HOF
Posted 30 December 2013 - 04:26 PM
CSN Washington: Will Caps face Flyers in 2015 Winter Classic?
http://www.csnwashin...-winter-classic
NationalsPark, which seats 41,888 fans for baseball, is believed to be the leading candidate for the outdoor game., which will take place on Jan. 1, 2015.
No surprise here.
HOF
Posted 30 December 2013 - 10:25 PM
HOF
Posted 30 December 2013 - 10:39 PM
Cool. But the weather here and in DC can be dicey for an outdoor hockey game. Sure it can get cold but we also get a freak 50 degree day every now and then. Warmer too. A few years ago I was washing my car on New Years Day.
Warm weather probably won't be a problem, they're playing a game in LA after all this year. The problem will be if it's raining or non-snow precipitation. If you recall, when the Caps played in Pittsburgh, they had to delay the game because it was unseasonably warm there. I thought it was better under the lights.
Moderator
Posted 30 December 2013 - 10:39 PM
Cool. But the weather here and in DC can be dicey for an outdoor hockey game. Sure it can get cold but we also get a freak 50 degree day every now and then. Warmer too. A few years ago I was washing my car on New Years Day.
They plan for that. There will be a cooling system installed below the ice to try to keep the ice frozen, much like the systems used in Verizon Center and other places that have both NBA and NHL teams. They'll try to keep it as cold as possible at ground level and just hope for a cold day.
They had some trouble in PIT keeping the ice from getting slushy during their classic, but in all honesty, it won't be any worse than any game at Verizon, they have one of the worst surfaces in all of hockey.
Moderator
Posted 30 December 2013 - 10:40 PM
Warm weather probably won't be a problem, they're playing a game in LA after all this year. The problem will be if it's raining or non-snow precipitation. If you recall, when the Caps played in Pittsburgh, they had to delay the game because it was unseasonably warm there. I thought it was better under the lights.
Yeah I would be amazed if they don't push for a later game in the warmer weather cities to give the sun a chance to go down and lower temps.
HOF
Posted 31 December 2013 - 12:22 AM
They plan for that. There will be a cooling system installed below the ice to try to keep the ice frozen, much like the systems used in Verizon Center and other places that have both NBA and NHL teams. They'll try to keep it as cold as possible at ground level and just hope for a cold day.
They had some trouble in PIT keeping the ice from getting slushy during their classic, but in all honesty, it won't be any worse than any game at Verizon, they have one of the worst surfaces in all of hockey.
They've played two games at the First Mariner Snowball Machine, so they'll be fine.
If anything, I would be worried about rain. 45 and rainy is worse than just about any other weather they can expect.
HOF
Posted 23 April 2014 - 07:18 PM
@DaveNicholsDSP With #Redskins home game on 12/28, no way FedEx can be used for Winter Classic. I swear, if it's anywhere in Maryland... #Caps
Game will almost definitely be at Nats Park.
Moderator
Posted 23 April 2014 - 07:51 PM
Game will almost definitely be at Nats Park.@DaveNicholsDSP With #Redskins home game on 12/28, no way FedEx can be used for Winter Classic. I swear, if it's anywhere in Maryland... #Caps
HOF
Posted 23 April 2014 - 07:52 PM
Game will almost definitely be at Nats Park.
It is nats park.
I thought it would be in the first place, but this basically confirmed it. There's no way they could do a turnaround that close to New Years.
Moderator
Posted 23 April 2014 - 09:20 PM
Game will almost definitely be at Nats Park.
It is nats park.
I thought it would be in the first place, but this basically confirmed it. There's no way they could do a turnaround that close to New Years.
Dave
Posted 25 April 2014 - 11:04 AM
Yeah it's been locked for a while, just working out contracts.
GAH. I don't like Nationals Park. Of course I'll still go, but it's frustrating knowing how awesome a hockey game at M&T Bank Stadium or OPACY could be and knowing that the chances of a game happening in either of those places are slim to none.
"We're not going to be f***ing suck this year" - Alex Ovechkin
@BaltimoreDavey
HOF
Posted 25 April 2014 - 11:16 AM
GAH. I don't like Nationals Park. Of course I'll still go, but it's frustrating knowing how awesome a hockey game at M&T Bank Stadium or OPACY could be and knowing that the chances of a game happening in either of those places are slim to none.
Not to beat a dead horse here, but I think you'd alienate a lot of Caps fans if you put it in Baltimore. I don't care so much for M&T, but having it at Camden Yards would be cool.
Dave
Posted 25 April 2014 - 11:28 AM
Not to beat a dead horse here, but I think you'd alienate a lot of Caps fans if you put it in Baltimore. I don't care so much for M&T, but having it at Camden Yards would be cool.
I know, but the Caps are alienating fans in Baltimore who like the Capitals. We get one pre-season game a year in Baltimore in a venue that should never ever ever ever EVER be hosting a hockey game. M&T would be a great stadium for hockey for 2 reasons:
1. Excellent facilities, especially when compared to the Nats stadium
2. Fits 70,000+ people, and the NHL could easily squeeze in more people on the football field, which equals more $$$
For those 2 reasons alone, M&T Bank Stadium should have been seriously considered as a venue for the Winter Classic. You're acting like DC and Baltimore are far apart. They're really not.
"We're not going to be f***ing suck this year" - Alex Ovechkin
@BaltimoreDavey
HOF
Posted 25 April 2014 - 11:36 AM
I know, but the Caps are alienating fans in Baltimore who like the Capitals. We get one pre-season game a year in Baltimore in a venue that should never ever ever ever EVER be hosting a hockey game. M&T would be a great stadium for hockey for 2 reasons:
1. Excellent facilities, especially when compared to the Nats stadium
2. Fits 70,000+ people, and the NHL could easily squeeze in more people on the football field, which equals more $$$
For those 2 reasons alone, M&T Bank Stadium should have been seriously considered as a venue for the Winter Classic. You're acting like DC and Baltimore are far apart. They're really not.
Maybe a future stadium series game, I don't think the chance is that great but I could see it.
In terms of the more money argument, while you're probably right, demand will be greater with 40k instead of almost double that, which will raise the prices.
I'm not acting like they're far apart at all. I don't think distance isn't so much the issue although being New Years, it's a bigger deal -- you aren't taking Metro to Baltimore that day. If the situation were reversed of a Baltimore-based event being moved to DC, would you expect that to go over well? Many people in Baltimore (including people on here) still won't support the Caps just because there a DC-based team. I don't think playing one game there is suddenly going to open a whole new fanbase.
Dave
Posted 25 April 2014 - 11:39 AM
Maybe a future stadium series game, I don't think the chance is that great but I could see it.
In terms of the more money argument, while you're probably right, demand will be greater with 40k instead of almost double that, which will raise the prices.
I'm not acting like they're far apart at all. I don't think distance isn't so much the issue although being New Years, it's a bigger deal -- you aren't taking Metro to Baltimore that day. If the situation were reversed of a Baltimore-based event being moved to DC, would you expect that to go over well? Many people in Baltimore (including people on here) still won't support the Caps just because there a DC-based team. I don't think playing one game there is suddenly going to open a whole new fanbase.
I didn't say a thing about wanting to expand the fanbase. Actually think there's not much they can do in Baltimore to help with that, especially since there's no viable venue to play hockey in in Baltimore. Hopefully the new arena helps.
"We're not going to be f***ing suck this year" - Alex Ovechkin
@BaltimoreDavey
Moderator
Posted 25 April 2014 - 11:41 AM
Bmore wasn't in consideration at all. Nats park is newer than either of those stadiums and is central to the team in DC.
I understand being the Bmore fan for one sport and DC fan for another and all, but that realistically wasn't going to happen, it just doesn't remotely make sense with so many places viable and closer to DC.
HOF
Posted 25 April 2014 - 11:46 AM
Bmore wasn't in consideration at all. Nats park is newer than either of those stadiums and is central to the team in DC.
I understand being the Bmore fan for one sport and DC fan for another and all, but that realistically wasn't going to happen, it just doesn't remotely make sense with so many places viable and closer to DC.
It just doesn't make sense to alienate your fanbase. Personally, I wouldn't have cared so much if the game was at Camden Yards, but I could see the uproar by putting it there. While having a game at Camden Yards would've been cool, I think you want the game in that city's market.
Moderator
Posted 25 April 2014 - 11:54 AM
It just doesn't make sense to alienate your fanbase. Personally, I wouldn't have cared so much if the game was at Camden Yards, but I could see the uproar by putting it there. While having a game at Camden Yards would've been cool, I think you want the game in that city's market.
I haven't seen the numbers myself (although I'm dying to) but I've been told that $$ wise, people from visiting cities contribute more money to the team than the Baltimore area. (I'm assuming they are counting Northern MoCo as part of the DC market) But seeing how they track purchases by zip code it raised an eyebrow for me.
Last I had heard was that the finalists for the classic were Nats Park, Fedex, and Byrd Stadium (or whatever they call it now).
HOF
Posted 25 April 2014 - 11:55 AM
Moderator
Posted 25 April 2014 - 11:58 AM
Who do yinz think we'll play?
I THINK it's Philly, but I don't remember. I know they weren't planning on the hosting team missing the playoffs the year before, so a big rivalry game is going to be tougher to sell now. They could do the Pens and sell it as Winter Classic...the sequel, but with realignment and whatnot it changed plans a bit from when they started planning.
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