Even sports fans unfamiliar with the finer details of hockey know of the tradition of Red Wings fans hurling an octopus on the ice during the playoffs. Those same people are likely to draw a blank when asked for a defining quirk about the Phoenix Coyotes, other than that Wayne Gretzky was involved with them at one point in time. It is easy to surmise that the Coyotes are at a deficit in the tradition category.↵
Coyotes Fans Plot a Serpentine Reprisal to Red Wings Fans
↵
↵
↵↵Moreover, Phoenix has earned a playoff berth for the first time since 2002. The team was nearly relocated before this season, and with the situation still relatively uncertain, no one knows for sure when, or even if, the team will return to the postseason. Obviously, their fans feel the need to make a splash in the first-round playoffs series that starts up tomorrow evening.↵Entered two hockey bloggers on the SB Nation network. “Chemmy” a writer for their Toronto Maple Leafs blog broached a possible Coyotes rejoinder to the Red Wings octopus toss. Utilizing the magic of soon to be advertisement-laden Twitter, Chemmy suggested to Travis Hair, a writer at SB Nation’s Coyotes blog that Phoenix fans should “Throw The Snake”. Of course, a climatically appropriate animal projectile of their own. Why didn’t anyone think of it sooner?↵
↵
↵A social media groundswell ensued. Dozens of other users retweeted the message. For a time, "Throw The Snake" was the top trending topic in all of Canada. The idea had momentum. Unfortunately, it didn't get the support of Coyotes management, who plan to enforce NHL rules and eject anyone who throws objects onto the ice, be they rubber snakes or whatever. Instead, the team wishes to push the "Whiteout" playoff tradition (where fans all get white shirts) that dates back to the franchise's days in Winnipeg. The problem with that is that fans of the more popular Red Wings are expected to permeate the stands, as is often the case. So rather than energize a fan base often derided as tepid, the team is moving forward with a promotion that will only bring further attention to their inability to dominate their own home arena. Sounds like questionable decision making, but at least no one will have to clean any snakes of the nice.↵
↵
This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.
See More:
