Conversations with Cole and Anastos

Today, I had the pleasure of lunching with Coach Cole, who’s freshly back from Slovakia. As you might expect, we had a lot to talk about. Here’s the short, publishable version of our discussion:

1. We don’t consider the situation with the CCHA to be over yet. That bridge is not burned, and we do not intend to burn it at all. While we may not be the best fit for the CCHA, it’s my opinion [and obviously the opinion of the powers-that-be at UAH] that the CCHA is the best fit for us. As easy as it is to be upset and disappointed by the decision, it does little good to be spiteful about it.
2. Everything Coach said he was hearing was that we’re going to give it a go as an independent. That’s a hard, hard road, but it sure sounds to me like the University and Coach Cole are committed to doing it. This made me happy.
3. He and I are going to work both sides of getting a lot of fans, both students and alumni/boosters, up to the Notre Dame away game on Oct. 9-10. UAH’s Fall Break is conveniently-timed to allow students to travel without missing any classes, and that hearkens back to the very first D-I road trip that the SGA sponsored a decade or so ago. [You know, back when I was still a student.]
4. We really want to raise attendance above 3,000 this season, and to put 4,000-5,000 in the stands against Western Michigan in the home opener Oct. 23-24. Don’t think we can do it? Attendance for the second Bemidji game was almost 4400 last year.
5. Pushing Blue Line Club membership up this year. I would love it if all 2100+ of our Facebook fans would say, “UAH Hockey is worth $25 to me,” and supported their team with their hard-earned money and a BLC membership. We’ll have more about that as soon as the BLC membership forms are out for 2009-10, which Coach said should be this week.

Now, for those of you doubting that your voice matters … consider the case of my friend and fellow aerospace engineering alumnus Chris Brown, who cold-called CCHA Commissioner Tom Anastos last weekend. Chris mentioned his phone call at our brain trust meeting for SUAHH on Saturday, and we ribbed him good-naturedly that, “When Chris Brown calls, people listen.” It turns out that Tom Anastos wasn’t kidding — he called Chris back and talked to him for about ten minutes today. I’ll let Chris relate the story if he wants down in the comments, but Anastos apparently mentioned the concerns with BGSU’s stability—and make no mistake, everyone here at SaveUAHHockey.com wants the Falcons to stick around!—as well as some other things. Chris, ballsy guy that he is, asked about a scheduling alliance. Anastos’s reply was something on the order of, “We’re working out our 2010-11 schedule now, so now is the time to do it.”

As you might expect, Chris went to Spragins to run Coach down and tell him all this, but Coach? Coach was at lunch with me. A half-second after I got off the phone with Chris, I was calling Coach to tell him this. I think Coach probably turned around to call Anastos right after that. I’m obviously not privy to what they said, but this certainly made my day.

Have faith, Charger fans and fellow college hockey fans who’re hoping that we stick around. We will Save UAH Hockey yet!