Posted on 05/23/2008 7:42:18 PM PDT by swampdweller
With Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Detroit Red Wings set for Joe Louis Arena on Saturday night, angst over one of the postseason's biggest controversies continues to linger in the Motor City: The NHL's decision to ban octopus twirling on the ice.
Tossing octopi on the ice has been a Detroit hockey tradition dating back to 1952, and longtime arena operations manager Al Sobotka has been whipping around cephalopods to whip Wings fans into a frenzy since 1991. But back in the first round of the playoffs, the NHL vowed to hit the team with a $10,000 fine if Sobotka or anyone else dared twirl an octopus thrown onto the playing surface. The decision sparked massive and immediate fan protests, but the policy has remained in place.
This week, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman defended the League's decision on WDFN's "The Stoney and Wojo Show," claiming the twirl ban is an issue of safety:
"Actually, there's a very good reason for it. We haven't fined or given a delay of game penalty for the throwing of the octopus because we understand and respect the tradition. Having said that, when you swing the octopus around - and I don't know the exact term for it -- but octopus 'gunk' gets on the ice and occasionally has gotten on the players -- the goaltenders -- as it goes by. Occasionally, when it freezes on the ice, it creates a potentially hazardous situation for the players. It's not about interfering with a tradition; it's about making sure nobody gets it in their eyes, like a goaltender nearby, or that nobody blows out a knee getting caught on some frozen gunk."
Somehow, blowing out a knee on octopus goo has escaped us on injury reports for the last 17 years.
The Detroit News has a terrific mini-documentary that details octopus tossing history, and the passion, the sights and the smells that go along with it. While Sobotka's great on-ice tradition has been halted, the News reports he can still swing the octopi on the concourse.
A. He told her: I wanna hold your hand, hand, hand, hand, hand, hand, hand, hand.
I’d guess in Asian markets or specialty markets. They were pretty easy to find in California and Atlanta. Haven’t tried where I currently reside.
Hillary's Pant suit
LOLOL!
Squid-Mart
Robin Goodfellow to pay Bettman.
Cephalopod Warehouse.
If you buy a perished octopus, it should be for food.
As far as sports, bring back the days prior to where the 49’s were reigning, and car for, sports where they were getting 240 mph down the straits at Le Mans and Daytona.
Thanks, that makes sense.
So how come people don’t throw cows on the court for the Final Four? Four games, four legs!
No wait! Spider monkeys would be better cus you could swing by their cute little tails!
My grammar stands corrected, but I warn you - this could be a full time job.
Spell-check thinks it’s “octopuses.”
I go to Octopus City, which is a subsidiary of Spatula City Conglomerate, LLC(serving all your spatula needs).
It just doesn't WHIRL the same!
would like to see that....cow throwing! how many players to throw a cow?
It got out of hand with the Florida Panther fans when they started throwing rubber rats on the ice. There would be thousands of them and it took forever to clear the ice.
What next? Bettman banning the throwing of hats on the ice for hat tricks?
Florida almost went all the way that year if I remember correctly and haven’t done squat since the ban,
Sorry for the delay of game, but the rink is octopied.
Just double-checking... science recognizes no known freshwater species of octopi.
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