SJHovey

My review of Nashville. First, sorry for all of you who didn't get to go, or chose not to. It was a blast, despite the outcome of the game, and despite the somewhat rainy weather on Saturday. With respect to Nashville itself, I'd definitely check it out if you are a music fan, especially a live music fan. However, I'd recommend a visit in the middle of the week when the crowds are much smaller down on Broadway, but the music is just as good and plentiful. The locals hate Broadway, and now having observed Friday and Saturday night, I can see why. Traffic is impossible. Forget about trying to get any service in a bar or restaurant, and I saw, at a minimum, a dozen people hauled off by medical crews after having literally drunk themselves into a coma. But we arrived early Wednesday and had a great time Wednesday and Thursday. Tons of great music and different venues in which to watch it. UND did itself proud with respect to its showing, despite the outcome of the game. No other college hockey fan base will pack in what must have been 14,000 or so fans for a game. Apparently there was some trouble getting in the front gate, but we got lucky. We happened to be on the other end of the arena, near the country music hall of fame, and it took us four minutes tops to go through the vaccination check in, past security and through the ticket scanner. I thought we had a very good showing in the park, pregame, despite the steady drizzle. There wasn't anywhere that we went in Nashville where I didn't see a lot of people repping the UND jerseys and hats. We went to a show at The Listening Room Friday night and the crowd had to have been 60% North Dakota fans. Whiskey Row, on Saturday, where Tigirlily was playing, was 98% UND fans on the main level. It was like that no matter where you were at, and it was cool. The outcome of the game was obviously not what any of us hoped for, but it's early. I don't think anyone expected this team to run through the season like the last two did, and honestly, trying to mix together fourteen players who have never played together with eleven or twelve who returned, you're not going to have a well-oiled machine by game seven, no matter who you are as a coach. Finally, I'd like to apologize to the two UND fans that I met about midnight after the game. I was walking back down to Broadway after driving some of the older members of our group back to their hotel, when I came across two guys wearing UND jersey's/sweatshirts literally face down on the sidewalk, unconscious. One of them I was finally able to communicate with, and all he was able to say was "will you help me" but was unable to give me any details about where they were staying, whether there was anyone they were with that we could call, or anything else. Ultimately I called 911 and the medics showed up. I hope the unconscious one turned out ok, and if it was anyone from the posters here, or any of your friends or family, I hope there was not too much hassle for them as a result of their dealings with the authorities. But honestly, leaving them unconscious in the street off Broadway was not an option. I look forward to seeing everyone in Vegas.

At Laylas in Broadway. Big UND contingent.

Had a chat with Mickey Vulcan at the hotel. Says that he and a group of the ‘80 championship team are here with Gasparini. Fun hearing all the locals ask why are so many of us in town.

A lot of North Dakota fans at breakfast in our hotel this morning.

Holiday Inn Express on Broadway

Checked into our hotel about a half hour ago. Sunny and 66 here. I’ve seen two groups of UND fans in our hotel at check in.

I assume a lot of people will be at the pre-game party. It would be nice if we could get it there.

Seems like transferring their two tickets to her phone and letting her accompany him through the card line is the easiest. FYI, I wouldn't assume that the arena is going to be the only place in Nashville with any sort of entrance requirements. I've been doing some checking on different bars, restaurants and music venues in Nashville to sort of see what will be happening next week, and more than once I've seen notices on their websites indicating that proof of vaccination or a negative test will be required to enter.

I don't think you're going to have to worry about it. I just took a look back at my photos from the Vegas game and pre-game party and there was a solid mixture of white, green and black jerseys. I think our group of 7 will be primarily white jerseys, with a couple of greens mixed in, but I may mix it up with my black jersey.

I did not. But see, that's the kind of ingenuity I'm looking for out of our crowd.

Since this is essentially going to be a Halloween game, anyone doing costumes?

We’ll know a lot more by New Years. Schedule is going to ramp up significantly between now and then.

Minnesota is going to have a good team this year. I don’t see them on the losing end of another thanksgiving weekend massacre this year.

Twenty-four hours before flight, check in on line and load boarding pass onto phone. Pack bags. Make sure tickets to game are loaded onto phone. Arrange transportation to airport. Stand in TSA security checkpoint line. Present boarding pass and id. Remove shoes and load crap into bin. Go through x-ray machine. Put shoes back on and police up crap. Wait for boarding. Present boarding pass. Stand in line watching people try to hoist crap into overhead bin. Two hour ride in cramped airplane. Stand in cramped plane for twenty minutes as people try to remove crap from overhead bin. Navigate airport to ground transportation (bus, cab or car). Drive to hotel. Present id and credit card at hotel. Unpack crap. Find way to Bridgestone arena. Present electronic ticket. I CAN'T WAIT TO GO! You'll need to pull a card out of your wallet to show the ticket agent. Screw it. I'm not going.

I guess I don't know for sure, but I suspect that when they wrote "will be checking proof of vaccination/negative tests at all entrances for the time being" that they are probably referencing the fact that Bridgestone's policy currently is in place until November 15.

It was my understanding that two years ago, when tickets went on sale, the game was pretty much a sellout. Even if half the UND fans stayed home, a number I have a difficult time believing, we'd still have 8500 fans there, and it would sound loud.

You guys are letting the politics of the vaccine cloud your thinking. Private company. Private property. They make the rules. You don’t get to bring your gun. You can’t bring your cow, or your pet chickens. You can’t even bring your drunk, naked cousin from Watford City. If you want to go to a sporting event where no vaccine is required, head to Alerus. Now, if you want to bring your cow, pet chickens or drunk, naked cousin from Watford City, you’re going to have to go to the Fargo Dome.

I guess I'll have to ask you to cite for me one or two of the "volumes" of examples where complying with the demands/rules of a private property owner/business before entering said property owner/business' building turned out to be ignorant and naive. The next thing I know you'll probably be telling me I'm going to have to wear pants to the game.

My desire is for us to pack the place, and rock downtown Nashville like we did in Vegas. I'd rather have them require the covid card and let us fill the arena than reduce capacity, or eliminate the crowd altogether. If this let's the arena people, the City of Nashville or the State of Tennessee feel better about letting us fill the barn, then I can make due.

I'm not looking to pick any fights on the vaccine or anything else, but in my opinion we are asked, and willingly provide, lots more sensitive information all the time, for legitimate and maybe less legitimate reasons. For instance, someone asked what you'd do when asked to produce your Real ID or passport to get on the plane, and I think it was Sic who said he'd give them non-medical information. I don't know what anyone else's vaccine card looks like, but mine has my name, my D.O.B., the brand of the vaccine I received, the dates I received the shots, and the location where I received them. That's it. Until you're about 30, every time you go into a bar you give them your name and D.O.B. I can do a heck of a lot more damage to you with your Real ID or passport than I can with the Covid card. I got my shots at Walmart, of all places, right next to the check out aisles, with a steady stream of the refuse that is the Walmart customer base walking past me as I sat and waited. It doesn't get much less confidential than that. I don't know if they still do this, but when I registered at UND I had to turn over all kinds of vaccination records, for them to keep on file (again, they didn't ask to just glance at them). I've had to turn over my social security card and passport or other id every time I've gotten a job. I had to give a copy of my birth certificate and passport to the clown at the DMV that gave me my enhanced drivers license. Is any of that ideal? No, but we have to do it, and we do. Whoever posted that all they're going to do is glance at the card and let you go is 100% right. They won't remember any of your information ten seconds later.

I guess I get bailing out on attending the game if you've made the personal choice not to get vaccinated, and don't wish to get tested in the days before. Not sure I track on the idea of bailing on a trip, that should be a blast, just because I don't want to tell anyone that I'm vaccinated. It's not like I'm telling Bridgestone (or anyone else for that matter) anything that they can use to harm me.

It's not a North Dakota hockey jersey. It's one of my "miscellaneous" jerseys I've had laying around. Back when the World Juniors were in Grand Forks, one of my purchases was a Canadian team jersey. No number or name, but it's a sweet jersey that I've just had laying around now for more than 15 years. I wanted to give EPS a chance so I thought that would be a good one to send since it wouldn't kill me if something happened to it. I'll try to post photos, although I am severely technologically challenged, so we'll see.

I just wanted to post here that I followed suggestions of other posters and sent a jersey to EPS to have a number and name added. Just received it back today. Very satisfied with the result. I thought they did a great job. Seems to be very professionally stitched. They received the jersey from me on January 11 so it was almost exactly a three month process. Thanks for the tip.