Deadspin.com has an article up reporting that a Red Wings fan who is going by Tommy B., was ejected from game one Wednesday night and fined $500 for throwing an octopus onto the Joe Louis Arena ice.
Here is Tommy B’s account from the Deadspin website…
I have gone to 90 percent of the Detroit Red Wings playoff games over the last eight years. I toss an octopus per tradition in Game 1 and with eight games left. I have thrown eight octopi in the last five years.
I walked into the arena with it in a bag. They asked me what in the bag when I walk in. I showed it. They said have fun. After the first Wings goal, [and] after 5 octopus have been tossed, I threw mine. In my hand, asinine, walking from the upper deck to the lower, every guard and security person let me down and said “go.” I walked down 25 seats and tossed it on the ice during the stoppage after the goal and they were cheering me.
All of a sudden, a guy from there said, “You’re going to jail. Come with me.” Granted, not a thing happened to the prior folks, or any other game. I went down and was charged. Really, it’s AN octopus in Detroit in a hockey game! They kick me out, fined me $500 and I have to go to court. I paid $150 for my ticket [but] now will pay $500 more. That’s $217 a period.
When I asked the cops they were laughing and said [Commissioner Gary] Bettman started the rule at the start of the 2nd period. Really new rules. In between periods.
Bettman, you are terrible. It’s not an airplane. It’s an octopus, although you wouldn’t know [about] tradition.
Longtime Red Wings goaltender Chris Osgood sounded off on the incident and took aim at NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.
Here is video from 97.1 The Ticket…
Whether it be tinkering with the game or having teams play in parts of the United States that don’t even see snow or ice throughout the year NHL fans and hockey fans in general have developed a general disgust for the NHL boss.
Now I can see why the NHL would be concerned about octopus flying from the stands and hitting a player or ref.
However what is next?
Is Gary Bettman going to ban hats from flying on the ice when a player gets a hat trick out of fear that a player may skate over it, fall and end his career? Or is he going to ban souvenirs or food from being sold at games since that can make its way onto the playing surface as well?
The bottom line is that this is a tradition that dates back all the way to the original six era of the NHL and it is a tradition that simply shouldn’t be messed with.
Source: Deadspin.com