First off, you can do your part to stay apprised on new information and fun ways to try and reach out to the BGSU administration by checking out the Facebook group "Save BGSU Hockey!" and joining up with them. If you're not on Facebook, where the hell have you been?
One thing that's been mentioned in the discussion over there is how, on top of funding for improvements to the hockey team's facilities being cut and the building of the Sebo Center for the football program there's also another massive project underway at Bowling Green that was just announced in December.
The university has unveiled the design of the Stroh Center, the new campus basketball arena. I'm not going to point out the obvious here about their new facility sharing the name of a legendary brewery but I will at least show you this that by doing so, you'll further upset the hockey gods:
Stroh's: Good enough for Mario, yet not good enough for BGSU Hockey
The cost of the Stroh Center is slated to clock in at around $36 million dollars. I guess it would be unreasonable to ask that this be a multi-purpose arena.
Wait? It is?
The 131,000 square-foot building will also house the Champions Court practice facility, a BGSU team store, the BGSU Hall of Fame, the University’s main ticket office, athletic offices for men’s basketball, women’s basketball and women’s volleyball, conference and video rooms and sports medicine areas.
Oh, I see. BGSU Hall of Fame? I guess that won't have any mention of hockey there, right? You know, once they make the program a distant memory and all, right? I can see the entry for Rob Blake now...
What's this "hockey" you speak of?
That seems fitting. I'm sure this will be placed right next to the NCAA Championship trophy that'll be covered in dust and buried in the back of the display case behind all the MAC basketball participation trophies.
I guess my point here is that if you're in charge of a university's spending and you're contemplating cutting off programs, ones that at one time were powerful National Championship programs, because of budget concerns... Why build a new arena with that money?
Oh I get it that the Stroh family gave them an $8 million gift to erect something in their name and they're very generous for that, but that's still $28 million coming from elsewhere, $22 million of which is coming from each BGSU student in the form of a $60 student fee.
Real nice, right? I guess asking for fiscal responsibility or accountability or even common sense is asking for the world. Amazing.
I have a feeling we'll be revisiting this story more in the future.
As for actual hockey that's going to be played...
Gross Misconduct is hitting the road for more Back To School action - this time I'll be heading to Amherst, Massachusetts for the NCAA Division III Quarterfinals between the Hobart Statesmen and the Amherst Lord Jeffs.
Wait, the what now? Lord Jeffs?!
Yes, it's true - Division III hockey is made all the more entertaining by the incredible nicknames many of the teams have. In Amherst's case, a ridiculous team nickname is made much less intimidating and impressive when you look at a picture of the man responsible for the name.
Lord Jeffrey Amherst: Supermodel
Be afraid everyone! It's the dandy fops!
With that said, Lord Amherst was a real son of a bitch to deal with during the French and Indian Wars and might be one of the most sadistic people around as he's credited with being the first military man to incorporate germ warfare into his strategy.
I'm not joking. Quoth Lord Amherst:
Could it not be contrived to send the Small Pox among those disaffected tribes of Indians? We must on this occasion use every stratagem in our power to reduce them.
Yes, but you see, Native American nicknames are a big problem in college sports.
Right.
Aside from that, I don't think I'll be accepting any free gifts the college might hand out, my paranoia level is sky high after reading this. Then again, after reading all that information about Lord Jeffrey Amherst, the Hobart nickname of Statesmen seems even more cartoonish than their logo:
Ooooh... Scary!
Hobart would be better off posting a picture of the least favorite Congressman or Senator at the time to scare people, but they apparently want to avoid rioting. I can't really fault them for that.
Amherst earned their way to the quarterfinals by defeating Babson College 4-1 and Hobart advanced after taking out Nichols College 3-0. The winner of this game advances to Division III Frozen Four in Lake Placid to face the winner of the Plattsburgh State-Neumann College game, so to say it's kind of a big deal is an understatement.
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