almostashappy wrote:
As for roping off seats...did the band at least stay for the entire game?
Irrelevant, IMO.
The school knew there was going to be a big turnout of paying customers, yet blocks off 1/4 of the total seating, on the visitors side no less, for themselves.
Now, even though I'm a big fan of school spirit and am on record stating that showing up to the state tournament without a band is pretty apathetic, I would expect that people expending the effort to drive and park at the venue, then pull money out of their pockets to support your program would be treated a little better.
Sadly, this does not appear to be the case with Lakeville North.....I'll not darken the door at Ames again.
Ogie wrote:What is transpiring at Ames Arena tonight is a joke in the poorest of taste.
In an already small arena and advance notice that ticket sales would be capped at 800, the geniuses at Lakeville North went and cordoned off 1/2 of the visitors seating for THEIR band & assorted student hangers-on.
Call it selfish, call it unwelcoming, call it what you will....Lakeville North can go pound sand.
I agree. Not a very good venue to watch a high school game (parking, seating, sight lines, crowd control, etc.)
Ames is actually pretty typical when it comes to 20-year old sheets built out in the burbs by city governments more interested in low bids than good sight lines. Parking is definitely on the left side of the bell curve, but that was probably a trade-off made to get a site that close to the high school.
Lakeville's newer arena (Hasse, home of Lakeville South) offers a better fan experience pretty much across the board. Of course, they haven't had to worry about crowd control there as much as LN has.
As for roping off seats...did the band at least stay for the entire game?
I like a good sense of humor. "Lakeville's newer arena (Hasse, home of Lakeville South) offers a better fan experience pretty much across the board. Of course, they haven't had to worry about crowd control there as much as LN has".
Ogie wrote:What is transpiring at Ames Arena tonight is a joke in the poorest of taste.
In an already small arena and advance notice that ticket sales would be capped at 800, the geniuses at Lakeville North went and cordoned off 1/2 of the visitors seating for THEIR band & assorted student hangers-on.
Call it selfish, call it unwelcoming, call it what you will....Lakeville North can go pound sand.
I agree. Not a very good venue to watch a high school game (parking, seating, sight lines, crowd control, etc.)
Ames is actually pretty typical when it comes to 20-year old sheets built out in the burbs by city governments more interested in low bids than good sight lines. Parking is definitely on the left side of the bell curve, but that was probably a trade-off made to get a site that close to the high school.
Lakeville's newer arena (Hasse, home of Lakeville South) offers a better fan experience pretty much across the board. Of course, they haven't had to worry about crowd control there as much as LN has.
As for roping off seats...did the band at least stay for the entire game?
Actually Ames isn't typical at all. If you look in the south metro, Rosemount, Eagan, Prior Lake, etc. all have very nice rinks. I can't think of to many rinks that are as awful as Ames.
I would be interested to know which arenas are even closely similar to the dump that is Ames?
Last edited by team22tank on Fri Dec 05, 2014 12:43 pm, edited 2 times in total.
almostashappy wrote:
As for roping off seats...did the band at least stay for the entire game?
Irrelevant, IMO.
The school knew there was going to be a big turnout of paying customers, yet blocks off 1/4 of the total seating, on the visitors side no less, for themselves.
Now, even though I'm a big fan of school spirit and am on record stating that showing up to the state tournament without a band is pretty apathetic, I would expect that people expending the effort to drive and park at the venue, then pull money out of their pockets to support your program would be treated a little better.
Sadly, this does not appear to be the case with Lakeville North.....I'll not darken the door at Ames again.
You will be missed I'm sure
Exactly the kind of arrogant self-indulgent attitude I'm talking about.
Thanks for providing such a good example of a bad example.
team22tank wrote:
Actually Ames isn't typical at all. If you look in the south metro, Rosemount, Eagan, Prior Lake, etc. all have very nice rinks. I can't think of to many rinks that are as awful as Ames.
I would be interested to know which arenas are even closely similar to the dump that is Ames.
That it is a dinky venue is secondary to my point of the LN people seizing 1/2 of the visitors seating area for themselves, causing the cash customers to be stacked 4 deep at the rails.
There are numerous other arenas with comparably small seating capacities that don't act the same way.
team22tank wrote:
Actually Ames isn't typical at all. If you look in the south metro, Rosemount, Eagan, Prior Lake, etc. all have very nice rinks. I can't think of to many rinks that are as awful as Ames.
I would be interested to know which arenas are even closely similar to the dump that is Ames.
That it is a dinky venue is secondary to my point of the LN people seizing 1/2 of the visitors seating area for themselves, causing the cash customers to be stacked 4 deep at the rails.
There are numerous other arenas with comparably small seating capacities that don't act the same way.
My comment was made about almosthappy's post, that is why I highlighted it. Ames isn't typical of arenas built in the last 20 years.
team22tank wrote:
Actually Ames isn't typical at all. If you look in the south metro, Rosemount, Eagan, Prior Lake, etc. all have very nice rinks. I can't think of to many rinks that are as awful as Ames.
I would be interested to know which arenas are even closely similar to the dump that is Ames?
Meh, your mileage may vary, I guess. Maybe I've just spent so many years within these soulless South of the River concrete boxes to appreciate the differences (at least from the fan's perspective). And maybe sight lines don't matter as much when you're one of those guys who stand with their nose up against the glass.
Aside from parking, I don't consider the differences between Ames, Eagan, and the AV rink to be significant enough to matter. Dakotah Arena is in the newer and nicer category of suburban arenas, but I'd still take Hastings' or Park's or Burnsville's main rinks over any of them.
team22tank wrote:
Actually Ames isn't typical at all. If you look in the south metro, Rosemount, Eagan, Prior Lake, etc. all have very nice rinks. I can't think of to many rinks that are as awful as Ames.
I would be interested to know which arenas are even closely similar to the dump that is Ames?
Meh, your mileage may vary, I guess. Maybe I've just spent so many years within these soulless South of the River concrete boxes to appreciate the differences (at least from the fan's perspective). And maybe sight lines don't matter as much when you're one of those guys who stand with their nose up against the glass.
Aside from parking, I don't consider the differences between Ames, Eagan, and the AV rink to be significant enough to matter. Dakotah Arena is in the newer and nicer category of suburban arenas, but I'd still take Hastings' or Park's or Burnsville's main rinks over any of them.
Has anyone disagreed that Ames Arena is not the most desirable place to watch a hockey game? However, it is all they have and they aren't about to lose the home ice advantage by accommodating the away team. At least they were nice enough to offer a shuttle from the upper lot so people didn't have to walk. Let's give them a few hospitality points.
There was an attempt to get the game moved from Ames to Hasse (South Lakeville) to accomodate more people, better sight lines, etc. However, the kind folks in South Lakeville shot that down quickly. (They will let them take all their good players, just not play in their home rink)
100percenteffort wrote:
Has anyone disagreed that Ames Arena is not the most desirable place to watch a hockey game? However, it is all they have and they aren't about to lose the home ice advantage by accommodating the away team. At least they were nice enough to offer a shuttle from the upper lot so people didn't have to walk. Let's give them a few hospitality points.
I'm not the "away team"....I go to numerous games at numerous arenas....LN purposefully packed the house with their own people, at the expense of cash customers that they knew would be filling the joint.
100percenteffort wrote:
Has anyone disagreed that Ames Arena is not the most desirable place to watch a hockey game? However, it is all they have and they aren't about to lose the home ice advantage by accommodating the away team. At least they were nice enough to offer a shuttle from the upper lot so people didn't have to walk. Let's give them a few hospitality points.
I'm not the "away team"....I go to numerous games at numerous arenas....LN purposefully packed the house with their own people, at the expense of cash customers that they knew would be filling the joint.
Sats81 wrote:There was an attempt to get the game moved from Ames to Hasse (South Lakeville) to accomodate more people, better sight lines, etc. However, the kind folks in South Lakeville shot that down quickly. (They will let them take all their good players, just not play in their home rink)
Neither the LS boys or girls hockey teams appear to have been playing there last night.. What would have switching locations have displaced...a Squirt C game?
I'm also curious how much control/veto power the two Lakeville high school programs have over their respective home ice, given that the rinks are owned and operated by the City, rather than by the school district. But here I am, extending a thread beyond it's intended discussion topic. Almost time to ask the mods to break this into its own "Worst Rinks to Watch a High School Game" thread.
these two teams locked horns in front of 18K last winter..they've got a pretty good chance to do it again...lets not whine over 1 game at a crappy rink in December
100percenteffort wrote:
Has anyone disagreed that Ames Arena is not the most desirable place to watch a hockey game? However, it is all they have and they aren't about to lose the home ice advantage by accommodating the away team. At least they were nice enough to offer a shuttle from the upper lot so people didn't have to walk. Let's give them a few hospitality points.
I'm not the "away team"....I go to numerous games at numerous arenas....LN purposefully packed the house with their own people, at the expense of cash customers that they knew would be filling the joint.
They get negative hospitality points.
Huh. Maybe that's why Edina lost the game.
Didn't care about the outcome....I went to watch a quality hockey game, not to get treated like a steer going to market.
100percenteffort wrote:
Has anyone disagreed that Ames Arena is not the most desirable place to watch a hockey game? However, it is all they have and they aren't about to lose the home ice advantage by accommodating the away team. At least they were nice enough to offer a shuttle from the upper lot so people didn't have to walk. Let's give them a few hospitality points.
I'm not the "away team"....I go to numerous games at numerous arenas....LN purposefully packed the house with their own people, at the expense of cash customers that they knew would be filling the joint.
They get negative hospitality points.
Why would the kids want to be inconvenienced by having to haul their equipment over to Haase and back and use a substandard locker room. Stop whining about the accommodations and deal with it like everyone else that was at the game.
100percenteffort wrote:
Has anyone disagreed that Ames Arena is not the most desirable place to watch a hockey game? However, it is all they have and they aren't about to lose the home ice advantage by accommodating the away team. At least they were nice enough to offer a shuttle from the upper lot so people didn't have to walk. Let's give them a few hospitality points.
I'm not the "away team"....I go to numerous games at numerous arenas....LN purposefully packed the house with their own people, at the expense of cash customers that they knew would be filling the joint.
They get negative hospitality points.
Why would the kids want to be inconvenienced by having to haul their equipment over to Haase and back and use a substandard locker room. Stop whining about the accommodations and deal with it like everyone else that was at the game.
Or maybe LN could have just done without the band and left the seats for paying customers.
Ogie wrote:
I'm not the "away team"....I go to numerous games at numerous arenas....LN purposefully packed the house with their own people, at the expense of cash customers that they knew would be filling the joint.
They get negative hospitality points.
Why would the kids want to be inconvenienced by having to haul their equipment over to Haase and back and use a substandard locker room. Stop whining about the accommodations and deal with it like everyone else that was at the game.
Or maybe LN could have just done without the band and left the seats for paying customers.
Or Ogie should have gotten there a little earlier. Do you play an instrument?
I got there during the 2nd period of the JV game....By the time that was over they were already two deep along the rail and the rinkside was nearly completely filled....Just from a safety standpoint, the building was over-capped before that game was finished.
What does my playing an instrument have to do with anything?
Maybe some of our posters need to get over themselves a little bit! The band program at LN has been a pretty big deal for years, I'm pretty sure they perform at all home games and last night was no exception. Ames is a lousy place to watch a game if there's only 50 fans so nothing new there. What's the answer? Should they have canceled a long standing tradition in order to play kind hosts to a particularly needy group of fans. Just a few years back the rink was just as crowded for north/south games and the band played and I don't recall anybody getting there nose out of joint about it. I guess us poor southern folk are okay with such meager resources and just don't understand the facilities required by our well healed neighbors to the north.
Ogie wrote:I got there during the 2nd period of the JV game....By the time that was over they were already two deep along the rail and the rinkside was nearly completely filled....Just from a safety standpoint, the building was over-capped before that game was finished.
What does my playing an instrument have to do with anything?
The school knew there was going to be a big turnout of paying customers, yet blocks off 1/4 of the total seating, on the visitors side no less, for themselves.
Now, even though I'm a big fan of school spirit and am on record stating that showing up to the state tournament without a band is pretty apathetic, I would expect that people expending the effort to drive and park at the venue, then pull money out of their pockets to support your program would be treated a little better.
Sadly, this does not appear to be the case with Lakeville North.....I'll not darken the door at Ames again.
You will be missed I'm sure
Exactly the kind of arrogant self-indulgent attitude I'm talking about.
Thanks for providing such a good example of a bad example.
Who's the arrogant and self-indulgent one? You don't get to decide what's important to the host of a High School Hockey game. If they decide to choose school spirit and an atmosphere conducive to the home team over cash then more power to them. Maybe they don't need your money????
