Rolling gently over the ocean waves, you sit as the hockey talk never ends. Your company on the boat could go for days — perhaps 1,000 — just talking about hockey. After all, he’s seen almost everything that could ever happen in a rink as 28 years makes for a lot of hockey memories.
But no memory of his team will be as sweet for you as spending an afternoon on the ocean with legendary Boston University hockey coach Jack Parker.
That dream, along with 25 autographed team jerseys, equipment and celebrity outings are currently being auctioned off by the BU Athletic Association on their website in an effort to raise money for Terrier athletic programs. The auction runs through tomorrow night.
Each item in this online auction, like an autographed USA Olympic Sweater, started with a minimum bid, either higher or lower than actual market value, and have been steadily climbing as more bids are submitted. Since the auction is online, so competition is coming from sports fans all over who are interested in BU sports and beyond.
The Department of Athletic Development is also excited because it is the first time a BU event has been done in “real time” online, meaning those who log-on have up-to-the-minute developments on the bid status of the items. Besides raising money, the auction is also intended to give BU athletic programs more exposure and increase the University’s Internet traffic in general.
So where did all these great items, like an afternoon sail with BU head coach Jack Parker and a VIP Box for eight at a BU hockey game next season, come from?
According to Chris Mailloux, senior program coordinator for the Office of Athletic Development, all the items were obtained by 1980 Olympic hockey team captain and current BU Director of Athletic Development Mike Eruzione through networking with people he knows, former players and those who are related to the athletic program somehow.
For example, “all BU teams were presented with the opportunity to offer items (for the auction) enabling them to collect the revenues,” Mailloux said. Only two teams, women’s tennis — offering tennis apparel — and men’s basketball, offering a space in their overnight youth camp, were able to participate in this first online auction.
“We were pretty fortunate to be able to get most of what we wanted,” Mailloux said, referring to the memorabilia from stars of various sports. “Nothing eluded us.”
A few of the auction items are getting consistent bids and going back and forth between bidders. Golf with the All-Stars — a round of golf with former Terriers and current NHL players — golf with Mike Eruzione himself and three Rick DiPietro autographed jerseys are getting the most attention. DiPietro, the former Terrier goaltender who was the first overall selection in last June’s NHL Entry Draft, signed three jerseys for the auction. One is the familiar 29 he wore for the Terriers last season, while the other two are from his professional career for both the Chicago Wolves and the New York Islanders.
Mike Williams, a sophomore in the School of Management was impressed by several items on the auction list. “I would definitely make a bid on the Dan Marino autographed football,” he said. “I’m a huge Marino fan.”
“That is,” he added, “if I could afford it.”
There was no minimum bid listed for the football, however, a Pedro Martinez autographed baseball started at $250.
In the end, because it is BU’s first online auction, Mailloux said they would be very pleased to raise $10,000. All of the money brought in by the auction will go back into the Athletic Department and specific sports programs.
Time is running out faster than the wind will be blowing out on the water with Coach Parker, so anyone log onto www.bu.edu/alumni, and click on the auction link to get in on the action.
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