[SteveM85]

Originally Posted by BHW2436

Bruins game 7 in Boston, OT winner. Absolutely electric!

Could you imagine what would have been if it was Boston at Hartford Game 7 playoffs in Hartford? Place would have been all Bruins fans scooping up tickets at elevated resale prices and feel like a Boston home game.

All the Boston fans turned casual Hartford fans if a team existed would quickly show their real fandom for the Boston team they’ve really always loved.

You see NY fans invade Philly for the NBA playoff game? Would be like that.

Too bad the Red Sox are a perennial last place team now

[SteveM85]

A Nutmeg Bowl bowling alley makes perfect sense.

If they build The Aetna Thunderdome at Hartford Yards, Hartford could host a Bowl Game as well as Super Bowl.

Ok that enough City Data for the day, gotta run

[Johnho771]

Originally Posted by BHW2436

Bruins game 7 in Boston, OT winner. Absolutely electric!

Could you imagine what would have been if it was Boston at Hartford Game 7 playoffs in Hartford? Place would have been all Bruins fans scooping up tickets at elevated resale prices and feel like a Boston home game.

All the Boston fans turned casual Hartford fans if a team existed would quickly show their real fandom for the Boston team they’ve really always loved.

You see NY fans invade Philly for the NBA playoff game? Would be like that.

So electric they booted the game from Boston's local tv station NESN, to near by Hartford based station, ESPN. You dont think ESPN would love to have a local hockey team? I'm sure all the ESPN guys working the game would love an easier ride home to sleep in their own beds.

[robr2]

Originally Posted by Johnho771

So electric they booted the game from Boston's local tv station NESN, to near by Hartford based station, ESPN. You dont think ESPN would love to have a local hockey team? I'm sure all the ESPN guys working the game would love an easier ride home to sleep in their own beds.

As part of the contractual agreement between the NHL and ESPN, all games revert from the regional broadcaster (ie NESN) to ESPN on the first weekend in May. Same happened to the Celtics broadcast last week.

Also ESPN is a national network. They ain’t gonna be a homer broadcaster for a Hartford team.

[BHW2436]

Originally Posted by Johnho771

So electric they booted the game from Boston's local tv station NESN, to near by Hartford based station, ESPN. You dont think ESPN would love to have a local hockey team? I'm sure all the ESPN guys working the game would love an easier ride home to sleep in their own beds.

What?

TV contracts are contractual (kind of the point of the word) and known in advance when the deals get signed. ESPN wouldn’t become a local team broadcaster. They are national.

I’m not sure what you were implying with your post.

[BobNJ1960]

Originally Posted by Johnho771

So electric they booted the game from Boston's local tv station NESN, to near by Hartford based station, ESPN. You dont think ESPN would love to have a local hockey team? I'm sure all the ESPN guys working the game would love an easier ride home to sleep in their own beds.

ESPN staff are all over the nation. It's not a local station.

Some of the top folks have had studios built into their homes,and have always been remote.

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by ryanthegoldengod

Bottom line......UMass has been AWFUL since joining FBS and I don't know that the MAC will be the savior you seem to think it is.

Notre Dame and Army are also independent. Yes I know....not the same thing. But you said "only independent school" which was hyperbolic.

UConn and UMass are actually in roughly the same situation as far as their conference goes. The MAC might EASILY blow up. The Pac 10 blew up; you think the MAC is safe? All of college football is likely going to radically change soon. Likely a super conference involving the best 40 or 50 schools. Everyone else will be left scrambling--UConn and Umass alike whose invitations will obviously be lost in the mail-- and there will be no FBS as we know it.

And again........scoreboard. Whether UConn overachieved or not, we went 6-6 on our way to a Bowl game. Your position that UMass is in a superior position would perhaps be strengthened significantly if UMass could "overachieve" themselves one of these years instead of going 1-11.

1. That doesn't matter if they were awful. They are not really awful talent-wise. They obliterated a 10-win team and scored on their first drive on Auburn. Ten they're starting QB (A former ACC QB and CT native mind you) got injured and was gone for weeks. Their running back just transferred to a BIG 10 school. He was a 1000+ yard rusher dog. They have talented players and will be and are better in terms of quality than they have ever been. Not saying much but its definitely a fact, last time they were in the MAC they didn't even have an indoor practice facility and were holding boxing matches in the Snow with a now NAIA guy as their head coach..

2. If you don't understand how returning to the MAC in all sports will help their football team, then you don't really get the CFB realignment landscape.

• They now have 3/4th of their schedule set. No getting horribly injured facing 3 SEC teams (like what happened to their QB, and yes they're playing 3 SEC Games this year - their final as an Independent)
• They know who to recruit against and what the bar is
• Their travel is reduced majorly. No more flights to Las Cruces or Hawaii or whatever
• They build familiarity with opponents gameplans/different facilities and trainers
• They can immediately improve recruiting by having a conference championship to play for.
• They'll get over $1M if a MAC team reaches the expanded CFP.
• Shared TV Revenue
• Expanded recruitment territory into the fertile Midwest

^That is why UConn needs a conference. Ask Jim Mora or your AD if they want to remain independent indefinitely.

3. Before UMass, the MAC has added one school since 1998, Buffalo. Temple and UMass were the only departures, and neither was in it for all sports. It is and will remain BY FARRRRRRRRR the most stable conference in College Football. Which is why UMass joined. That is the only area where you're just flat-out wrong. It's not as serial as the PAC-12 (not 10), so no, it won't blow up. Its not been touched by realignment from 2010 to now..it will only fall if the entire system falls, Which is at least 5 years from now. It is the opposite of Conference-USA or the American.

4. The scoreboard doesn't matter; these schools had the same record last year...3-9; you don't understand how this all works. UConn doesn't need a football team for anything, at all, but I guess it just has obligations to the Rent. UMass is running a football program for a different reason- it doesn't have a nationally recognized basketball program to fall back on. As a Tier 1 university, they want some athletic appeal beyond the region that is respectable.

5. Army Football is now in the American Athletic Conference. As Ive said multiple times. So no its not hyperbolic. NOtre Dame has strong affiliations and revenue sharing with the ACC. Its not fully independent and as you already know- its not comparable to UCONN. Not that Army was either. But Army and UMass were you're two gimme schedule games. UMass will still take it because UConn offers them a legit chance at a W every year. But Army is outta here, they already canceled on UMass.

Your kind of ignoring every single valid point and responding with either UMass has been bad, outdated information, or false information. No mention fo your finances, what it means to be independent, big East vs ACC vs Big 12. No mention of FCS. Basically not substantive arguments that mostly focus on UMass rather than UConn...

[SteveM85]

The former Hartford Whalers are down 0-2 in their series vs the Rangers but gave them a hellacious fight both games at MSG. Double OT last night. They could take the next two in Raleigh in front of ruckus soldout crowds that may consist of 20-30% transplanted Nutmeggars.

[7 Wishes]

Originally Posted by Johnho771

So electric they booted the game from Boston's local tv station NESN, to near by Hartford based station, ESPN. You dont think ESPN would love to have a local hockey team? I'm sure all the ESPN guys working the game would love an easier ride home to sleep in their own beds.

ESPN is a national broadcaster that simply is HQ'd in the Hartford area (in Bristol), I believe the founder is from there or something and that's why. Actually, I looked it up, the founder Bill Rasmussen is from nearby Plainfield and created ESPN after being fired from.....yes, it's true....the Whalers front office!

[BobNJ1960]

Originally Posted by SteveM85

The former Hartford Whalers are down 0-2 in their series vs the Rangers but gave them a hellacious fight both games at MSG. Double OT last night. They could take the next two in Raleigh in front of ruckus soldout crowds that may consist of 20-30% transplanted Nutmeggars.

That would be awesome. Both as I do root for them and abhor the Rangers. I am both a lifelong Islander fan, and Predators fan since their inception.