCONS!!
BEAT THE WEASELS....AGAIN!!!

[Altoid_storm]

My pictures Yay!

I just wanted to say I completely agree. That movement caught me so off guard four years ago and was part of one of the strongest things I've ever witnessed. Because of it, I was able to come together with people who had seen things I hadn't, but also people who had as much passion for the program as I have. It was amazing.

BGSU is a community in itself and I couldn't be more thankful to be a part of it, whether it be through times like that when I walked through the empty ice arena taking pictures of the signs or through times like yesterday yelling at the computer because I wanted a specific seat and hated all the stupid fees But fees are worth it when I'm going to see my Falcons at the Joe

[Rod Fausnaugh]

My pictures Yay!

I just wanted to say I completely agree. That movement caught me so off guard four years ago and was part of one of the strongest things I've ever witnessed. Because of it, I was able to come together with people who had seen things I hadn't, but also people who had as much passion for the program as I have. It was amazing.

BGSU is a community in itself and I couldn't be more thankful to be a part of it, whether it be through times like that when I walked through the empty ice arena taking pictures of the signs or through times like yesterday yelling at the computer because I wanted a specific seat and hated all the stupid fees But fees are worth it when I'm going to see my Falcons at the Joe

BEST part of your Pictures Janice....is that my son's sign is just to the left of yours. He was 11 at the time and is so very excited to see the Falcons play at the Joe this year, very nearly the first time in his life!!