The "Yankee Bowl" improves odds for Pittsburgh to host 2011 Winter Classic
by Hooks Orpik on Mar 9, 2010 3:19 PM EST
in Rumors
21 comments
Pittsburgh is in the running to host the 2011 Winter Classic, with the thought being that PNC Park, with it's visually appealing backdrop of the cityscape being the first choice. Another reason why: the NHL has to setup and perfect the ice on the impromptu rink -- a process that can take weeks. The Pittsburgh Steelers season didn't end until January 3rd last season, and there's the possibility of playoffs too. The Pirates never need the fieldd anytime after September, and that's a lock!
Another heavily rumored site for the NHL's Winter Classic has been spanking new Yankee Stadium. They're hosting boxing matches there and with decent success at Chicago's Wrigley Field and Boston's Fenway Park, it's only natural the NHL would look to complete the trifecta of baseball stadiums with the obligatory stop in the Bronx.
Not so fast my friend.
The new college football bowl game to be held at Yankee Stadium starting in 2010 will be called the Pinstripe Bowl, with New Era as the title sponsor.Last September, the Yankees announced the bowl game that will feature teams from the Big East and Big 12 conferences. The leagues have a four-year agreement in place, as does New Era.
A quick scan of the Yankees website says the game is expected to be played "sometime in between Christmas Day [Dec 25th] and New Years", which would leave only hours for a turnaround to a January 1st hockey game. That just doesn't seem very likely, even for the NHL's awesome ice crew, to be able to make a quality and safe sheet of ice even under the most ideal of circumstances. Which in winter, in New York, you might not have in the first place.
So call it a hunch, but for as long as Yankee Stadium has a bowl game (at least four years), they will not be able to host the Winter Classic.
There are still a ton of other sites with interest in the WC, including probably several other spots in the Greater NY/NJ area that could pull the event off, but with one marquee venue out of the running, the odds have to get a little bit better for the Pittsburgh Penguins to host hockey's biggest regular season game.
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Do we want the Pens to host WC?
It gets tougher to argue against the “league favors Pens” crowd if we get to play in the marquee regular season game twice in four years.
Having said that, who do we see as a potential opponent? I’m sure NBC would love to see Caps-Pens. Philly and Detroit would both be repeat contestants, but decent choices.
by PensAreYourDaddy on Mar 9, 2010 5:48 PM EST reply actions
If you think about it though who else could you get? You’re not going to have a Southern team (Florida, Carolina, Nashville) or West coast team play in one, that’s just ridiculous. Plus you need these teams that actually draw crowds.
Or you could always go to Minnesota, where pond/outdoor hockey is life itself. I think that would be really awesome, and have them play a Chicago or even a Pittsburgh or Philly.
"Half the game is mental, the other half is being mental." - Jim McKenny
They did have that outdoor game in Vegas years ago. Time for the NHL ice crew to man up and give us the Desert Classic.
Love the idea of the game in Minnesota, too.
by PensAreYourDaddy on Mar 9, 2010 6:27 PM EST up reply actions
Pittsburgh
Couldn’t they play a game in northern NJ (Giants stadium anyone) and have the Devs play the Rangers or Philly or something? I think Pitts will get a game soon but I agree it gets harder to argue against the NHL preference thing if they keep doing this.
The NHL needs to prefer and favor the best matchup it can get. That’s one, if not both of Pens/Caps, with marquee teams like the Red Wings, Blackhawks and Rangers mixed in. The whole point of the Winter Classic is to hook casual sports fans with a venue and then dazzle them with the stars/matchups that will be intruiging.
Sure, for pure hockey, you’d include places like Minnesota and even Denver, but if it wasn’t a marketing decision, these things would all be Toronto v. Montreal, but no one in the states would care (among the casual fans that are the main target).
Wayne Gretzky had it wrong: 100% of the shots Gary Roberts doesn't take DO go in.
My question is how many seats are in PNC? It’s not a big stadium, I think they would rather have a lot of people than a great view of the city.
Capacity is about the same as Fenway and Wrigley. I don’t know who exactly makes the call on where these games are played and which teams play, but if it is NBC then they probably don’t care if there are 40,000 or 70,000 at the game. Granted, PNC isn’t quite the novelty of a Fenway or Wrigley.
by PensAreYourDaddy on Mar 10, 2010 9:12 AM EST up reply actions
I would like to see them play at Beaver Stadium
100,000 people at a hockey game would be awesome. But unfortunately I doubt that will happen because of the university, and the fact that this year there was a snow game and all hell broke loose with parking. (Cow fields + snow = disaster)
I am Laura Nichols and I like Bacon.
BSD is an addiction, and this is the first step.
Pens v. Flyers in Beaver Stadium would be an absolutely electric atmosphere that I don’t think any other Winter Classic could match. It’s a perfect neutral site for one of the ebst and most heated rivalries in the NHL. Throw 100,000 people probably split exactly down the middle and that would be awesome.
Wayne Gretzky had it wrong: 100% of the shots Gary Roberts doesn't take DO go in.
by Hooks Orpik on Mar 10, 2010 10:06 AM EST up reply actions
Yes it would
The only problem is the parking…School is out of session that time of year, the field is unused. Everything fits except for the parking.
I am Laura Nichols and I like Bacon.
BSD is an addiction, and this is the first step.
by carolinaeasy on Mar 10, 2010 12:57 PM EST up reply actions
how about
Pens v Leafs? Got a lot of Leafs fans around pittsburgh you know, i always see them at games. or how abouit getting the west invovled with say Pens v Blues, or Pens v Wild.
you’re just saying the blues so Ty Conlkin can get back in
by Hansmoleman on Mar 10, 2010 10:23 AM EST up reply actions
forgot
all about him playing there. but no, i said the blues because i would like to see some different teams compete in the game, if fans keep seeing the same teams repeatedly then they will lose interest imo, the nhl has to involve other markets other than pittsburgh, detriot, and chicago.
It could be any NHL team, but obviously the network and league wants to hook Americans sitting on their couches on Jan 1, so the best way to do that is American teams….Ottawa v. Edmonton or Calgary v. Vancouver doesn’t have much draw to the casual fan that they’re targeting.
Wayne Gretzky had it wrong: 100% of the shots Gary Roberts doesn't take DO go in.
good
I hope it helps attract a few extra tourists and $$ to the city. It is one of my favorite places to visit
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