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Parking Lots Rule!


NJD Jester

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There were a couple of articles about this in the Raleigh New & Observer, whether they would find a venue for a traditional parade or do the parking lot party. I was torn. NJ is no longer unique...but maybe that's a good thing. Now they can laugh at someone else. :P

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I guarantee you they won't get nearly as much heat as we did for our parking lot celebrations. I bet any coverage of it is actually positive. Man, they don't give much advance notice though. They won it yesterday, the celebration is today. At least we always had a few days to adjust our schedules for ours. I'm very interested to see how many people turn out for this. As for giveaways, I've got piles of giveaways from our past celebrations, all sorts of signs and posters, although it wasn't announced they'd be giving anything away in advance in order for us to show up.

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Doc mentioned to JD last night, that the 1995 Devils were the first team to start the tradition of having each player spend one day with the Cup and its been done ever since.

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Two different schools of thought on this: It was great to see the Yanks, Mets, Rags and Knicks driving down the canyon of heros on Broadway during their celebrations. But you were wedged in tight and couldn't wait to see them so you could flee down the subway steps to get away from the madness (and the pickpockets). On the other hand, the parking lot celebration was more like a Fair or Carnival, with free flowing movement and booths and so forth. Even though that too was a bit of a madhouse, I still liked it better. At least you could breathe.

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It is a parade and celebration in the parking lot. RBC has a road that basically runs a circle around it. They are having the parade down that street then they have bands and a stage set up in the parking lot so the players can come and do basically what the Devs have done before or at least what I have seen on the Stanley Cup 2003 video. My husband said they were having a parade tomorrow downtown as well. I'm leaving in about 30 minutes to go. The only thing they announced they were giving away was some mugs to the first however many people. Considering the parking lot opened at 4 and I won't be getting there until 6:30 I doubt my hubby will get one. I hope people aren't so shallow that they are going for the mug. That would be ridiculous if they think that is going to draw that many people. I am going because I love the sport of hockey and I respect The Cup itself.

When the Devils do it again (soon I hope) I will be making the drive to go. :evil:

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I'm not sure what to make of this article. It's a bit odd that they would highlight the fan discussing making it a 'new tradition' when, well, it isn't. They aren't the first to do it. It's not unique, it isn't even their tradition.

http://www.newsobserver.com/796/story/452990.html

Hurricanes Day

30,000 fans celebrate the red-hot team in Carolina style

David Bracken, Toby Coleman and Rachel Carter, Staff Writers

RALEIGH - An estimated 30,000 Carolina Hurricanes fans gathered under a scorching sun Tuesday for a Stanley Cup victory parade that had the trappings of a Southern summer festival.

"This is uniquely Carolina," said Leigh LeClair, a season ticket holder who showed up to salute the team as it rolled through the RBC Center parking lot in Jeeps, trucks and cars. "It's a tailgate party. It's at the arena. ... Since we're the face of the new NHL, we might as well start new traditions."

Each Canes player and his family had a car in the victory parade, held to celebrate their victory over Edmonton on Monday that secured the National Hockey League championship.

The cars inched along so slowly fans could walk up and thank the players for a season of countless memories.

Fan favorite Mike Commodore drank beer from a can and cheered the crowd in return.

Defenseman Glen Wesley carried the Stanley Cup in the last car, and several fans took the opportunity to touch the most heralded trophy in professional sports.

After the parade, Gov. Mike Easley took the stage and pronounced Tuesday "Carolina Hurricanes Day" as the crowd roared.

The celebration included all the activities that have come to define Caniac Nation: Flags flew from pickup beds; the smell of meat wafted from tailgate grills; children played street hockey on the sizzling asphalt; and live music blared in the background.

Many fans arrived at the arena in West Raleigh hungry for souvenirs. The first 18,000 fans who showed up received a commemorative pint glass. By 5 p.m., the line for glasses stretched several hundred yards through the parking lot. The lines to get into The Eye, the RBC Center's merchandise store, were just as long.

Like many fans in attendance Tuesday, Nick Hess, 26, of Raleigh, left work early to attend.

"We're going to ride the crest of this wave as long as we can," he said.

Lisa Wall of Durham left her job at 3:30 p.m. and was among the first people at the front of the stage in the arena's east parking lot.

"Just watching the guys with the cup over their head," Wall said when asked what she was looking forward to the most.

Standing in the sweltering heat was a fitting way for fans to mark the end of two months of nail-biting playoff hockey.

"Mentally, physically, with all the Game 7s, I'm beat," said Keith Johnson, 36, of Wendell.

Not all fans were thrilled about the decision to hold the parade in the RBC Center parking lot.

"I think it's kind of junior high-ish, but you make do with what you can," said Ray Winslow, 45, of Clayton.

Winslow's wife, Holly, disagreed, noting that the arena was the site of many of the team's greatest moments this season.

"This is where we play," she said. "This is where we tailgate."

The city of Raleigh announced Tuesday that it will hold a second Canes parade along Hillsborough Street today. Many fans said they welcome any excuse to celebrate a victory that few thought possible at the beginning of the season.

"Who's going to complain when you can party for two days?" asked Jason Bowen, 31, of Durham.

Some fans already were thinking ahead to next year.

"I want more," said Mike Kennedy, 38, of Holly Springs. "I just hope all the fans come back next year."

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Two different schools of thought on this: It was great to see the Yanks, Mets, Rags and Knicks driving down the canyon of heros on Broadway during their celebrations. But you were wedged in tight and couldn't wait to see them so you could flee down the subway steps to get away from the madness (and the pickpockets). On the other hand, the parking lot celebration was more like a Fair or Carnival, with free flowing movement and booths and so forth. Even though that too was a bit of a madhouse, I still liked it better. At least you could breathe.

:o You've seen the Knicks win?

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You know, Sue, life just began for many of these Canse fans. So it seems tp me that fan woke up that morning and discovered the planet earth. When you just start following something you oftentimes dont go back and see what the rest of the world has been doing for the last 100 years. :D

And yes EXpect, I am truly older than dirt. :o

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You know, Sue, life just began for many of these Canse fans. So it seems tp me that fan woke up that morning and discovered the planet earth. When you just start following something you oftentimes dont go

True, and when attendance dips back down to 12,000 a game in 2 years, Carolina fans will "rediscover" the team during the next Cup run.

<JESTER>

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Doc mentioned to JD last night, that the 1995 Devils were the first team to start the tradition of having each player spend one day with the Cup and its been done ever since.

I thought this tradition went back much farther then this... I have trouble believing the Devils were the first to do this...

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I thought this tradition went back much farther then this... I have trouble believing the Devils were the first to do this...

Some players took the cup home (Messier took it home with him the year before) and so did some coaches (Keenan and Campbell both got to take it home for a night) and the Rangers players travelled in group outings with the Cup the year before, but NJ was the first team to ensure that every single player and coach got one full day with the Cup.

Teams had been working up to it. The star players on the teams usually got to do things like host parties with the Cup (that's how it wound up in Mario Lemieux's pool), and take it places you might not expect (in Edmonton, Messier took it to a strip club). But it had just never gotten to the point where everyone, 4th liners, healthy scratches and all, got their day with the Cup before.

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You know, Sue, life just began for many of these Canse fans. So it seems tp me that fan woke up that morning and discovered the planet earth.

This is an excellent point. Let's look at the Devils' fan base. Isn't this very board full of fans who "woke up that morning and discovered the planet earth"? ("That morning", of course, being three mornings, the days after each Cup.) I'm not so sure we should be taking too many shots at a still-developing fan base when we were in their shoes 10 years ago (and some will argue we're still there).

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