I’ve had the pleasure of living in both Milwaukee and Cincinnati during my radio/TV career. I was the play-by-play radio mouth for the Milwaukee Admirals of the IHL, and the Cincinnati Tigers of the then-formidable CHL.
The two locales are the reigning and most recent NCAA Frozen Four sites — two distinctly different cities and two distinctly different treatments of the game formally called Ice Hockey.
Milwaukee is a town where both blue-collar stiffs and high-cultured snobs can feel at home and actually coexist peacefully. Jerry West once called it America’s best-kept secret. Even though I’ve been away for 16 years, I still hear the Brew City’s call.
Here then, are the top ten reasons why Milwaukee is a better NCAA Ice Hockey site than Cincinnati.
10. The smell of fermenting hops in the air near the Miller brewery
9. The Bradley Palace, eh, Bradley Center
8. Friday Fish Fries, even when it’s not Lent
7. Natural grass infield
6. The Milwaukee County Zoo — ok, this one’s a push
5. The IHL Admirals — Admirals? Where’s the Navy?
4. Ninety miles from the NHL
3. A mall with a rink
2. Festa Italiana, Mexican Fiesta, Polish Fest, German Fest, Summer Fest, Asian Moon Festival, African World Festival, Irish Fest, Indian Summer and Pride Fest
And the Number One reason Milwaukee is a better NCAA hockey site than Cincinnati: No holes in the ice.
