I have been reading the comments of WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod for the last few months leading up to Bemidji State University applying for membership in the WCHA. There are no other option for BSU due to no fault of their own. Frankly I have to say that I am unimpressed with McLeod’s leadership so far to date. I keep hearing a lot of excuses from McLeod on how 11 teams won’t work, so McLeod is throwing his hand up in surrender. Just once I would like to here some suggestion on how the league might/will try to accommodate BSU and look to to correct the problem in the future.
Time for a change at the top
I have been told that McLeod is looking for an extension on his contract. Maybe the league schools should think twice before they go ahead and renew his contract. Personally, I think there are other people more qualified that would make a much better commissioner than Bruce McLeod, heck I can think of a few off of the top of my head. Here are just a few that come to mind; RH Bob Peters, Gino Gasperini, Jeff Sauer or Dean Blais. There are many people that could do the job. Why does the WCHA we have to settle with Bruce McLeod?
All of these fore mentioned men would be a better choice IMHO to run the WCHA. The WCHA needs a strong leader not just a figure head. A real leader would have been on the fore front to absorb these teams from the CHA and not let it become catastrophe. It is not these teams fault that their league is about to disband. It is also not these teams fault that their future could be on the brink of extinction.
Loss of At-Large Bids Next?
I predict that if NCAA division one hockey loses anymore teams the NCAA will start pulling at large bids. I also believe that some of these leagues are waiting for the stick/carrot approach before they chug ahead with re-alignment. It is a big poker game and they are waiting for someone to make the first move and lay their cards down on the table. I believe we have one season to work things out before the NCAA threatens to start pulling at-large bids. I don't want to see my team stay home because everyone was to stubborn to make concessions. I suggest the big four conferences commishioners start coming up with some solutions. Enough of the excuses.
With January’s announcement that Niagara and Robert Morris are joining Atlantic Hockey for the 2010-11 season, the CHA is officially a dead league walking. Bemidji has applied for membership to the WCHA and Alabama-Huntsville has applied to the CCHA. If either team is rejected, they will have to go it as an independent or…the unthinkable.
Bemidji needs the approval of eight of the ten WCHA teams to join. The league meeting in April 27. It’s going to be a tall order, especially getting the approval of schools that seem to have more to lose than to gain: Colorado College, Denver and Alaska-Anchorage. More travel, and, for all the schools, a lesser share of playoff revenue and a crazy 11-team schedule (since no other team applied for admission, although reportedly as many as four teams from other conferences expressed interest).
Will the feel-good story of the Beavers help?
“It doesn’t change the facts,” WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod told the Grand Forks Herald. “But it certainly changes the feelings when you deal with your heart. In one case, you’re dealing with your heart…You also have to deal with your head and business sense, too.
(read the whole thing here)
McLeod is a crock. . . He's as bad as Wanless. Completely spineless. If we had a decent and honorable commish, he'd not only back BSU, he'd be out there wheelin' and dealin' workin' on a trade to make it a 12 team league. It's workable. . . travel-wise. . . hell, my Grandma could negotiate this deal, and she doesn't know ANYTHING about college hockey. He's a moron. (And I say that in the most dis-respectful way!) Seriously, I'm not super-glued to my job . . . hire me! I could use a little extra cash! :)
ReplyDeleteGoonster, what happened to the B's last night?? That Lucic guy kind of got out of control, and that Chara guy was punching guys with gloves on?? Uh oh... numerous amounts of hockey code were broken from the highlights I saw..
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Why does a "decent and honorable" commissioner have to try to get BSU into the WCHA? The commissioner has to work in the best interest of his member schools, not some school that is trying to gain entry into the league. If schools don't want Bemidji, it's NOT McLeod's job to stump on Bemidji's behalf. The onus is ONE HUNDRED PERCENT on Bemidji State to find a league. The WCHA is not a charity that takes in strays.
ReplyDeleteBemidji has already been given a scheduling agreement with the WCHA which to me appears a tacit support of Bemidji's program by the commissioner. But it is not his job to beg and plead with the schools that do not want Bemidji in the WCHA. He is not an employee of Bemidji State nor is he obligated in any way to look out for their interests. This is business, not Caring and Sharing Hands. If anyone outside the program should be campaigning for Bemidji, it's someone from the NCAA. Losing college hockey teams is bad for the NCAA and the NCAA has to have ALL of the teams' interests at heart, whereas McLeod has no such duty.
I don't know why UND fans would be so supportive of league expansion. I am always hearing fans complain about the current unbalanced schedule, and how UND only plays the Gophers twice every other year. Do you think that's going to improve with an uneven amount of teams in the league? I can not even imagine the amount of whining from people of all fan bases who are already unhappy with the current scheduling in the league (which is fine, from my point of view, and works) when they discover the convoluted Frankensteining that is required to make an 11-team league work.
Just because BSU is trying to coerce the WCHA into adding them doesn't mean that the WCHA should capitulate.
I ended up watching the Bruins game instead of the BU and UVM game last night. I noticed that too but because they are Bruins that isn't a violation of the code. :p
ReplyDeleteLucic is becoming an icon and very exciting. One guy I would love to see on the Bruins is Commodore, he would be the prototypical Big Bad Bruin.
Looks like the Blues are going to be in the playoffs this season.
Holy Cow Donna, just for the records some from the BSU camp actually came up with a equitable way to schedule 11 teams and actually gave it to McLeod so he can peruse it and make it work.
ReplyDeleteThere is going to be more crying when they cut the NCAA tourney from 16 to 12 teams and they the chances of making the tourney become less and less because there will only be the playoff champs and 8 at large bids. Then you will see whining.
You are wrong on this one Hoogsteen. It's not nearly as easy as you think it is. Dog Runner brings up some very good points in his argument. The WCHA is NOT a charity and it solely on the shoulders of the Beavers to gain admittance. I think this Hoogsteen needs to look no further than his own mirror to find a REAL MORON...
ReplyDeleteWCHA dominates just a little heads up Running with the dogs is a woman not a man, just saying.
ReplyDeleteAlso, just for the record BSU has done what MSU-M, SCSU and UAA haven't won a regional and advanced to the frozen four. I don't think BSU is a charity case and they have a decent record in their non conference play.
Thanks for clearing up the gender confusion, Goon. :) I thought my user pic would, but I guess not. Ouch.
ReplyDeleteMy main point is that it is not the commissioner's job to convince member schools to add Bemidji. It is Bemidji's (and the NCAA's, if they choose to get involved) responsibility to demonstrate a benefit for the member schools of the WCHA, and as of yet we don't know if they have.
If Bemidji supporters should be coming down on anyone, it should be the NCAA, as they have much more reason to get involved. The NCAA (theoretically) has the interest of the entire sport in mind. The WCHA only has to have the interests of the WCHA.
Thanks for the clarification there Goon, my bad on the "gender mishap." As far as the Beavers, their record against WCHA teams the past 5 seasons or so is absolutely atrocious. Only once have they gone at least .500 and this past season they went 3-7, including games against Tech, Mankato, and Duluth - three of the bottom 4 teams in the league. Obviously as a hockey fan in general I do not want to see their program fold up, especially being in the state of hockey. However, thinking in terms of the WCHA as a whole, 11 teams in a league is not feasible and in my opinion, Bemidji State has yet to prove they can consistently compete in the ultra-competitive WCHA either.
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