Sweet Tea, Barbecue, and Bodychecks

The Hurricanes have instituted a new rule at the RBC, which has a handful of fans plenty steamed:

“No autographs will be given during training camp, practices, or any pre-game skates while inside the RBC Center. Autographs are available after practice on regular practice days only, not after pre-game skates or after games.“

The reaction is a bit mixed, but there are a few folks that are all up in arms over this.

Personally? All for it–and I say this as somebody who used to hang out “out back” after just about every home game to say hey to folks, wave g’bye to team buses (and, if it was the Red Wings, to throw hexes on ‘em), and give good-natured grief to visiting fans. It was my social time, and I met a lot of neat people because of it. But I also saw more than a few freaky stalker types and more than a few sellers.

There were collectors, too; like Mike from Asheboro, who has possibly the biggest collection of hockey cards that I have ever seen (and wants to get as many of them signed as possible, just to say he did it), and the McConnell Clan with their 293774 kids (who have a collection that’s about as large). Those folks I do feel bad for, especially Mike–who drives up to Raleigh for just about every home game on nights when he’s gotta be to work early the next morning–and other fans that come from the far reaches of the Carolinas to see their team.

Hell, I’ve got my own collection of signed memorabilia that I hold dear. I would never sell any of it, and I have a moral objection to people that aren’t even fans and just want to sell signed merchandise for personal gain (especially people that use their kids (or unsuspecting fans–”hey, can you get this signed for me?”) to get autographs or–like notorious Thrashers “fan” Grandma (of whom poor Frankie Kaberle is scared shitless and about whom I and many Thrashers fans can tell quite a few stories), claim that it’s for their kids or grandkids only to turn around and hawk it on eBay or whatever). Folks like that, I have no sympathy for whatsoever.

And then there are the stalkers*–one of the more notorious ones was Pippi Longstalker, who has been stalking Bates Battaglia since the dawn of time it seems. This girl used to haunt practices and games (with her mother aiding and abetting her, no less!), hoping to get Batesy to notice her so she could land him as a meal ticket. She went to every Hurricanes game. And when I say every game, I mean every. game. Home AND road. This girl really got bad after I stopped hanging out “out back”–she’s followed Bates home on several occasions, once almost plowing right into a local TV news van in her haste to get on after Bates’ Escalade. People like that, I don’t feel sorry for.

Besides, as Miz Beth points out, we Caniacs still have it the best of any team in the NHL when it comes to getting your memorabilia signed by your favorite Hurricane (or ex-Cane). So stop frickin’ whining and get your ass to the RecZone on a practice day if you’re so all-fired hot to get a signature or two on your prized authentic $texas-costing RBK shoulder-piped funky-zoom System Shock Jersey. It’s not that hard, really.

Just my two cents on that–and at least now the RBC has something in writing, rather than engaging in their usual HUA nonsense of some securebots being properly programmed while the rest just get left to their AI’s own devices (which isn’t very I, if you ask me).

*:by “stalker”, I do not refer to those of us fans–male or female–that love to gawk at players they find hot. I guarantee you that the bulk of us that stood “out back” and make risqué comments about this or that player are gawkers, not stalkers.

1. Beth says:

   7 September, 2007 at 7:27 am

   I didn’t know about Bates’ psycho stalker. Jeez. Taking fandom to that creepy restraining-order place, well, isn’t fandom.
2. vakfan says:

   7 September, 2007 at 10:27 am

   Did they institute that rule because it was too much for the players or because of any security issues? In europe we don´t have any regulations like that. When you arrive at a game 90min before the opening face off, you have players warming up around the stadium or playing soccer in front of it. You can get whatever you want, but to be honestly you hardly ever see somebody talking to a player…
3. acidqueen says:

   7 September, 2007 at 11:33 am

   In my opinion, the rule is partly (as in, a very very small part) player-driven and mostly security and logistics-driven. The north end of the RBC Center has two parking lots right next to it, and that can cause a problem if you have people that want to exit those lots and fans clogging the avenues of egress to get something signed.

   The Hurricanes are possibly the most easily-accessible team in the NHL. I think that somebody in the offices finally realized that the risk was starting to outweigh the reward, and this is an attempt to provide some kind of balance.

   Again, just my opinion.
4. vakfan says:

   7 September, 2007 at 11:45 am

   yes, sounds reasonable. Thank you.
5. Mer says:

   7 September, 2007 at 1:44 pm

   I feel enough like a stalker just going to watch them practice. Hub has been after me to go get my Brindy 1000 pt puck signed, but I just don’t have the nerve to go hang out behind the RBC. That just seems so stalkerish to me.

   I have no problems with the policy. I feel so lucky just to attend a practice.
6. Fred says:

   7 September, 2007 at 3:47 pm

   I put a note on Beth’s blog about this same topic.

   If you want autographs, go to the Caniac Carnival and stand in line for a armband. I went last year and nearly got my jersey all signed up.

   If you don’t want the players thinking you are a seller, personalize the autograph.

   Say, “Sign it “To Fred”‘. They know you won’t be able to sell that.
7. Kate says:

   8 September, 2007 at 4:55 pm

   I have no problem with it. There are still plenty of opprotunities to get things signed.
8. 2Loud says:

   9 September, 2007 at 2:56 am

   This is a great policy!