Talking Bull - Need Hockey?

ACHA Hockey gave me my fix this season!

Need college hockey? Join the club - Sports - The Spectrum - The University of Buffalo
I have always wondered why UB didn’t have a hockey team. It seemed ridiculous that a university in one of the biggest hockey towns had not funded a program since 1988. It’s been commonly talked about in the Buffalo community: the future of a hockey program at the UB.

While the Buffalo Sabres were on strike and Danny White was crushing puck head dreams there was hockey in Buffalo, championship hockey.

In a lot of ways the NECHL championship was the last breakthrough of the season. The first, in my opinion, was that WRUB started covering the games live. From the North Star State I was able to bring up the audio stream on my laptop and listen to the games, felt a lot like WECKing it.

Then there was fast hockey. I have kids to feed and little money so I never paid eight dollars to watch the games but I've heard from those who had that the quality was worth the price. I had hoped that maybe WRUB would have vide cast them for free but the Hockey team needs to make money.

Finally there were the crowds. UB has always drawn pretty well for an ACHA club but the NECHL championships were off the hook. The change in league meant more local competition and WRUB's coverage has started to pique student interest. It was crowded and very loud at the NorthTowns center when UB squared off against Niagara.

I've always wondered why groups like the ACHA, Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association, and the College Premier Division (Rugby) don't start to come together as a fully amateur outlet for intercollegiate athletics. Something for the sports that don't get their due in the NCAA or NAIA.

Hilarious piece from Jason Kirk at the mothership

The 5 new people you meet at every college football spring camp - SBNation.com
No matter which college football team you root for, you're going to be reading about the same five or so people for the next two months. Let's get used to it now.

I can say that over the past five or so years we have heard four of these pretty often

But you already have a dome!

Syracuse Announces $17M Football Indoor Practice Facility, Finally - Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician
SU Athletics announced Tuesday that they will be moving forward with a $17M indoor facility for the football squad.

I suppose when it starts raining ACC money you can decide that one indoor place to play football is just not enough!

Let's get your ideas for "the coin"..

The MAC regular season championship could be decided by a coin flip - Hustle Belt
If Ohio beats Akron and both teams finish the season 15-1, the MAC Basketball Tournament No. 1 overall seed (and more) will be determined by the random chance of a coin in the air.

Love the idea of selling commemorative editions of coin at the MAC championship game if that game is Akron/Ohio. Hey if Kent can sell their bowl helmets why not.

Buffalo Women will welcome the MAC

UB Women's Swimmers Welcome MAC Championships To Alumni Arena Natatorium - Buffalo Athletics
The University at Buffalo's women's swimming and diving team will host the 2013 Mid-American Conference Championships at Alumni Arena Natatorium. Competition begins on Thursday, February 28 and continues through Saturday, March 2 with league champions crowned in 20 events. Preliminary heats begin at 11 am each day with championship finals starting at 7 pm.

Around Buffalo

Bills lean on the combine

Why 2013 NFL Combine Results Matter For Buffalo Bills Fans - Buffalo Rumblings
Ready to shrug off the results from the 2013 NFL Draft and trot out the "the film matters most" argument? Better shelve it, because Buddy Nix loves athletic numbers.

Sabres get the first win of the post Ruff era

UB Women's Swimmers Welcome MAC Championships To Alumni Arena Natatorium - Buffalo Athletics
The University at Buffalo's women's swimming and diving team will host the 2013 Mid-American Conference Championships at Alumni Arena Natatorium. Competition begins on Thursday, February 28 and continues through Saturday, March 2 with league champions crowned in 20 events. Preliminary heats begin at 11 am each day with championship finals starting at 7 pm.