UAA Seawolves to the CCHA

Is the grass greener on the other side? Should UAA begin considering a move to the Central Collegiate Hockey Association? Let's examine it briefly.

The recent move by UNO from the CCHA has created an 11 team league. CCHA commisioner Tom Anastos hasn't committed to replacing UNO with a new member yet. Alabama-Huntsville has made official overtures to the league and CCHA officials have toured UAH's facilities. Unlike the rash decision made by the hasty WCHA, the CCHA is following it's established procedures regarding new memberships and so they won't be deciding the issue soon.

UAH needs a league home. They actually deserve one more than upstart UNO. They have more committment and history. Their best (realistically their "only") bet is to get into the CCHA. If UAA applied to the CCHA they'd almost certainly leap to the top of the list above UAH. If UAH doesn't get into a league ... they'll most likely have to fold their program. So ... UAA going to the CCHA could very well mean 57 teams in college hockey instead of 58. Not a good thing overall for the sport. But so what ...?

Air Force didn't give a shit when they dumped the CHA and created this whole sky-is-falling process of having to "save" teams. There is no reason that UAA shouldn't follow the same self involved interests. The so-called "community" of college hockey is all smoke and mirrors; it doesn't really exist. Schools and leagues don't act in the best interest of college hockey in general; they act in their own self-interests. UAA should give no consideration to how a move to the CCHA would affect the greater landscape.

UAA obviously wouldn't make any friends in Alabama by exploring membership with the CCHA. It would certainly cloud UAH's future since there is NO WAY IN HELL that the elitist WCHA would consider taking a team from "bubba-land" if UAA did gain admission to the CCHA.

The WCHA had to let us Alaska "assholes" in; and if you don't think the rest of the WCHA views UAA that way, then you don't have much experience on the College Hockey InterWebs. Never again will anything like that happen. That's why they all had such huge boners for UNO and Bemidji and why UAF lost out. It made sense provincially.

Well, it also makes sense provincially for UAA and UAF to be in a conference together. We know now such a thing isn't going to happen in the WCHA. Note here: The inclusion of UAF in the WCHA was closer to happening than you might think; I'm told it was within 24 hours of consummating. But in the end UAA voted for UNO's inclusion; they were not (as assumed by some rubes) the "abstaining" vote.

UAA still pays a portion of travel for WCHA opponents to come to Anchorage. This is how the WCHA treats UAA? The WCHA clearly has a bunch of greedy fuckers for members. For example, the "Alaska Exemption" makes Wisconsin somewhere around $200,000. And UAA has to pay for a portion of Wisconsin's travel? The largess those teams recieve from having UAA in their provincially-minded conference is almost mind-boggling (depending on school from $60K - $200K conservatively). Yet UAA still pays half their airfare? They're pretty much all double-dipping greedy assholes if you ask me.

UAA has no agreement to pay any travel subsidy for the new members according to UAA Athletic Director Dr. Steve Cobb (regardless of what you may have read elsewhere that came out of Bruce McLeod's mouth on the subject).

As part of negotiations with the CCHA, I'd imagine that UAA could gain membership without having to pay any damn travel subsidies. The same rationale I gave for UAF to move to the WCHA works in reverse for a UAA move to the CCHA. There are CCHA members that probably have a difficult time fully utilizing the exempted games they earn by coming to Alaska to play but Michigan, Michigan State, Miami, NMU, Ohio State and Notre Dame should all be able to make extra cash from the extra "Alaska Exemptions". The addition of one of the best rivalries in college hockey to the CCHA landscape is another (albeit lessor) benefit for the league.

FUCK the WCHA. I think I'll make T-shirts and sell them at home games this year. FUCK the WCHA. It has a certain odd-symmetry I think. FUCK the WCHA. It's certainly easy to type. I say the best way to FUCK the WCHA is to start winning some of it's fucking championships. How about it?

I don't really want UAA in the CCHA. I suggest it spitefully (don't underestimate spite as a reason though ... it can be a very self-satisfying emotion). I cherish the opportunity to see my team beat any number of WCHA team's that I already hate. And there's just so much to hate about our league opponents (see virtually any pre-series posts I've made here over the years). That would be very hard to replicate in the CCHA. I'd feel bad bagging on places like BGSU, Ferris Wheel, Western Michigan and LSSU. I will never feel bad disrespecting Grand Forks U. Not to mention that the CCHA has that stupid fucking shootout.

Feel free to discuss the upside and downside of such a move. I think there's an upside from just "considering" it publicly. In order to keep UAA in the conference, wouldn't WCHA members happily let UAA stop paying the travel subsidies?

It's a Beautiful Day

Nothing quite like a stretch of great weather in Anchorage. Those of you who live here know that. I don't crank up my iTunes as often as I probably ought to but a day like this needs music. It's a doubly-beautiful day. Sunny in the mid-70's and Sarah quits. And luckily for you readers this will probably be the last time I ever rant about the shrill freak here.

Don't bother reading any other analysis about why she is a quitter. I've got the skinny here of course.

Sarah started out as a typical young married housewife. Her husband worked hard on the slope and fishing; and he pulled in some pretty typically decent cash for that sort of thing. Enough to partner up with some buddy and open a snowmachine shop. It was a classic American story; he was gone a lot and she got bored and lonely. So naturally what happens?

She sleeps with his business partner. No doubt when she explained and apologized to Todd that he told her to do something with her life. So she got on the school board or whatever and eventually got to be mayor of Methsilla. I'm sure that impressed her boob of a hubby but it didn't make him stay home any more than he had. So she gets lucky in a divisive three-way governor race and later McCain knew everyone would like her ass as much as he did so he trotted her out and the "celebrity-politician" was born.

See what fucking around on your spouse creates? That's some seriously unintended consequences. The core of her current character (the parts that aren't the invented "pose queen") has been defined by that affair. She is who she is because of it.

I don't really know or care if this twit is done with national politics or not. She's done in Alaska politics. She's deluded if she thinks she can convince anyone other than the people that already are fascinated with her to vote for her for anything. What a nutbag.

In her announcement, she reminded us that Independence Day was a day to reflect on the service that so many in the military have given on behalf of their country. Funny, I thought Veterans Day and Memorial Day were for that and Independence Day was for celebrating the formation of this fine country.

Best Independence Day EvAH for me!! First Billy Mays takes the dirt nap and now she quits? Maybe there is an omnipotent being above. Hallelujah! Testify!

And by the way, that millions of dollars that she's talking about would be 450,000 less if she'd just provide the emails they're looking for. That's how much they've spent trying to recover them because SHE won't provide them. It'll be sweet if we find out real soon that there is some dirty laundry behind all this. Who knows? I'll be smiling all weekend.

McCain called her nutty. OMG. Too funny.

Hockey coverage is next. Not until August but it is next.