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Note To Mr. I: Set aside 100K. No, Set aside 400K
by IwoCPO on 04/27/08 at 11:10 AM ET
Comments (30)
Little Gary Bettman has taken Octogate a step further. As John Niyo points out, he’s now stationed an off-ice official at the Joe’s ice entrance to prevent Al Sobotka from even touching an Octopus, much less swing it.
Last game, as you’ll remember, Sobotka waited and waited for the linesmen to do his old job for him—there’s a skill to it, they discovered—then after they brought the octopus to him, he swung it in the tunnel, and the fans roared as the JLA jumbotron showed him twirling in exile.
Saturday, Van Massenhoven was there to make sure that didn’t happen, apparently. The first octopus was picked up by Avs rookie Cody McLeod, who taunted the Wings’ bench with his catch and then hurled it over the visitors’ bench and into the crowd. But the two splats that followed at the other end of the ice—a message to the NHL front office, I’d say—were scooped up by linesmen, who then passed them down the chain of command, bypassing Sobotka.
Pathetic. A little issue taken on by a little man.
10K per Sobotka incident is the going fine. I think I heard somewhere that Mike Ilitch is worth more than 8 trillion dollars, 6 trillion after taxes.
Mike, send the league a check. Pre-paid fines. Get Sobotka on the ice after every history-laden toss of the Octopus. Al, do your thing. Twirl that bastard like Darren Garcia with a baton. If a punk-ass Dive can pick one up, throw it in the crowd, wearing rubber gloves as a sign of pre-meditation? No fine there, of course.
Ilitch is already an icon in Detroit. If he tells Bettman to stick this issue up his ass? An even bigger hero.
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Comments
The Wings organization has had three games now to come out and have some balls about this. They’re not going to.
The Freep has proven that the NHL’s stated reason for this new rule is B.S. The league itself has proven that those reasons are false by allowing McLeod to throw without a fine yesterday.
The players have commented on it, Al has commented on it, but the Detroit organization has remained painfully silent.
By not speaking out against it, the organization is seen to be agreeing with it. And that is so incredibly disappointing.
Posted by Clark on 04/27/08 at 11:46 AM ET
I’m sure Ilitch and Holland are doing what they can behind the scenes. Believe it or not, it’s in the organization’s best interests not to be on the league office’s bad side. Want that outdoor game at Yankee Stadium? Looking forward a real schedule, like the one the Wings proposed? Making a fuss about this now will not help.
It’s a stupid rule, and everyone knows it’s a stupid rule. But they can’t change it now. Maybe Ilitch will pay the fine to let Sobotka swing a ‘pus in the finals, but it’s not worth it now.
Posted by Ryan from Toronto on 04/27/08 at 11:58 AM ET
question:
everybody has been talking about secondary scoring and how we’re getting it from Franzen for one. but now that Franzen played the way he did the last month of the reg season, has 7 goals in 8 games in the playoffs and a hat trick, does he even count as secondary scoring any more?
Posted by PaulinMiamiBeach on 04/27/08 at 12:16 PM ET
Paul- Franzen only counts as secondary scoring when Pavel, Hank, and Homer starting lighting it up on a regular basis.
Posted by mudshark from Divetown, Colorado on 04/27/08 at 12:18 PM ET
I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=dib2-HBsF08
Posted by VooX from Behind the Bar in the Hasek Club Car on 04/27/08 at 12:22 PM ET
Rubber gloves, eh?
Rubber glove (singular). From giving Petey his traditional pre-game pelvic.
McCleod probably just forgot to take it off. Or maybe he left it on hoping it would inspire him to a 0-SOG/4-PIM/-1 performance—which it did.
Posted by O-Joe on 04/27/08 at 12:24 PM ET
$10,000 isn’t that like a DUMP TRUCK full of octopus?
Maybe an enterprising business might want to donate for the cause of dumping $10,000 of octopi onto Bettman’s driveway… give ‘em a couple of days to rot a bit first though.
Bettman = Little man with a little penis
Posted by VooX from Behind the Bar in the Hasek Club Car on 04/27/08 at 12:28 PM ET
I guess it’s McLeod, not McCleod. Shows how much I pay attention to the little Minge.
Posted by O-Joe on 04/27/08 at 12:34 PM ET
By not speaking out against it, the organization is seen to be agreeing with it. And that is so incredibly disappointing.
I disagree completely. Fans love it because Al seems genuine and the whole thing is a little subversive. Once the organization gets behind it and endorses it, then it’s only a matter of time before it becomes the Bell Tire Twirl or the Little Ceasars Seafood Pizza Moment. They can’t support it publicly, or they risk ruining it altogether.
Posted by Gabriel from San Diego, CA on 04/27/08 at 12:38 PM ET
I’m sure Ilitch and Holland are doing what they can behind the scenes. Believe it or not, it’s in the organization’s best interests not to be on the league office’s bad side. Want that outdoor game at Yankee Stadium? Looking forward a real schedule, like the one the Wings proposed? Making a fuss about this now will not help.
Agreed that working behind the scenes is what would work best, but that the team hasn’t even come out and said anything leads me to believe that’s not happening.
They could say something like “We’re aware that our fans are not happy about this change and are working with the NHL to find a solution that will allow this great tradition to be respected while still dealing with the league’s valid concerns.”
But they haven’t even done that.
Posted by Clark on 04/27/08 at 12:39 PM ET
I disagree completely. Fans love it because Al seems genuine and the whole thing is a little subversive. Once the organization gets behind it and endorses it, then it’s only a matter of time before it becomes the Bell Tire Twirl or the Little Ceasars Seafood Pizza Moment. They can’t support it publicly, or they risk ruining it altogether.
We’re going to have to agree to disagree, I think. There’s a place between supporting it and sponsoring it.
Posted by Clark on 04/27/08 at 12:43 PM ET
I would enjoy seeing an Octopus on the ice at the Pepsi can. 
Posted by w2j2 on 04/27/08 at 12:48 PM ET
They could say something like “We’re aware that our fans are not happy about this change and are working with the NHL to find a solution that will allow this great tradition to be respected while still dealing with the league’s valid concerns.
That would be the professional response!
I have to wonder why Buttman continues to have issues with Detriot. Why can’t he be taken to court for violating freedom of expression?
Posted by dwingsrock on 04/27/08 at 12:54 PM ET
how about an Octopus Pot at the Joe for every game. fans can donate a couple dollars to the Wings to pay the fine.
Posted by PaulinMiamiBeach on 04/27/08 at 12:58 PM ET
I disagree completely. Fans love it because Al seems genuine and the whole thing is a little subversive. Once the organization gets behind it and endorses it, then it’s only a matter of time before it becomes the Bell Tire Twirl or the Little Ceasars Seafood Pizza Moment. They can’t support it publicly, or they risk ruining it altogether.
Gotta agree with Gabe here. The only commercial enterprise I could stomach sponsoring the octo-toss would be Pete Cusimano’s fish store- and I have no idea if they are still in operation (1955 was a while ago, you know)...
I would enjoy seeing an Octopus on the ice at the [Ass] can.
I have a strong suspicion you will get your wish, w2j2…
Call it a hunch…
Posted by mudshark from Divetown, Colorado on 04/27/08 at 12:59 PM ET
or fans should throw fake octopi out there so no pieces will come off when Al swings it around.
Posted by PaulinMiamiBeach on 04/27/08 at 12:59 PM ET
The octopus throw is a Red Wing-sponsored event anyway. Does anyone really think Joe Fan can just sneak in with an octopus strapped around his waist without the organization’s approval? Whoever’s doing it must get a free pass from security.
Even if the Wings aren’t orchestrating the toss behind the scenes, they can’t very well go to the League and say, “It’s against the rules for the fans to throw things on the ice, but we want you to give us a further break on that by letting us reward our crowd for breaking the rule.”
Obviously, I think history and heritage should supercede that rule, especially if the toss is done only under certain conditions (which it generally is). But if 29 other teams go crying to the NHL about it, who is the League going to listen to? The Wings can throw around all the weight they want, but they only have so much.
Posted by Matt Saler from Grand Rapids, MI on 04/27/08 at 01:06 PM ET
or fans should throw fake octopi out there so no pieces will come off when Al swings it around.
That’s a great idea!
Let’s undress Gary (revolting thought) and see if it is actually about the octopus debris. I doubt it.
Posted by lilja4ever on 04/27/08 at 01:08 PM ET
We’re going to have to agree to disagree, I think.
Clark, I disagree.
Actually, I think they have supported it by allowing Al to do it in the first place. And Matt’s right. The last time I put a cephalopod in my pants, it was pretty obvious.
Posted by Gabriel from San Diego, CA on 04/27/08 at 01:19 PM ET
This specimen could swallow Little Gary whole.
I want one.
Posted by Nate A from Detroit-ish on 04/27/08 at 01:27 PM ET
The last time I put a cephalopod in my pants, it was pretty obvious.
It’s like they say, Gabe, “every man has his own cephalopod to bear…”
Posted by mudshark from Divetown, Colorado on 04/27/08 at 01:27 PM ET
I offer a supplemental game recap for Mile High Hockey…
Posted by TeamDub from The gratch. on 04/27/08 at 02:06 PM ET
Once again for the fans. The Al Sobotka petition. I think there are about 7000 signatures right now.
petitiononline.com/octopus8/petition.html
Posted by Kate from Pa.-made in Detroit on 04/27/08 at 02:17 PM ET
Sorry folks it’s,
http://www.petitiononline.com/octopus8/petition.html
Posted by Kate from Pa.-made in Detroit on 04/27/08 at 02:19 PM ET
Nice, Dub.
Lil’ Gary’s next act will be to ban hat-tricks in Detroit. Messes up the ice.
Posted by O-Joe on 04/27/08 at 03:20 PM ET
Actually, I think they have supported it by allowing Al to do it in the first place.
Well it was easy when that support meant they got to put videos of flying and twirling octopi on the big screen at the Joe. It’s easy when they’re selling “Al the Octopus” plush dolls and t-shirts throughout the playoffs.
I just have this feeling that it’s not 29 other teams against the Wings. I’m pretty sure that if push came to shove, most of them would be pretty neutral lest they risk their own traditions coming under fire, which is why I think the Wings could get away with challenging this if they really wanted to.
Posted by Clark on 04/27/08 at 03:46 PM ET
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Rubber gloves, eh? Gary Bettman continues to piss me off. Swing away in the next one Al!
Posted by John in Austin from Austin, Texas on 04/27/08 at 11:28 AM ET