Hockey <3's Baseball

G-dubs, aka Puck Daddy, posted last week about the Binghamtom Mets minor-league baseball team having a hockey night in conjunction with the Binghamton Senators (the Ottawa farm team). They had former B-Sens on hand as well as the IceGirls at the ball game. They showed clips during intermissions from the movies Slap Shot and The Mighty Ducks. The baseball players were wearing uniforms that looked eerily similar to the B-Sens uni's.

Seeing all this made me think of the Durham Bulls and the Hurricanes previous ventures together.

After the the Canes won the Stanley Cup, there was a night of celebration in Durham as several Hurricanes threw out the first pitch and the Stanely Cup was on site. Needless to say, it was a sold-out, packed house and it wasn't because of the Durham Bulls vs. Richmond Braves big match-up. It was a lot of fun and seeing the evening's festivities (from a Caniac standpoint) compensated for the fact that it was 101 degrees w/ 100% humidity.

Also, as recent as last week Chad LaRose himself was the guest of honor at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park to deliver the first pitch, albeit a dead duck of a throw. What hasn't Rosey done this summer? He's on hand for RBC Centura bank grand openings, Caniac Fun Fests, baseball games... I'm waiting for the announcement that he'll be an honorary scooper at Bruster's Ice Cream in North Raleigh for a day (or insert shameless promotion x.here).

Apparently there are some Durham Bulls fans that are also Carolina Hurricanes fans, contrary to what some will tell you.

Happy Cup Anniversary Caniacs

Today marks two years to the date that the Hurricanes raised Lord Stanley's mug after Game 7 in Raleigh. It can seem like it was just yesterday; the nervousness before the game, the sweating, the "it's really OK if they end up losing - I have a life outside of the team, right?" thoughts... but it can also seem like a REALLY long time ago if you consider that there has been two other teams now that have raised it since the Canes.

Anyhow, Happy Cup Day to you all.

Harbingers of Good Fortune

Now I don't want to jinx our season or anything, but for the superstitious, I've got something to think about. A good omen, if you will.

You see, this afternoon, I had to go to my "select-a-seat" event at the RBC. Now before I explain the significance of the afore-mentioned omen, allow me to give you the history. I am usually a harbinger of doom for professional sports franchises. It seems like whenever I take a liking to a team, that team envariably tanks. It's well documented. The Washington Generals used to send me a letter every year begging me to start pulling for the Harlem Globetrotters. I decided that the whole jinx thing was nonsense, so I actively supported the Generals in 1994/1995. Of course, we all know how that turned out: The Generals got sh*tcanned and now the Globetrotters play the New York Nationals. I gave up basketball after that. I then became an avid Duke football fan. You can probably piece together the rest... I then turned my attention to professional baseball and my beloved Boston Red Sox. When I decided they had had enough, I decided to pull for the Yankees for a change, and you all saw what happened. Why just a couple of months ago, I was on an NFL message board posting my predictions for the upcoming season. I was predicting that this year was the year Michael Vick would finally silence his critics and the Falcons would get their due. It's almost funny.

Anyway, to get back to hockey, I was a Penguins fan for years (post cup years, of course) and finally decided to switch loyalties to the local boys (Hurricanes) after game one of the finals against Detroit in 2002. Sorry about that. But despite my history, I couldn't help but love the Canes. So I bought a 24 game ticket plan (mid row seats, down low in 124) the next year. With predictable results. We stank. No problema! I bought a 24 game plan the next year (mid row seats, down low in 124) as well. We stank. So I then realized that maybe it was unfair to the Canes to dump all my evil mojo onto them. I decided that I should not jinx just one team and that if I pulled for the entire NHL and just enjoyed all the games, no matter who was playing, I couldn't lose. Of course, this led to the first professional season ever lost to a lockout. Cripes...

So I thought: 'The Hell with it!!!' I like the Canes and this whole jinx thing is silly. So when I went to get my seats, there were two (2) empty seats on the aisle (down low in 124). So I bought them. And the rest is history. The Canes won the cup! Obviously, these are magic seats. I had found a tiny loophole in the delicate fabric of sports mojo. Thus, I was intent on keeping those seats forever. However, fate is a vindictive bitch. I mean a tire slashing, clothes burning, rabbit boiling bitch. You know the type. So, I went to my select a seat and found that some bandwagoner had slipped in and bought the magic seats out from under me.

I was livid.

And, as fate would have it, the only seats available were those mid row seats, down low in 124. So, hoping the curse on hockey was busted, I bought the mid row seats again. Once again, we stank. So I had little optimism going in to buy seats this year.

But low and behold, what should happen? Yep! The magic seats were available. And I snapped them up. This may just be the missing piece of the puzzle to getting another cup. I hate to be too confident in one omen, but you can't argue with history. The Canes have never failed to win the cup when I have had the magic seats. Rejoice Caniacs! We're back on our way...

Happy Anniversary Caniacs!

One year to the date, our boys won the holiest of holy in trophy land. Seeing as the traditional 1 year anniversary gift is "paper":

What were you doing when the 'Canes won it all? I was drinking Grey Goose from the Cup with the boys. OK, so it wasn't Grey Goose, it was PBR. And I wasn't with the team, but some friends. Okay, so it wasn't the Stanley Cup, it was a red plastic Solo cup. The important part is that I was drinking something.

Did He Say, "Bring Out The Gimp" ?

First off, congratulations to the new Stanley Cup Champs.

Anaheim played solid all regular season and proved they had "Whatever It Takes" to win it all. A strong team effort provided them with their first Cup in their 14 year history and California's first NHL championship.

But what the hell is wrong with Gary Bettman? In what other sport does the commissioner come out with a dorky, rehearsed speech that sounds the same every year as the championship trophy is presented? Is it really necessary? Nobody wants to hear him. Captain Niedermayer was almost just as impatient with Bettman as Brind'amour was last year.

When the Commish was being introduced over the PA at the Pond last night, people started to boo. His response?

"It's OK, bring out the gimp"

What a loser! Does he have epilepsy? I believe he had 3 blinks per second during his speech. I'd rather have Alanis Morrissette out there presenting the Cup than that stumbling, bumbling fool!