ST. PAUL, Minn. — As a new item in the men’s college hockey display case, the Big Ten Conference has done some eye-catching things thus far.
No gasps of genius or beauty mind you; just a nice collection of pieces that reflect a higher level of competence and earnestness than we’re used to seeing from some of the more established operations.
One example is being offered here today. The Big Ten has brought its six coaches, select players and top administrators to the Xcel Energy Center for a preseason media gathering.
It’s hardly a new concept for the Big Ten — the league has long done it for football, men’s and women’s basketball — but it’s a novel approach for many of the long-timers who follow college hockey.
There’s nothing like putting faces to names — making meaningful contact with coaches and key decision-makers in the league — especially when the alternative has long been a torturous 90-minute teleconference where the commissioner, of all people, routinely chimed in with questions of the coaches while a handful of participants winced.
The inaugural Big Ten media gathering is being staged in St. Paul because of its vibrant hockey heritage and because the well-appointed ‘X’ will be the site of the inaugural league playoff tournament in March. All six schools — Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State and the University of Wisconsin — will play in the single-elimination event with a berth in the NCAA tournament going to the victor.
The media day model is so inviting that the newly formed National Collegiate Hockey Conference — which counts Minnesota-Duluth and St. Cloud State among its eight members — is staging the same thing today in downtown Minneapolis.
The Big Ten gathering comes the same week that the league rolled out the bulk of its Big Ten Network schedule. If there’s one item in the display case that grabs your attention, it’s all the projected TV exposure. By the time the full lineup for 2013-14 is complete, it’s expected that more than half of all Big Ten games will be televised nationally.
That prime-time ratio overwhelms the rest of college hockey — 53 schools of varying budgets and profiles scattered over five other leagues — and feeds into the fear that the well-heeled Big Ten will drive smaller programs out of business.
That paranoia has raged ever since a billionaire, Terry Pegula, gave Penn State more than $100 million to fund men’s and women’s hockey programs and an arena on campus three years ago. That gave the Big Ten the six members it needed to sanction the sport and led to massive realignment, which will be unveiled when the season begins next month.
What critics fail to appreciate is that, because of the Big Ten, college hockey now has a more formidable identity.
Issues and inequities that have plagued the sport — whether with the NCAA or the NHL — have largely gone unresolved over the years. Why? Because college hockey’s fragmented, overmatched leadership resembled a bunch of squeaky voices in the back of the room.
That won’t be the case with the Big Ten. Its booming baritone tends to be heard loud and clear on matters of athletic administration, governance and protocol. Its methods of persuasion, while arrogant to some, tend to get results.
In short, the Big Ten gives college hockey a presence it’s never had before. That shouldn’t be feared. It should be embraced.
Read more: http://host.madison.com/sports/college/ ... z2fM2vEeF4
Suck on the B1G tailpipe, bitches
Moderator: Shoalzie
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Suck on the B1G tailpipe, bitches
Joe in PB wrote: Yeah I'm the dumbass
schmick, speaking about Larry Nassar's pubescent and prepubescent victims wrote: They couldn't even kick that doctors ass
Seems they rather just lay there, get fucked and play victim
- Screw_Michigan
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Re: Suck on the B1G tailpipe, bitches
You know the bar is set incredibly low when your homer paper reporter is impressed by a fucking media day and leads his story with it.
Hey Gobbles McTubesteak, riddle me this:
How many Big 11 teams made the Final Four last year?
Since 2004, how many Big 11 teams have won national titles?
Ponderous, you wrinkly fuck. I'll be looking forward to the release of ratings for the Penn State-Michigan State battle for the basement.
Hey Gobbles McTubesteak, riddle me this:
How many Big 11 teams made the Final Four last year?
Since 2004, how many Big 11 teams have won national titles?
Ponderous, you wrinkly fuck. I'll be looking forward to the release of ratings for the Penn State-Michigan State battle for the basement.
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Re: Suck on the B1G tailpipe, bitches
You know I just posted this to get a response from you you, you predictable twat. I'm a WCHA honk myself and hate that they broke up that league.
I hear Bucky is preseason #3 nationally. Where is Kalamazoo Tech ranked?
I hear Bucky is preseason #3 nationally. Where is Kalamazoo Tech ranked?
Joe in PB wrote: Yeah I'm the dumbass
schmick, speaking about Larry Nassar's pubescent and prepubescent victims wrote: They couldn't even kick that doctors ass
Seems they rather just lay there, get fucked and play victim
- Screw_Michigan
- Angry Snowflake
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Re: Suck on the B1G tailpipe, bitches
Wisky is always ranked high to start the season, only to miserably underachieve backed up by your usual excuses. Being a Wisky fan is like being a Yankee fan. All the money in the world flushed down the toilet.
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Re: Suck on the B1G tailpipe, bitches
As usual, you are full of shit.
The last year they were even in the preseason top 10 was 2006-2007, the year after they won their 6th national title. I believe they started that championship year rated #13. They have typically been rated between #13 and #18 for much of the past decade.
They were rated preseason #13 for the 2009-2010 season, and they lost in the title game. You might want to bookmark http://www.uscho.com, get some facts, then get back to me.
The last year they were even in the preseason top 10 was 2006-2007, the year after they won their 6th national title. I believe they started that championship year rated #13. They have typically been rated between #13 and #18 for much of the past decade.
They were rated preseason #13 for the 2009-2010 season, and they lost in the title game. You might want to bookmark http://www.uscho.com, get some facts, then get back to me.
Joe in PB wrote: Yeah I'm the dumbass
schmick, speaking about Larry Nassar's pubescent and prepubescent victims wrote: They couldn't even kick that doctors ass
Seems they rather just lay there, get fucked and play victim
- Screw_Michigan
- Angry Snowflake
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Re: Suck on the B1G tailpipe, bitches
Hey, what do you know? Another season Wisky is ranked highly in preseason, another year for them to step on their own dicks.
Wisky hockey is a fucking joke. You are the Notre Dame football of BTPCH
Wisky hockey is a fucking joke. You are the Notre Dame football of BTPCH
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Re: Suck on the B1G tailpipe, bitches
You really are this fucking stupid. Yes, Eaves ran the program into the ground. And Granato has them bouncing back in no time. You just can't see reality through your tears. How did it feel to be good for one season?Screw_Michigan wrote:Hey, what do you know? Another season Wisky is ranked highly in preseason, another year for them to step on their own dicks.
Wisky hockey is a fucking joke. You are the Notre Dame football of BTPCH
Joe in PB wrote: Yeah I'm the dumbass
schmick, speaking about Larry Nassar's pubescent and prepubescent victims wrote: They couldn't even kick that doctors ass
Seems they rather just lay there, get fucked and play victim
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- Posts: 25891
- Joined: Mon Jan 17, 2005 1:07 pm
Re: Suck on the B1G tailpipe, bitches
Update: Wisky cracked the top 10 this week. Kalamazoo Tech joined the group "receiving votes". So both your hockey team and your football team are headed back to the shitter where they belong. Suck it, bitch.
Joe in PB wrote: Yeah I'm the dumbass
schmick, speaking about Larry Nassar's pubescent and prepubescent victims wrote: They couldn't even kick that doctors ass
Seems they rather just lay there, get fucked and play victim
- Screw_Michigan
- Angry Snowflake
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Re: Suck on the B1G tailpipe, bitches
WMU beats #1 Denver, Wisky loses to No Dak on the road.
Suck on that, you also-ran.
Suck on that, you also-ran.
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Re: Suck on the B1G tailpipe, bitches
North Dakota is a better team than Denver. And it's pretty early in the season for you to be primping your vagina. At the end of the season, Wisky will be in the tournament and WMU will still be in Kalamazoo.
Joe in PB wrote: Yeah I'm the dumbass
schmick, speaking about Larry Nassar's pubescent and prepubescent victims wrote: They couldn't even kick that doctors ass
Seems they rather just lay there, get fucked and play victim
- Screw_Michigan
- Angry Snowflake
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- Joined: Wed Feb 17, 2010 2:37 am
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Re: Suck on the B1G tailpipe, bitches
We'll see about that. Denver is defending national champs, you god forsaken imbecile. And we SWEPT them.Goober McTuber wrote:North Dakota is a better team than Denver.
Suck on that.
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Re: Suck on the B1G tailpipe, bitches
How many players did they graduate? They've played one team with a winning record. Well, two now that they tanked to Kalamazoo Tech. Denver is not that good and you're not very smart. Eat a bag of dicks.Screw_Michigan wrote:We'll see about that. Denver is defending national champs, you god forsaken imbecile. And we SWEPT them.Goober McTuber wrote:North Dakota is a better team than Denver.
Suck on that.
Joe in PB wrote: Yeah I'm the dumbass
schmick, speaking about Larry Nassar's pubescent and prepubescent victims wrote: They couldn't even kick that doctors ass
Seems they rather just lay there, get fucked and play victim