Carolina Hurricanes Hockey

WOW!
I was at last nights thrilling overtime playoff victory against the Jersey Devils! While I am a die hard Philadelphia Flyers fan (my team was already kicked out of the playoffs) I went with "the boys" to last nights game because someone had to bow out. I wore my red,black and silver...feeling a little naked without my black and orange jersey(my husband forebade me to where it, even though present Hurricanes captain,Rod, Brind'Amour, used to be a Flyer). I was going to make a sign "Flyers fans still love Brindy!" or better yet "Flyers fans hate the Devils!" but oh well.
In any case, I was really surprised by the fans at the RBC. I haven't heard it so loud since the Flyers played in the old Spectrum.
My hope is that Raleigh becomes the hockey town that I know it can be. Carolina has a fantastic team in the Hurricanes, who I believe are not getting enough coverage. (Maybe after this win they will?)This team could actually go on to win the Stanley Cup and I hope they do. They currently lead the playoff series 2-0 over the Devils and play tomorrow night at 7:00pm in Jersey.
Go Canes!

I miss the Greensboro Monarchs.... For some reason you could always count on a fight.

The southern Hospitality of Hurricanes fans was worn out today.
My worst experience at a hockey game occurred at the first Eastern Conference Playoff game. My husband, our friend and I attended the game held at the RBC Center in Raleigh. Since the beginning of the playoffs, my husband and his friends have been there to support the home team. Apparently, it was easy for Buffalo Sabres fans to acquire playoff tickets because they arrived in droves.
Let me preface the rest of this tale by noting once again that I’m from the Philadelphia area and have attended quite a few Flyers games in my time. As fans, we often get a bad rap being called “rowdy” or “unruly”. I even heard a Sabres commentator say that the only way Flyers fans will cheer for the opposing team is if “Someone leaves in a body bag”. One thing I have never seen is a fight after a hockey game in Philly. Maybe it’s because not many opposing teams feel “welcome” at our house although it’s most likely due to our constant sell out crowd.
Raleigh is a relative virgin in the sport of hockey – and it shows. The RBC has terrible crowd control, parking, and security and now I can honestly say a terrible marketing department. For example, someone thought it would be a “good idea” to have a GLASS pilsner as a free give away after the game! My first thought was, “Surely, these free glasses will be made of plastic? I mean, who would hand out glass to a crowd of people who have not only been imbibing all day but will be riddled with fans of the opposing team?” So, I’m thinking that the marketing department at the RBC did not get up with their legal department before this brilliant decision was made? In “Sabres Spirit” fashion, the victors decided to smash their free glasses all over the parking lot. Our friend was assaulted by a drunken Sabres fan, the free pilsner thrown at him. When he tried to shield his head from the projectile, it shattered on his hand, a large chunk of “free commemorative glass” embedded into his palm. An hour and three stitches later, I was asking “Who do we blame?” the RBC center for poor security or the marketing department, along with News 14 Carolina and Pepsi for providing the glass? Did no one think this was a bad idea? Of course not, because Carolina has never had to deal with goon fans before!
However, it’s not just the Sabres fans that are rude. As I stood waiting for our injured friend to return, I witnessed something that I have never seen before. Sabres goaltender, Ryan Miller was giving autographs to a small group of fans when he was approached by two girls wearing Hurricanes jerseys. He completely ignored them, signing for everyone else, except them. I witnessed this act first hand and it was a blatant disregard of fans because they were not wearing the “right” jersey. The girls walked away commenting, “You know, some of us are just fans of hockey and the players no matter what our favorite team is.” Let me just say that I doubt Rod Brind’Amour would turn me down if I wanted him to sign my old Flyers jersey or that Mark Messier wouldn’t sign an autograph for just about anyone. It’s called class, look it up Buffalo because hockey fans are not going to tolerate your behavior any longer.

Side note: Our injured friend ships out tomorrow for New Orleans where his mission will be rebuilding houses for those hit by Hurricane Katrina. He will be giving up almost two weeks of his time, volunteering up to twelve hours a day so that he can help others. If there was anyone in this world who shouldn’t have been a victim of violence today, it was him.

I know I'll sound like a girly-man or whatever, but when you mix beer with mucho-machoism and sports, there are bound to be some bad things to happen. I'm one of those people that think alchohol shouldn't be served in a family environment like that - to much can happen when a bunch of drunken nitwits get together.

However, I also realize that as something that will probably never happen. To much money changing hands. Given that, I think you have hit the nail on the head as far as what some of the real problems with the advertising bit were. you should send that to the Canes managemewnt or ownership -although Im not sure how much control they have over parking.

Not that it matters but I was just wondering concerning your friend, is he a Mennonite?

http://www.mds.mennonite.net/

Hey, thanks for asking about my friend. No, he is Baptist and I couldn't tell you the name of the mission but I don't think it is directly associated with his church or anything. He called us from New Orleans - his hand hurts like hell cause he can't take the pain meds during the day as it makes him too sleepy.
I did mail (basically) the same letter to the media guy from the Canes - Mike S. - he was cool. He personally e-mailed me back and said that he sent my letter to the marketing department! Ahhh, I love the internet...anyway, not that my one complaint will do anything, but maybe mine was just one in a sea of complaints.
In Philly, they stop serving alcohol after the second intermission, that way people have a good half hour to forty-five minutes to start sobering up. But on a Saturday afternoon game, where people are tailgating, they are pretty much wrecked before they even get into the game.
Personally, I limit myself to one beer at a game for two reasons - they cost like seven bucks and I don't like to get wasted at any event I paid like 90 bucks to see! Maybe some people think thats wierd but, oh well!
Went to the Monday night game and there were alot less Sabres fans there. We also won which helps!