The Barmaid Blog™: Life for a 20-something Manhattan Barmaid

Fight and Do or Die

barmaidblog

3/19/07 11:54 pm

Barmaid Blog reader Dennis, who helped out our perspective on Wingwomen several months back, sent me a fantastic e-mail last night, which among other things said:

...the point of this email is far more serious than you and I catching up as it were. I have been reading your blog for going on a year I think and when I first started reading and realized that you were a UNH alum I always knew this day between us would come.... Next Saturday your beloved Wildcats are playing my beloved Miami Redhawks in a first round NCAA [Hockey] Tournament game..I am a Miami Alum and grew up in Oxford where Miami is and went there and continue to live here since it's such a great place. (Many years ago your assistant coach Dave Lassonde was an assistant here). It doesn't seem fair that we have to pay UNH in Manchester... last year we ended up playing either BU or BC at the Fleet Center in Boston.. How the hell can the NCAA call those neutral site games?

Honestly, Dennis, I'll take whatever advantage the NCAA gives us - I don't pretend to completely understand the methodology behind the NCAA hockey tournament brackets, but it's the same methodology that gave first Minnesota and then Wisconsin home ice advantage in the regionals the last two years, so it's about time we get a turn.

The real injustice, as far as I'm concerned, is that they play these games on weekends, when thousands of honest bartenders are working their hardest! Sure, the Miami vs. UNH game is at one in the afternoon, so I should be able to watch it before I go to work Saturday night - and the regional final, when hopefully UNH will face the winner of St. Lawrence vs. Boston College (no offense, Dennis), will also be on TV Sunday afternoon at 3:30. But I want to be there!! I haven't been to a UNH game since we beat Cornell in the regional final in 2002 in Worcester.

I just checked the Greyhound schedule - I could get out of work at around four in the morning on Sunday, hop on a seven o'clock bus at Port Authority, and (after two transfers) be in Manchester by 2:40, plenty of time to make the final.

I'm positive I'd run into people I know - and even if I didn't, I could hitch a ride back to Durham afterwards and crash at my old sorority house.

(Dare I even dream about the Frozen Four in St. Louis, two weeks later?)

I have to say, it's making me smile to think about doing something this crazy. So good luck, Dennis (and the tens of thousands of other Miami (OH) fans who may be reading this right now), but I really think this is our year - and I really think I'm going to be in Manchester to see New Hampshire in the final. After several dozen cups of coffee.

Tags: hockey, unh, wingwomen

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• on_fire_again

  3/20/07 04:30 am (UTC)

  Definitely not crazy to do something like that.
  I once rode a Greyhound, 10 hours, to see my favorite band a state over because my best friend couldn't take a roadtrip with me.
  ...and we used to drive to the same city to see them all the time.
  
  So I say go for it, because that's awesome. If you want to be there that bad... DO IT!

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  • mhaithaca

    3/20/07 04:39 am (UTC)

    

    

    I'm just wincing at the 10 hours in a Greyhound part. I was lucky enough to have my own car when it came time to see the Friday night Harvard vs Cornell hockey game in Ithaca, zip down to Philadelphia for the Saturday afternoon football game at Penn, and then up to Springfield, MA for the second half of a weekend convention. Nuts.

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    • on_fire_again

      3/20/07 05:10 am (UTC)

      Well, seeing as I used to DRIVE to shows with my best friend, that 10 hours on the Greyhound (which was of course 3 hours longer than it would've taken in a car AND I didn't have someone to talk to) was pretty painful.
      
      But so worth it.
      
      Either way, 10 hours isn't so bad if you're actually driving it, but that may just be my conditioning from being in the Southwest. If you're going out of town to somewhere worthwhile, it's gonna be 7+ hours to get there.

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• mhaithaca

  3/20/07 04:35 am (UTC)

  

  

  *sigh* I'm jealous! Cornell fell out of the running last weekend, so we didn't even get to go to the ECAC tournament this year. Even if you don't get to see much of it in person, I'm glad you've still got a team in the chase. Kick some Miami ass! (No offense, Dennis.)
  
  How funny that I was also at your last UNH game. Heck of a game.

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• apalmborg

  3/20/07 04:39 am (UTC)

  Go for it! In spite of the fact, or perhaps because, I am a Minnesotan, I completely understand.

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• slestialrazbery

  3/20/07 04:59 am (UTC)

  

  *blinks* I am obviously not a dedicated sports fan. :) For me, a three-hour adventure on public transportation to get from Berkeley to Stanford for the Big Game was a sufficiently noble sacrifice for Cal sports (though I have never failed to perform at the Big Sing with the Women's Chorale, even when it's held in Palo Alto).

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  • kiji_kat

    3/20/07 01:17 pm (UTC)

    

    Aww! Icon love!

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• track37jess

  3/20/07 05:07 am (UTC)

  

  our college team was out after the first round of playoffs this season. :-( good luck UNH!

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• kneesup

  3/20/07 07:49 am (UTC)

  

  do it! you will love it!

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  • (Anonymous)

    3/20/07 12:27 pm (UTC)

    Do you really have to make two transfers? I live in NYC and my parents live in Manchester, and I think you can take the bus to Boston and switch directly to Manchester there. It's a 5-6 hour trip tops.
    
    Not only that, but the bus station is right next to the Verizon center. It's not a bad trip, I do it all the time.

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    • barmaidblog

      4/9/07 04:47 am (UTC)

      

      That particular departure, yes, you have to transfer twice. Some of the other scheduled buses only have one transfer, but that's the time that would've worked out best for me if I'd gone.

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• willdevine

  3/20/07 12:53 pm (UTC)

  

  I don't know how much you care about actually learning the methodology behind why teams get sent where, but just so you know, as long as UNH made the tournament, they weren't going to be sent anywhere but Manchester. They're the hosts of that regional, and the NCAA rule is that as long as the host makes the tournament, they get to stay home at their host regional. That's also why Minnesota and Wisconsin got to stay close to home the past two years, because they were the regional hosts (Minnesota in their very own home ice rink, no less...now THAT is an injustice).
  
  As for this being UNH's year...hard to say. BC, who upset UNH in the Hockey East tournament final, looks like a team on a mission right now. Minnesota and Notre Dame are looking close to unbeatable right now. And I wouldn't count out North Dakota, Clarkson, or Michigan either. If the national champion comes from outside of that field, I'll actually be very surprised.

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  • barmaidblog

    4/9/07 04:48 am (UTC)

    

    Surprise.

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    • willdevine

      4/9/07 12:29 pm (UTC)

      

      I am, in fact, surprised. The Spartans had to come from behind in three of their four games in this tournament to win. I didn't have MSU winning the championship. I didn't even have them in my Frozen Four. But they were the best team when it counted the most, and that's what matters in the end.
      
      At least it wasn't another WCHA team that won. :)
      
      There's always next year for both of our teams.

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• As a graduate of Ohio University, I am obligated to say the following...

  kiji_kat

  3/20/07 01:16 pm (UTC)

  

  BOO HISS BOO HISS REDHAWKS SUCK AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!
  
  And you can quote me.
  
  I've never been much of a sports fan, but you can rest assured that I am behind your team 100 percent in its fight against those blasted 'Hawks. Hey, our mascots even share a resemblance! That's pretty cool...
  
  

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• nme525

  3/20/07 01:17 pm (UTC)

  

  I am another Miami alum who agrees with Dennis that Manchester isn't quite a neutral site. But that won't stop me from rooting for my Redhawks and hoping they pull it out after being so disappointed that the basketball team just missed winning their first round game.

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• To be a sport u need a Puck!

  tall_w2addshots

  3/20/07 01:37 pm (UTC)

  

  UMN vs UNH in the final will be very interresting.
  
  There was a quote in a local paper about Denver fans selling off the tickets they had purchased hoping to see their team in the regions. Good luck to all puck fans.
  
  2007 NCAA Tournament
  Denver
  1 Minnesota vs. 4 Air Force
  2 Michigan vs. 3 North Dakota
  
  Grand Rapids
  1 Notre Dame vs. 4 Alabama-Huntsville
  2 Boston University vs. 3 Michigan State
  
  Rochester
  1 Clarkson vs. 4 Massachusetts
  2 St. Cloud vs. 3 Maine
  
  Manchester
  1 New Hampshire vs. 4 Miami
  2 Boston College vs. 3 St. Lawrence
  

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• bigpieps

  3/20/07 01:50 pm (UTC)

  

  :D

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• androgyny_freak

  3/20/07 02:16 pm (UTC)

  

  Go for it! :D xxxx

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• strausmouse

  3/20/07 02:37 pm (UTC)

  

  My only comment is:
  
  Fee! Have a cup of coffee and catch your breath!

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• (Anonymous)

  3/20/07 03:56 pm (UTC)

  I'd do it if I were you. The fact that you're even thinking about doing it, and have thought somewhat about the details of getting there, means that you should go! I'd consider doing something similar if only Cornell had made the tourney this year! But, after losing many good players to drafts and graduation, including our Hobey Baker finalist goalie, I suppose it's just a rebuilding year.
  
  And yeah, speaking of Minnesota and Wisconsin getting home ice advantages in the regionals...the last 2 years, Cornell, as a #2 seed, went on to win the first round, only to face Minnesota (2005) and Wisconsin (2006) on their home ice. Plus Minnesota was used to playing on their Olympic sized rink...another unfair advantage! We lost both games, but in OT...and we lost to Wisconsin in TRIPLE OT! So yeah...Cornell has had bad luck with facing teams on their home ice. Hopefully next time, if we're not a #1 seed, we'll at least not face #1s on their home ice!

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• bobgenghiskahn

  3/20/07 03:56 pm (UTC)

  

  i think there are buses that go directly to boston from NY, but its been a couple years since ive done that.
  
  check out the chinatown buses too :) i dont even know if those exist anymore.

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• e_e_nygma

  3/20/07 04:52 pm (UTC)

  

  Hey, when the NCAA announced the pairings for the basketball tournament, I was surprised that Louisville played the opening rounds in Rupp Arena.

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• klove0511

  3/20/07 09:01 pm (UTC)

  

  Well, while I'm not much of a sports fan, I do have to say: Go Redhawks!!!!! Not that I'm biased or anything, being a Miami student. :P

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• Rent a car?

  (Anonymous)

  3/20/07 11:25 pm (UTC)

  Wouldn't renting a car be faster?
  But either way you do it Road trips Rule!
  Have a good time!

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  • Re: Rent a car?

    barmaidblog

    4/9/07 04:51 am (UTC)

    

    It might be faster, but it's also a lot more expensive, and I would have been driving on very little sleep.

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• mac2612

  3/21/07 03:50 am (UTC)

  

  I would definately go for it. My record on a greyhound is 22 hours......with no sleep. That was one hell of a trip.....so yeah. You can definately pull it off.

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• itslikelyn

  3/21/07 03:54 am (UTC)

  

  hi :) longtime reader, so i decided to make it easy on myself and friend you.

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• irishmel333

  3/22/07 12:28 am (UTC)

  

  GO BU!!

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