Tinfoil Flashmob
A good friend of TPL’s, the lovely Sara, is organizing what I sincerely hope takes off. Prior to Game 3 at Joe Louis Arena tomorrow, she’s imploring fellow Wings fanatics to descend onto the Gordie Howe entrance donning the official headgear of Red Wings Nation: tin-foil hats.
Head over to her LiveJournal for more information. Long story short: even if you’re not a ticketed attendant, you’ll have the chance to meet up with other Wings fans in protest of the ridiculous refereeing fiasco in this series before heading to a bar to get yo’ drank on.
If you’re not familiar with flashmobs (how dare you), check out the video below. I am in and out of Grand Central every single day and if I saw something like this take place, I’d probably wet my pants (TURRRRRISTS!)
Yesterday while getting accosted by Shark fans at the end of the game (things being thrown at us, yelling, fights, sexual harassment, etc), security had to step in, round up remaining Wings fans and escort us out of the HP Pavilion. So, amidst the culling, I met two lovely ladies from Monterey (read: far away) who told me that their stuffed "Al" Octopus — purchased at the JLA and brought with them for luck — had to be "checked" at the gate because security wouldn't let them bring into the arena in fear of them throwing it on the ice. They were sitting in the upper deck seats so only a professional baseball athlete could make that throw… and meanwhile, Shark fans were obviously allowed to bring in all kinds of fin paraphernalia with them.
My point? Basically, we need to start wearing the fucking tin-foil hats I tell you.
Reposting what I posted April 29th: Packing list for Tueday's game at the Joe: Ticket; camera; beer money; tin foil hat; Jeez…what's going on with the calls??
I called a friend of mine who works security at HP Pavilion. He said there was no incident of which he was aware like the one described by Vicky above. Sharks fans at the Pavilion are known for being courteous to other teams' fans. You'd have to be an annoying, raging idiot of a fan to find trouble there.
I'm going to step in here and put the [END] stamp on any comments regarding the Vicky situation. Stephen, I appreciate you bouncing this off your friend who works there…love the idea of pulling in the front lines intel…but there's no need for the "raging idiot of a fan" line. It's a big-ass arena with thousands of people and even if Sharks fans are known as courteous, I'm betting it's entirely possible for a heated situation to get out of hand during the playoffs as Vicky notes.
BOTTOM LINE: We're all about argument here…even arguments that don't make any sense (I've got references)…and Michael and I genuinely love the comments…but the name calling is OVER.
Appreciate you guys understanding.
My name is Brandon Houthoofd. I had the privilage to attend game 2 at the tank. I am an avid Wings fan, and I wore a wings shirt. I found the fans to be like anywhere else…mostly friendly with a few pricks here and there. I ended up walking the parking lot and actually tailgated with some Shark fans. I had a very good time. I received a lot of good natured helckling "boos" as I walked around, but it was all in fun. I did witness a fight after the game in the concourse, but I do not think it is representing of the shark fans, or the wing fans as a whole. I was there by myself, not with a group…if that has any bearing, however I was respectful, and everyone for the most part was respectful of me. I like the good natured heckling, but if I wanted to, I could have easily escalated it…I'm just not that kind of guy. Overall, it was a great expirience, and I would not hesitate to go back. It is a wonderful arena, great place to watch a game. GO WINGS!!!!
Open letter to sharks fans: Thanks for throwing beer, peanuts, and pompoms at my wife and I during the game. Thanks for shouting obscenities during the national anthem. Thanks for having the class to boo your own teammates who won Olympic Gold upon their homecoming.
Stay classy San Jose.
Better image:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4025/4476663540_dc57996ec4_b.jpg
More tin hats.
More buff bloggers.
Better.
Just a reply to this post & poster…
Open letter to sharks fans: Thanks for throwing beer, peanuts, and pompoms at my wife and I during the game. Thanks for shouting obscenities during the national anthem. Thanks for having the class to boo your own teammates who won Olympic Gold upon their homecoming.
Stay classy San Jose
Hey dude, catch a clue, lighten up and grow a pair…Wear the opposing team's jersey into any arena and you're asking to be ridiculed – should you endure physical threats, no, but a few nuts tossed at you is mild compared to the treatment you'd get if you sat in the MS Garden Blues wearing a RW jersey. And I doubt anyone at the Tank would waste a beer by dumping it on your wife…BTW – We don't yell obscenities during the N/A, we simple have a chant that begins before the N/A that tells the visiting goalie that "You Suck" – just good natured ribbing ritual. As for booing our gold medal winning teammates…I'd like to know when that happened..?
I used to sit with the Toronto folks who traveled to Detroit to catch the games all the time. They actually had class and could actually hold their liquor. California is such a joke, but honestly Sharks fans are really hard to hold a grudge against. how can you not feel sorry for a team that always looks so promising, yet chokes so hard in the playoffs. Fear not, they will choke this year too. Big Joe is about to start doing the stupid stuff he's known for as his IQ is about the same as his #, even holmstrom is smarter than that idiot, and that says volumes as holmstrom's nickname is actually "the retard". Nabbie is a sieve and Pavelski needs a concussion and the rest should come easily enough, but it's high time to start a 4 game win streak in the D tonight.