BLOG: Leftover New York City "Super Saturday" Thoughts

All Photos: Nathan Wells

I ended up with enough extra thoughts about last weekend's "Super Saturday" to fill a blog.

New York, I love you (for college hockey)...
-Let's start with this: I'm a fan of more college hockey in New York City.

-There's something special about seeing and covering a game at Madison Square Gardern. It starts outside, getting out of Penn Station below the building or walking up and seeing the 10 story circular building. You feel the history inside the World's Most Famous Arena. Muhammad Ali fought there. Patrick Ewing played there. Decades of Rangers have skated on the ice.

Inside the building feels new thanks to a recent renovation. You can tell it's a renovation, however, with some of the odd paths and ways to get around. (Ice/court level is on the fifth level.) I got completely lost leaving the building the first time.

-The above photo is taken from the press box, which is on a bridge. Behind me is the bowl for the 400 level.

-If you missed the hockey game, here's the recap.

-No one event can truly take over New York City. There's too much to do and see. Super Saturday took place on the same day as the Women's March (held 25 or so blocks away and drawing 200,000 people) and a half-dozen other events. Heading towards MSG I saw my share of people going in the other direction for different ones.

-Covering a basketball game and being next to the court gives a different feel. I found a new appreciation the size, speed and energy exerted by the players.

-Another new experience? A popcorn vendor walking past media row on his way up to the stands.

-The story of Gopher basketball ended up being a familiar one. Minnesota got off to a quick start against the Buckeyes before showing signs of being on the road for a third time in a week. Down 20-10 at one point, OSU pulled away for a 67-49 win.

-It wasn't a good day for the Gopher bench. The first 43 points were scored by 4 players.

-From a crowd standpoint there seemed to be as many Ohio State fans as Minnesota fans. Hockey was a wider split to where the Spartan fans were outnumbered.

-It's an issue which will be addressed for next year's Super Saturday, but if the last two years are any indication, the event needs at least one nearby school to draw in a NHL/NBA arena. None of the three fanbases have a large New York City alumni presence and it showed. The total was 1/3 the size of North Dakota-BC last season when Fighting Hawks fans came out in droves. 13,500 saw Penn State and Michigan play two seasons ago.

Minnesota having 2500-3000 fans is also a far cry from the Chicago outdoor game where there were easily 4-5x that number of fans traveling.

-If you get a chance to go on the road or a destination game, take it.

Talking with fans between games was a blast. Everyone had a reason to go, whether it was roommates reuniting or a dream to go to NYC or being in the area. I met a couple who named their dogs after Lucia and some folks who wanted him gone.

-The only constant from talking with fans seemed to be wanting to know what is happening with the offense. Saturday's game didn't do much to help.

-Kudos to the crew who changed over the floor. The basketball game ended at 1:50 pm ET. By 1:51 pm "New York, New York" was played and I was being told to clear out so they could change over. The above photo was taken at 3:30 pm. The below photo was at 3:50 pm. Puck drop was at 8.

-Tough to believe Saturday featured the only goal Casey Mittelstadt scores in a New York NHL building.

-Every "Rouser" seemed to be accompanied by a "Skol" chant. The Vikings have taken over - or had until Sunday. I wonder whether the weekend will be like the Chicago outdoor game where the Soldier Field in-game crew tried to get everyone to do the "Harlem Shake" during one of the two weeks everyone was fascinated by it.

-Craziest moment of the day: This guy won a car during one of the intermissions. He shot a puck from center ice through a puck-sized hole in goal.

-Second-craziest moment of the day: Multiple people recognized me.

-Intermission entertainment saw Little Chippers going the full length of the ice. Why?

-With with the players, media and fans it seemed to be an event everyone enjoyed. Gopher hockey entered telling themselves it was a business trip, but they seemed to enjoy the quick trip to the Big Apple. In hindsight, I wonder how it would have been to give them more than one day. They weren't able to do much besides walk Times Square and say they've won a game at Madison Square Garden.

-Hockey victory song was "Empire State of Mind" by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys.

-Leaving the rink at the end of the night and walking into the New York reminded how lucky I am sometimes. Being around Gopher and college fans 1000 miles from Minnesota while covering a game at Madison Square Garden? Doesn't get much better.

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