Thoughts On Frozen Fenway.....Part Three

Saturday night, Boston College will faceoff against the school most BC fans despise more than other any other, the University of Notre Dame. It will be the third time in four years the Eagles will take the ice @ historic Fenway Park. Of course, BC was defeated by BU in 2010 (ugh) before topping Northeastern in 2012. First of all, I think it's an honor that this program has been selected to play in the marquee game in each of these three sessions. It just goes to show who has the biggest college hockey brand in the area. As for the matchup with the Irish, here is what I think of it. You've got average BC fans/alums that are extremely excited for this matchup just because it is Notre Dame. I'm not by any means a Notre Dame "hater" so I'd be the first to tell you that developing a healthy hockey rivalry with these guys would greatly benefit both our program and theirs. Over the course of the next twenty years, this is going to become an extremely talked about game that everyone will want to go to because even the average BC fan knows about Notre Dame and the brand that is Notre Dame athletics. 

As for the Fenway aspect of all this, I think most fans are sick and tired of it. Let's be honest here, you could be the biggest diehard of all time but you would still not want to sit in the freezing cold watching a hockey game. It's a great experience for young children who are dying to catch a glimpse of the historic ballpark and the teams playing within it. On the other hand, there is a large portion of fans that would rather sit in the friendly confines of Conte Forum and watch this game. Count me in that group. When it comes to this crap, the only thing I care about is what situation gives BC the best possible chance of winning ?  Sure, being outdoors, wearing cool uniforms, and playing in front of a bazillion people has to be cool but at the end of the day, the only thing that anyone will remember is whether we won the game or not. 

Whether the fans like it or not, the bottom line is that events like this are good for the program. I bet hundreds of thousands of people will be watching this game through either NBC Sports or NESN. Anytime the program is on national TV, people take notice. Kids want to be on TV, they want to be playing in Fenway Park, and most importantly, they want to don a Boston College Hockey sweater someday. As long as it helps the program, fans should continue to support it.  

Notes- 

1. Congrats to Brooks Orpik for being named the the United States olympic team. He has always been an outstanding representative of Boston College. 

2. I have no clue on whether or not BC will be wearing special uniforms. I would assume not but I have no clue. 

Go Eagles.