Carolina Hurricanes

[DCMetroRaleigh]

I called Easley's office and gave them an earful. You can call the Office at 919.733.4240.

[ncwebguy]

How far did the Hurricanes have to advance before a *handful* of banners went up on *only* Dawson and McDowell? Compare this to the CIAA and MEAC tournaments. Ugh. They should have been up as soon as they clinched the Southeast division, or at the latest the end of the regular season. They should be on every post that can hold a banner, even on Fayetville Street even with the construction.

Someone should tell Gov. Easley he doesn't have to worry about driving for this sport... Maybe as a good Southener he's afraid of slipping on ice in June? If I were mayor, or even on city council, I would be wearing at least a Canes pin, if not a sweater, to meetings. Or is supporting the hockey team, like supporting TTA and downtown, a "political issue"? Do people still complain the RBC Center is a waste of taxpayer money? Progressives should jump on this as a "see, we were right" example of how investing in public projects now pays off huge dividens down the road.

I wonder if Bates's place around the corner will have any kind of celebration LOL. I probably won't watch tonight, because the last game I watched was while ID checking at Raleigh Downtown Alive and we know how that ended...

A parade from the RBC Center down Hillsborough Street to the Capitol would be a symbol for all of north carolina. A stage that could be seen from Hillsborough and Salisbury should accomodate the crowd expected. Run free buses and trolleys from the parking decks on Wilmington to the area. No govenor? His loss. He has been as "supportive" as Dole and Burr, which is to say not at all.

[raleightransplant]

This is absolutely hilarious! We get this AWESOME hockey team that dominates the whole season, and we're caught with no clue what to do?!!

Ice cream and punch? HAHAHAHA!!! This is a booming metropolitan area with people coming from all corners of the globe....ACT LIKE IT! I hope this does blow up in everyones face..and celebrations pop up all over the city. Just like the little .25 of ice last winter---this city has NO CLUE how to deal with anything!

[DCMetroRaleigh]

LOPEY says this over at Raleighing:

Everyone stands back and asks "why isn't raleigh hip?". i dont even like sports, but that answer is obvious. everyone has a stick in their bums holding the city down. it goes beyond sports into the arts and city planning, but sport-specific, you have to let people go a little crazier than usual. ice cream and punch? this isnt a church garage sale. RBC center lot? why not walmarts lot, its probably bigger and more convenient for caniacs. i vote close glenwood south from hillsborough st to peace st. or something. raleigh cant grow cause its too lame to want to. which is more appealing to people: a city where people get excited and celebrate THE ONLY NATIONAL TITLE WON BY A CAROLINA TEAM, or one where the city has to plan a parade around a parking lot. my brain is bleeding over you

Posted by: Sloan Barbazon {sodEmoji.{sodEmoji.|}} 14 June 2006 at 11:12 AM

OK, forget my "World Class city" comment. I must have lost my mind in the fervor of the Stanley Cup running through my mind.

I don't care what the plans are. People are going to go where they want, and I'm going to be in Glenwood South tonight. I may be wrong, but this snaffu could make us look like a bunch of small town hicks on the national stage.

http://www.raleighing.com/2006/06/canes_on...e.html#comments

[DCMetroRaleigh]

Please make sure you call the Mayor and Governor and let them know how you feel.

[dwntwnraleigh]

ncwebguy,

Just for clarification, there are banners up all over Downtown Raleigh - not just on the two streets mentioned. All told, more than 100 banners were put up across Downtown, at a considerable cost.

Additionally, there was also the distribution of thousands of "Whatever it takes" posters that are displayed in most of the storefront windows, and in Glenwood South, there were full-color player cutouts adhered to the storefront window displays.

I agree that the parade situation is hard to swallow - and believe me, a lot of people are working on this right now. It truly isn't a systemic issue, but rather a leadership issue. It would be easier with the Governor or Mayor's support, but right now that appears unlikely. However, the Canes have indicated that they don't want to make any decision right now in fear of jinxing the team, but additional conversations & considerations will take place.

[bullcity76]

This would be a major embarassment for the Raleigh and the Triangle as whole. Imagine the helicopter shots o f the vast parking lot!!! Uwww Weeee!!! Maybe the family oriented event is gonna be at the RBC while the beer-infused party is going to be on Hillsborough.

First, the city rejects a creative lighting plan...now this. BTW, the score is tied 3-3 going into the third period. I have no clue but is that the final period. That's how huge this is...a non-hockey fan like me watching the game and pullin for the home team!!!

[Dale]

I'm actually a little concerned right now. Any illusion that the Oilers were vulnerable was certainly shattered tonight. They were focused and ferocious.

Don't put the champagne on ice just yet. This could go down to the wire.

[dmccall]

Channel 11 asked me to talk to them yesterday about this topic, so I obliged. One thing they said on XM is that this parade talk was "cocky". I said on 11 that we're having a celebration for this team win or lose, so we are not presuming anything!

[dmccall]

I thought the crowd was weak. There was noise at times, but I got really tired of "Let's Go Canes" and "Let's Go Hurricanes". It was so overdone that it became white noise. Not ONCE did the crowd get on their goaltender. Where was the U-S-A, U-S-A cheer? Where were the chants for particular players of ours?

Part of the problem is that the Canes priced out the regulars. I saw many lower level regulars up on the 3rd level and I saw a LOT of people on the first level that I KNOW have never been to more than a handful of hockey games. I mean the laid back ITBers who showed up just expecting to see the Cup and history and can afford those prices. There were also WAY too many 5 year olds there draped on daddy's shoulder. This is big-time and serious. Get a sitter and bring your "A" game people!! All it all it was a great game, but the experience has gotten watered down a bit, which is unfortunate.

We have to look at this as strike 1. We'll be very focused on Sat night. Given the way things go with me (went last night with my camera, going to Roanoke, VA this weekend to see inlaws), we'll win on Saturday night.

[DanRNC]

I don't know-I am predicting a game 7 with the winner up in the air.

[Subway Scoundrel]

Dmccall, I agree. I told an Edmonton fan that these are our "Fifth line fans." Too many suits, too many people, who if they actually watched the canes this year, watch it from their couch and on a 50 inch plasma. No way was that a very loud crowd.

The whole night was disapointing from play on the boards, to being outskated to goalie rebounds to bad defense to "lets tailgate and be part of the scene" crowd. I hope those people at least buy a 10 pack ticket plan next year or go to a game next year on a Tuesday night as a walk up and cheer on the team.

[g-man430]

LET'S GO CANES!!!!

[jumboman]

i watched game 5 on tv last night and i was impressed with the crowd. it was very loud and the lower level looked like it was standing for at least the last 6 minutes of the 3rd period.

i'm proud of yall for supporting the team the whole year, but seriously yall, we're all canes fans. i went to 2 regular season games, had a blast, screamed and cheered every chance i got. does the fact that i went to 8 playoff games make me a bandwagon fan? i dont think so.

i guess what i'm tryin to say is... if you followed them from hartford to greensboro to raleigh, or you just found out raleigh has a hockey team and cheered for them on TV, really the only difference is how worn out and faded your car flag is. please dont turn into pretentious canadian fans who think only they know hockey.

CANIAC NATION!

[Durhamite]

What a game! I went to 2 bars last night in Durham and each was fairly pact with people. The crowds were very diverse and on edge. It was the first time we tried to comprehend the rules (penalty calls, iceing, etc).

Yes, there is love for the Canes in Durham! Sorry it took me so long to get on board and I WILL attend some games next year (To Subway: at least 10 games for me!). It was a dissapointing loss but getting a better understanding gave me an appreciation for what was happening.

I think a lot us hockey fan novices could use an overview of the rules (those who want to become true fans and not just screaming for the team in red).

No, I want be a fairweather fan, I'm a sports fanatic, just new to hockey.

[CliffyB]

Every time I start to think this town is growing up a bit I see something like this happen and I just shake my head.

[dmccall]

please dont turn into pretentious canadian fans who think only they know hockey.

I really didn't mean what I wrote personally and as a blanket statement toward anyone who hasn't been to many games. However I'll just say that on Ron Francis night there was a certain magic in the building. Last night just seemed like a lot of people who had a "they BETTER win the cup" attitude. RF Night was like a great night in Cameron Indoor Stadium vs. Maryland while last night was like UNC playing GT in the Dean Dome. Both are good and all teams involved are respectable, but Duke's crowd does more to freak the opponent out and help their team than the Dean Dome crowds do.

Being loud for loud's sake and chanting the same two cheers all night doesn't exactly pump up our team any more than it does EDM, nor does it do ANYTHING to knock EDM off of their game. We needed to do original cheers, heckling the goaltender, chanting things in English that everyone on the ice and watching on TV can hear. That kind of thing is impressive and that is what happened on Ron Francis night. Last night was just aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh rraaaaaaaa.

[avery]

Seems like the N&O took another stab at the parade or lack there of in the paper this morning. I enjoyed the read

http://www.newsobserver.com/105/story/451272.html

[CliffyB]

Seems like the N&O took another stab at the parade or lack there of in the paper this morning. I enjoyed the read

http://www.newsobserver.com/105/story/451272.html

I just got off the phone with the Mayor's office.

890 3050

Now, IF they win...

The rather nice lady I spoke with informed me that the president had called and requested that the Canes be in DC within 48 hours of the victory for some sort of event. (Meet and greet?)

And then when I called her on the RBC center plan she said "Don't believe everything you read in the papers." Apparently Meeker is a HUGE hockey fan and LOVES downtown and is seeing what he can do about making a "real" parade happen on a real street.

::fingers crossed::

Regarding post game goofiness - she said that they never have a formal plan to go crazy on Hillsborough or Franklin street, people just go there. So I plan on being on Glen South if they win on Saturday.

Who's with me?

[Justin6882]

Wow, that article was awesome - I think it summed up most of my frustrations with this city very very nicely. I'm with Cliffy on this one - Glenwood is the logical place for a huge throwdown IF the Cane's win on Saturday.

I hope that article makes the city leadership stand up and take notice. And I think we can thank our own dmccall for stirring a little of this up - thanks Raleighing!

[raleightransplant]

Great to see this article. If people push to make Raleigh a more exciting downtown, the leadership is then forced to take notice. Meeker is a big downtown supporter, so I was shocked if they wouldn't at least hold it somewhere downtown.

Let's just hope we can actually WIN the thing. I'm concerned after what I saw the other night! Let's close it in Edmonton.

[dmccall]

they never have a formal plan to go crazy on Hillsborough or Franklin street, people just go there. So I plan on being on Glen South if they win on Saturday.

Thanks for making the call. She is right about Hillsborough St 1983, but she is wrong about Chapel Hill during the many years UNC has been in the final four recently (95, 97, 98, 00, 05), however. When UNC won the semifinals and got into a position to win the championship, the town planned to close Franklin and Pittsboro Streets from blocks A to B yada yada. They also planned to have X number of cops on the scene, and didn't allow any on the street parking before the potential celebration.

I just don't see why it's easier to have a parade for a football team (that finished 4th in the conference and beat a simply good team in an exhibition game) than it is for World Champions.

It sounds to me like City Hall is changing its tune a bit, which is fine. It's not like there is even a small faction of people who say a lap around the RBC is a great idea. EVERYONE is pushing for downtown.

[CliffyB]

Thanks for making the call. She is right about Hillsborough St 1983, but she is wrong about Chapel Hill during the many years UNC has been in the final four recently (95, 97, 98, 00, 05), however. When UNC won the semifinals and got into a position to win the championship, the town planned to close Franklin and Pittsboro Streets from blocks A to B yada yada. They also planned to have X number of cops on the scene, and didn't allow any on the street parking before the potential celebration.

I just don't see why it's easier to have a parade for a football team (that finished 4th in the conference and beat a simply good team in an exhibition game) than it is for World Champions.

Because this area is still getting used to the idea of Hockey?

[Subway Scoundrel]

Yes, there is love for the Canes in Durham! Sorry it took me so long to get on board and I WILL attend some games next year (To Subway: at least 10 games for me!). It was a dissapointing loss but getting a better understanding gave me an appreciation for what was happening.

I think a lot us hockey fan novices could use an overview of the rules (those who want to become true fans and not just screaming for the team in red).

No, I want be a fairweather fan, I'm a sports fanatic, just new to hockey.

Good to see people on board. I do think the biggest thing is get past the basic rules and from then, the game only gets more interesting.

Per my message, I hope I did not sound like a krumudgen. I want all the fans that can be had. I want the regualr season games to sell out, the bars full of people watching the game on Monday nights against a WC team and such. I followed hockey a little when younger but got full season tickets 5 years ago to "get out of the office" so I would not work all night. I took my radio in and listened to Chuck Kaiton the first season on the RBC/Canes radio network and learn more than just the rules. After that, I learned something more each season. I think this year I learned more than ever and I am in my 5th year of hard core hockey. I can talk to the Canadiens about hockey and I get the surprised look as I am only suppose to know about turning left on a oval track. I meet them while traveling and I find I sometimes know more about the game, or at least can pretend to

So everyone is welcomed and please support the team. This bandwagon still has a lot of room (Maybe JJ should have taken the bandwagon home Monday night !!) I bet he was watching the canes game somewhere !!

My post above was meant as for a winning Stanley cup finals game for the Cup, the stands appeared to be not as loud as it had been or could have been. Even the guy on 850Buzz this morning was saying the same thing.

So, everyone, at least go buy your 10 game season pass today !!!

[ncwebguy]

Is there any interest in a game six watching meetup somewhere, just in case of you know what?

Glenwood south seems to be the most likely "hot spot" due to the concentration of nightlife...

Any preferences? Lucky B's, Hi 5, and Stool Pigeons are the closest things to sports bars there, though Flying Saucer, Mellow Mushroom, Hibernian, Hard Times, South End, etc. will all have the game.

The GF is out of town, so I don't have any plans yet.