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Equal opportunity has limits
By Adam Czech
Any reasonable person is in favor of equal opportunities in sports for men and women. Unfortunately, stupidity seems to follow opportunity in some cases.
Recently, 11 female athletes filed a lawsuit to have the Minnesota state girls' hockey tournament played at the same venue as the boys' tournament, which is the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. The girls' tournament is currently played at Ridder Arena, home of the University of Minnesota women's hockey team.
The 11 athletes feel that Ridder Arena is not equal to the Xcel Center as required by Title IX, a 1972 law that aimed for more equity in female and male students. They're right, but that doesn't mean the tournament should be moved. Nor does it mean that moving the tournament would be in the best interest for girls' hockey and female sports in general.
The Xcel Center is home to the Minnesota Wild and seats 18,064. Ridder Arena seats about 2,800. Plus, there's the prestige factor. The Xcel Center has the flashing lights, the large scoreboard and the aura of knowing you're playing on the same sheet of ice as the greatest NHL players in the world. Ridder Arena is home to the top-ranked Div. I women's hockey team in the country.
But here's why the girls' state tournament should remain in Ridder Arena: not many people care about girls' hockey.
Over a three-day period last year, the girls' state tournament drew 12,727. The Class AA state title game drew only 1,944 fans, despite featuring South St. Paul, an area near the Xcel Center known for its passion for hockey.
So let's do some math: 18,064 minus 12,727 equals 5,337 - or not enough fans to fill the Xcel Center even if you locked the doors and forced everybody to stay all three days. More arithmetic: 18,064 minus 1,944 equals 16,120 - or a whole lot of embarrassing empty seats during what is supposed to be the sports marquee game.
Is playing in a large arena in front of a bunch of padded seats instead of a smaller arena filled with actual people really what girls' hockey players want? I doubt it. Sure, the Xcel Center staff would probably put up a large curtain to cover the empty seats and give the tournament more of an intimate feel, but that's even more embarrassing than playing in front of nobody.
Proponents for the move say that the Xcel Center will draw more fans because of its prestige and amenities, such as better parking and advertising. Maybe it would draw a few more, but not enough to even give the illusion that girls' hockey is a relevant sport in Minnesota.
Maybe a musical analogy can paint a better picture. Panoramic Blue is an area band that often plays the Red Carpet. Not many people care about Panoramic Blue outside of Minnesota. If Panoramic Blue travels to Los Angeles to perform, they'd probably rather play in a small club instead of a large arena such as the Staples Center.
If a person who doesn't know anything about Panoramic Blue stumbles into a Los Angeles club to see them play, they'd probably be more impressed than if they saw them play at the Staples Center. The club would be small and probably full, giving the gig a better vibe and a lot more energy than if it were at the spacious and empty Staples Center.
But one day, Panoramic Blue may become too large to play clubs. Fans may be turned away and shows will be overcrowded instead of intimate. Then they can graduate to a larger arena.
For girls' hockey players across the state, be patient. One day your sport may be too big for a club (Ridder Arena) and you will have your chance to play at Xcel Energy Center. For now, enjoy playing in front of a full arena of adoring fans, instead of a bunch of indifferent seats.
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