bkhardee
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Raleigh is a hockey town
by: Joy Russo
posted: Wednesday, June 7, 2006 | Feedback
Driving into the parking lot of the RBC Center, there is nothing but rows and rows of tailgate fare.
People barbequing, beer cans clinking in toasts and kids starting pick-up games.
Elsa/Getty Images
Pick-up games are the norm all across the RBC Center's parking lots.
Nope, it's not for a football game. These fans in Raleigh have turned out for pucks, or as one famous fan sign read, "Redneck Hockey."
A Canadian reporter looked out at the parking lot crowd, turned back to us, and said, "You know, Canada really missed the boat on the tailgate thing."
(Doesn't that subzero weather have something to do with that?!)
The atmosphere inside the arena was just as palpable -- and loud. I've seen many pregame ceremonies, but the Hurricanes' treatment was impressive. All choreographed to Bruce Springsteen's anthem No. 2, "The Rising," -- "Born in the USA" was anthem No. 1 -- pictures are superimposed onto the ice. But the images aren't just at center ice, they take up the entire surface -- huge images that draw huge responses from the crowd.
• Images of Rod Brind'Amour, coach Peter Laviolette, and so on.
• A radar picture of North America, tracking the Hurricanes' "path" through the playoffs, with the storm front heading to "Destination: Edmonton."
• Finally, a huge shot of the Stanley Cup itself, stretching from one goal to the other, topped with the word "Destiny."
Many say no one cares about the Stanley Cup finals when two small-market teams are playing in it. There are many who won't watch. But there were many here Monday and Wednesday night, fans who were totally into the game and into their team. ESPN.com NHL writer Scott Burnside said to me before Game 2, "Isn't that enough that they are all here?  6/9/2006 12:52:17 PM
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