twolinepass Posted June 1, 2006 Report Share Posted June 1, 2006 by TOM SORENSEN If our Carolina Hurricanes beat Buffalo tonight in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals, they'll play for the Stanley Cup, and we loyal Canes fans will get to go Cup Crazy for the first time since 2002. So let's get behind our guys, eh. Some of you have never seen an NHL game. But that's OK. There's still time to get on the Hurricane bandwagon, which is called a Zamboni. Before we start, let me offer a hockey primer and explain why I am qualified to deliver it. Some people have ice water in their veins. I have ice. I grew up in Minneapolis, and we had a rink in our back yard. My brother turned on the hose one December and the ice didn't thaw until March. My high school won the state tournament, which is to hockey what the Indiana prep tournament is to basketball. And my college, Minnesota, won the NCAA hockey tournament, which insiders call the Frozen Four. At least the Gophers might have won it. I was more into basketball. But so what? People can change. I didn't really become a Cane Crazy until I discovered the OLN cable network. Let the four major sports, the NFL, the NBA, Major League Baseball and NASCAR, have the major networks. We hockey fans have OLN all to ourselves. OLN, incidentally, stands for Oh (what) Little Numbers. Ratings for regular-season NHL games are comparable to reruns of "All in the Family." But when the playoffs begin, buddy, you better buckle up. In the playoffs, our ratings are up there with reruns of "Full House." Of course, we hard-core Caniacs don't watch the Canes on OLN. We drive from Charlotte to the RBC. You haven't seen playoff hockey live until you have seen playoff hockey live. Tonight's game is the biggest game in Raleigh that has not involved two ACC teams since football season, when N.C. State played Eastern Kentucky, Southern Mississippi and Middle Tennessee State. Getting a ticket to Game 7 probably is impossible. But I went to the Hurricanes' Web site at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday to try. The worst that can happen is you'll be rejected, and I've had lots of experience with that, although never at 11:30 a.m. I was directed to Ticketmaster and tried to buy one ticket in every price range. I started with the most expensive ticket, $220, and of course all the tickets were sold. But what's this? I could buy a ticket for $195, $175, $160, $150, $120, $90, $75 and $70. It's just like when the Carolina Panthers make the playoffs, except every Panthers ticket is sold. Despite plenty of good seats being available, Charlotte and the Carolinas love the Canes. And if you want to love the Canes with us, here are some inside hockey terms that will help you appreciate the game. Power play -- one team has more guys than the other team. Icing -- laden with calories. So get on the Zamboni and get Cup crazy. We long-time fans, who have supported the Canes since the playoffs began in April, will be glad to have you. So will the OLN and the RBC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sabregoats Posted June 1, 2006 Report Share Posted June 1, 2006 I just threw up all over my computer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twolinepass Posted June 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2006 Feel free to email him some love - tsorensen@charlotteobserver.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cgang Posted June 1, 2006 Report Share Posted June 1, 2006 Clay Aiken wrote this piece under a pseudonym. <_< Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Goat Posted June 1, 2006 Report Share Posted June 1, 2006 Sadly, the Canes get little coverage in the state outside of Raleigh. Mr. Sorenson and his fellow writers in Charlotte and other papers across the state are part of that problem. Aside from the many dedicated fans in Raleigh, local news stations, and three local newspapers the Canes are very much on their own in terms of support across the state. One fan at a time I suppose. The Goat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twolinepass Posted June 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2006 Sadly, the Canes get little coverage in the state outside of Raleigh. Mr. Sorenson and his fellow writers in Charlotte and other papers across the state are part of that problem. Aside from the many dedicated fans in Raleigh, local news stations, and three local newspapers the Canes are very much on their own in terms of support across the state. One fan at a time I suppose. The Goat Goat - for once we agree. I listened to our local Sportstalk station this morning (these clowns) and NO mention of the game. In two hours of listening NO MENTION of a game 7! They did talk about men's tennis for 15 minutes, the NBA and had a spelling bee on air. Amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted June 1, 2006 Report Share Posted June 1, 2006 Sadly, the Canes get little coverage in the state outside of Raleigh. Mr. Sorenson and his fellow writers in Charlotte and other papers across the state are part of that problem. Aside from the many dedicated fans in Raleigh, local news stations, and three local newspapers the Canes are very much on their own in terms of support across the state. One fan at a time I suppose. The Goat I am a very liberal thinker in all, but for crying out loud... are you actually taking "it takes a village" approach? Just because you have a team (that moved there, need I say) it doesn't mean you gotta take the "at all costs" approach... Forcing people to hawk it and embrace it. That should come naturally. And yes, I would be saying the same thing if the Bills and Sabres weren't PROPERLY supported by their fans or MARKET MEDIA... MOVE! The 'Canes make the finals, are all the fans gonna jump on again and attend the games? God, I hope the 'Canes win because I couldn't stand it in my bleeding liberal heart that it would be the demise of NHL hockey in NC... Freak, the NHL should just give them the Cup right now... It is the only thing that can help. And to think they made the finals in '02... You can't sellout the money games, that is a problem. And cry me a friggan river about management decisions... They HAD to do it because of the fickle, ever changing family market... They don't win, do you think little Johnny season tix holder wants go to the game next year? Heck no, they most likely jump off the bandwagon. I would agree with you, that Carolina deserves a team if that wasn't true... But, it is not... How long is this project going to last for the current owners? Another 9 years? It is just a shame that crap like this goes on when areas like Maintoba and Quebec would be "hockey crazy"... Not just "cup crazy." It does make we want to puke when they gotta resort to this type of communism in business. Again... How long is it gonna take them down there to figure out that a square peg doesn't fit into a round hole. This is what is killing the NHL and hockey in general. Of course this in my ever humble opinion... I got nothing against NC or the south. This is a business, not some governmental social project... If corporate welfare isn't killing some areas at the expense of others already. [/end rant] :rolleyes: :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jad1 Posted June 1, 2006 Report Share Posted June 1, 2006 Carolina has had the Canes for 8 years. 1978 was the 8th year anniversary for the Sabres. Carolina has managed a trip to the finals during their first 8 years, as did the Sabres. Can anyone imagine an article like this being written in the Buffalo (Evening) News or Courier Express in 1978? Nobody seems to know if this market is Raleigh, or Carolina, or the Triangle, but whatever it is, it's a sh*tty hockey market. People in that region don't care about the Canes. Move this franchise to Winnepeg or Quebec, and be done with this idiotic experiment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taro T Posted June 1, 2006 Report Share Posted June 1, 2006 Carolina has had the Canes for 8 years. 1978 was the 8th year anniversary for the Sabres. Carolina has managed a trip to the finals during their first 8 years, as did the Sabres. Can anyone imagine an article like this being written in the Buffalo (Evening) News or Courier Express in 1978? Nobody seems to know if this market is Raleigh, or Carolina, or the Triangle, but whatever it is, it's a sh*tty hockey market. People in that region don't care about the Canes. Move this franchise to Winnepeg or Quebec, and be done with this idiotic experiment. No, but Buffalo also had and loved the Bisons for many years prior. I don't see the point of all the "rip on Carolina" for not supporting the team bunk. They have a SMALL group of loyal fans that love their team like we bleed Sabres blue (or red and black for the younguns). Whether a team should ever have been placed there can be debated, but it would definitely be in the league's best interest for the Carolina market to develop into a strong one now that a team is there. It isn't a strong market there now, and may never be, but right now we should be glad that it is a weak hockey market overall as there is opportunity for many Sabres fans to attend tonight's classic and except for play stoppages when the PA system takes over, maybe they can neutralize some of that "home ice" advantage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted June 1, 2006 Report Share Posted June 1, 2006 Carolina has had the Canes for 8 years. 1978 was the 8th year anniversary for the Sabres. Carolina has managed a trip to the finals during their first 8 years, as did the Sabres. Can anyone imagine an article like this being written in the Buffalo (Evening) News or Courier Express in 1978? Nobody seems to know if this market is Raleigh, or Carolina, or the Triangle, but whatever it is, it's a sh*tty hockey market. People in that region don't care about the Canes. Move this franchise to Winnepeg or Quebec, and be done with this idiotic experiment. I have been with you 100% all along Jad. That was my thinking too... I just didn't put it down. Heck, just three years into the Sabres' organization Tim Horton died on the QEW heading back to Toronto... It was surmised that he was down about the Sabres missing the playoffs. This Carolina thing is so typical of what goes on today and over expansion forced into areas that people feel "are booming"... Or chic... It was mentioned that Greensboro has some hockey history. Does this hockey history take off with kids playing the game, highschools pomoting it, and all other sorts of recreational leagues?... Probably not. What you got down there is a pure "watcher market"... One that is just expected to fork out the bucks for the big league games and then stay detached from the game. Why did the Charlotte Hornets relocate? Basketball is big down there. I am not up on that story. Everything is built in small stages. Throwing a big league team into a marginal "prime market" and expecting people to flock is foolish... And then blaming others because they aren't hooked on it or report it is ludicrous! No, but Buffalo also had and loved the Bisons for many years prior. I don't see the point of all the "rip on Carolina" for not supporting the team bunk. They have a SMALL group of loyal fans that love their team like we bleed Sabres blue (or red and black for the younguns). Whether a team should ever have been placed there can be debated, but it would definitely be in the league's best interest for the Carolina market to develop into a strong one now that a team is there. It isn't a strong market there now, and may never be, but right now we should be glad that it is a weak hockey market overall as there is opportunity for many Sabres fans to attend tonight's classic and except for play stoppages when the PA system takes over, maybe they can neutralize some of that "home ice" advantage. I see your point Dave... But, I will always rip into them when there are more "worthy" fans in the less "chic" places like Manitoba and Quebec. Fug 'em! Who gives a rat's ass if they gain fans down there. Again, the NHL is trying to be what it is not. Read my "stonecutter" post... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sabregoats Posted June 1, 2006 Report Share Posted June 1, 2006 Again, the NHL is trying to be what it is not. Read my "stonecutter" post... I realy enjoyed the stonecutter post btw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted June 1, 2006 Report Share Posted June 1, 2006 I realy enjoyed the stonecutter post btw. Thanks! The link I posted is awesome and has a lot of inspiration pieces! Just everyday living stuff! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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