FanHouse Stadiums

We've had college hockey stories on FanHouse today. We've had Detroit Red Wings stories on FanHouse today. So, naturally, we come across a story in the Detroit Free Press which reports that Ford Field could host a hockey double-header pitting Michigan against Michigan State and then the Red Wings against an opponent-to-be-named-later in the night cap. Central Collegiate Hockey Association commissioner Tom Anastos confirmed discussions about the game, which would be a test run for an eventual Frozen Four at the stadium, but said they're very preliminary:

"I don't have the Red Wings or the NHL on board ... To me, there's an order to getting something done. When you talk of an event of this magnitude, it would be naive to assume that because someone says, 'We're up for it,' that it will happen." Anastos said the Wings would need to get approval from the NHL. Then all of the parties would have to agree on a business plan.

David Goricki of The Detroit News wrote about this yesterday, with Michigan State coach Rick Comley claiming the game would be played next December and that the Toronto Maple Leafs would be Detroit's opponent. (There's a sure way to try and get that attendance close to 80,000). Recall that Michigan and Michigan State competed in the "Cold War" back in 2001, before a hockey world-record crowd of 74,554 at Spartan Stadium.

My only questions: Will an NHL game inside a temperature-controlled dome stadium have the same fanatic appeal as those icy conditions in the Heritage Classic and (we assume) next month's Winter Classic in Buffalo? And is there any way we can convince this guy on the right to come back to Ford Field with a giant "D" painted on his chest and pasties with Pavel Datsyuk's face on them?

The Marlins are fighting to get a new stadium, and proposed bills are currently making their way through the state legislature process. But it's still possible those bills won't make it through.

The bill has one very important supporter -- Florida Governor Charlie Christ:

"I come to it with a bias. I have to admit that upfront," Gov. Charlie Crist said. "Sports is a great outlet for our people. Not everybody loves their job during the day. And to have an outlet like that is a healthy thing, I think."

Any sports fan would agree, but that doesn't mean the stadium is a done deal. From the Biz of Baseball blog:

Yet, Crist and other backers may face an uphill battle when it comes to selling the new stadium as a method to spur economic development. The state's Revenue Estimating Conference, the four economists who work for the legislature and the governor, have disputed that claim, as have nearly every economist that had examined stadium development in markets where franchises already exist.

I don't have the economic chops to contend with those views, but I'm sure the Marlins can find some economist to disagree. Regardless, if the Marlins want to remain a viable franchise, they have to, have to, get out of Dolphin Stadium.