Fear not, oh loyal readers. This isn't the precursor for the dreaded BTHC. Among other issues, it can't happen with only five schools. It just means that the Big Ten schools are probably going to be re-evaluating how they use their non-conference games to play each other. It'll be interesting to see how this all plays out on two fronts:
1) Will this cause more than 4,000 people to actually give a rip about OSU hockey?
2) What the heck do the hockey teams have to do to get some BTN exposure around here?
On that second note, let's take a look at this gem from Mike Eave's press conference before last weekend's games:
QUESTION #3: Could you tell us the future of this, I know you’ve spoken about this a little bit, but the future of the College Hockey Showcase and where it stands right now, Mike?
EAVES: Well, I think some changes are in the future. I think that, we’ve talked about this before, the evolution of the Big Ten Network has put things in a different perspective, and we’re looking out to different scenarios that might become part of that. The next revenue sport, once basketball and football are up and running, is hockey. And they need some airtime that could be filled by hockey, and so I think we’re taking a look at different scenarios. But I think there’s a metamorphosis that’s going on right now as to what it is or what it will become, it’s tough to say.
QUESTION #4: And yet neither one of the games this weekend are on the Big Ten Network.
EAVES: Well, that is out of my control.
Pretty amusing to read. I can only imagine how awkward it was for him to navigate around the ugly truth: the BTN wants more hockey games... they just don't want to actually have them on TV. Logical, right? There are a litany of games featuring Big Ten schools that can go on airwaves, yet we rarely see it. Fridays, like Eaves said, are a dead zone for them, so why not do it? Are we supposed to think that this is better than in 2007-08, when a game against Minnesota was pre-empted by a basketball press conference?
The ideal solution for the Big Ten schools is for the WCHA and CCHA to reduce the number of conference games to 20 or 22 (I know blockski has championed this for quite some time). That would free up more dates for non-conference dates with Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State. Not sure what the "smaller" schools would think of that, but I would imagine that the Big Televen schools have enough clout to make it happen if they wanted.
On another note:
When I was a Crease Creature ('03-'04 through '07-'08), I occassionally thought of new songs and cheers to try. 99% of them never caught on (you wouldn't believe me if I told you which one of my ideas did catch on). One idea I always had that I never tried was to sing this song when Tech came to town (to the tune of "If You're Happy And You Know It"):
If you want a sausage fest, go to Tech *clap*clap*
If you want a sausage fest, go to Tech *clap*clap*
Where the women aren't worth mention
Like a comic book convention
If you want a sausage fest, go to Tech *clap*clap*
Another lame cheer of mine that would have never caught on? Probably. But it amused me when I thought of it and now I'm kind of ticked that I never gave it a test run.
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