"Signs and Symptoms I"
Raleigh, NC - May 2009 (Click to embiggen)
doesn't happen every year, but when it does it's unmistakable. When the end of the NHL's regular season arrives, the top eight teams in each conference begin the grueling pursuit of the Stanley Cup. Four rounds of best-of-seven and the best hockey you will ever see. If one of the eight teams in the Eastern Conference Playoffs is Raleigh's Carolina Hurricanes, there will be an outbreak of Caniac Fever. Symptoms include spontaneous and thematic decorating by both the public and private sectors, and perhaps most notably periodic gatherings at RDU International Airport when the team charter returns from a road trip. The worst outbreak to date occurred in 2006 when the Canes won their 16th game of the post-season and claimed the ultimate prize. That outbreak lasted well into the following fall.
"Signs and Symptoms II"
Raleigh, NC - May 2009 (Click to embiggen)
of the type pictured above are a sure sign of the condition, and pop up all over the city. Neither the private nor public sectors are immune. As the Hurricanes go deeper into the playoffs, even the state capitol building has been known to fly the team flag from its roof. But the surest and earliest warning sign is the gathering of large groups at the airport on nights when the team travels home. For the seasoned fan, relapses of this symptom occur instantly. For the recent convert or casual observer, it may take longer. But by the time the final game is played, scenes like the one below will play out multiple times. This year there could be an unusually high number of these parties since the Hurricanes will not have have home ice advantage in any round of the playoffs, and both of the first two rounds went the full seven games. The photo below was taken after the most recent of these deciding games. Estimates of crowd size vary widely, but the range seems to be between 500 and 1000. At 2:30 a.m. on a weekday. And the Eastern Conference Finals are just starting.
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16 comments:
shooo, you have a worried there for a bit....
He's a caneiac, caneiac on the floor...
and he's dancing like he's never danced before...
(yea, yea, I know, like you've never heard that one... ;))
--snow
How exciting!
You neither seek nor require inoculation, I am sure! May it all go well for that team down there.
Oh NC is really a sports town. Even hockey, that I didn't realize until today.
my goodness. are you one of these rabid fans too?
i think there was a farm club hockey team here in roanoke for a while...don't know if they are still here or not. needless to say i am not/was not a fan.
enjoyed your post.
I have the opposite to this fever it's called "my team has been relegated to a lower division fever."
Very inventive My World made me lol and sigh at my own teams demise.
Mojo, I'm sorry I'm not a hockey fan...I don't even know the standings of the Islanders...:)
I am glad Your Team is doing so well but I think the devil made them do it!;-)
So much of passion for Hockey. Very interesting. Here it is just cricket and only cricket.
This is exactly what happens in India too - except replace hockey with Cricket!!
Vamsee
http://letsgoforavacation.blogspot.com/
All this sports fever appears to be contagious. Know nothing about hockey, but, hey, a party's a party.
I used to play field hockey, but I'm guessing this is ice hockey that everyone is in a fever over ? :-)
Nothing like a spot of sports rivalry and the scent of victory, to pull a town together :-)
Mojo - hope you aren't sick with this terrible fever!
My that's my world is up now!
http://aguthrieimages.wordpress.com/2009/05/19/thats-my-world-tuesday/
Detroit man, wow.
There's always next year right?
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