Let's Go Red Wings!!!!!

I think it’s high time you all found out the truth about me. I’m a Wing Nut. Now that doesn’t mean you could find me in a hardware store, what I mean is I am totally and completely in love with the Detroit Red Wings hockey team. I have always been a fan, even back in the old days where they were so bad they had to pass out free car every game, just to fill the seats of the Joe Louis Arena.

How devoted was I you ask? When I was in my high school parenting class and we had to carry an egg around, while pretending it was a baby, I named it Stevie Yzerman. I know, I know, I’m a dork, but have you ever seen Stevie? He is so hot it was a wonder he didn’t melt the ice when he played.

Stevie has since retired, but that hasn’t diminished my love for the Wings. My kids each had baby pictures of them in Wings jerseys, I can tell you twenty different reasons why McCarty and Chelios should be deemed gods, and if you even breath the word “Avalanche” around me, I get my hackles up.

This is the most exciting time of year around my house. Playoffs! Lucky for us, the NHL has a very, very long playoff season, so we get to savor and truly enjoy the time. Michigan truly is Hockey Town too so we can share in our excitement with almost everybody.

The Red Wings were one of the original teams that formed the NHL, so Detroit has a history that is rich and fascinating. Take the octopuses that are thrown on the ice during games. Now why in the heck would a fan be willing to smuggle in one of those stinky things, just to toss it on the ice?
There are many conflicting stories about how the tradition got started, but the one that is most accepted is that it started during the 1952 playoffs. Two brothers tossed the first octopus because it had eight arms, which was exactly the amount games it took at that time to win the Stanley Cup. The act took off like wildfire and continues to this day. There are even web postings on the proper way to boil you octopus, so you get better bang for you buck when tossing. There are suggestions on how best to smuggle you fishy contraband into the arena, too.

You see it’s a big no-no to toss anything during a game.

Not that the fans have allowed that to stop them. Go watch any Red Wings playoff game and you will see how right I am. I can almost guarantee you will get a taste of Octopus Tossing.

Until next week, GO WINGS!!!!!!!