Detroit's Dr. Octopus
Sobotka remained a little-known player in the Red Wings’ organization until the early 1990s, when he unwittingly began what is perhaps the most wacky ritual in all of sports: the octopus twirl.
During a home playoff game in 1991, a fan tossed an octopus onto the ice after a Red Wings goal, a tradition that dates to 1952, when it took eight postseason victories to win the Stanley Cup.
As he had done for years, Sobotka quickly corralled the octopus with his bare hands. This time, however, Sobotka took a moment to greet the crowd, with eight tentacles.
“I just gave that octopus a little twirl over my head,” he recalled. “The place went nuts.”
Labels: Red Wings
by James Mirtle @ 12:49 PM
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Frank Brown, the league’s vice president for media relations, said: “Every so often, an octopus slips out of someone’s hands, and Al is right there to take care of the matter. And he cannot be blamed if, as it tries to break free from Al’s grasp, the octopus lifts Al’s arm and twirls itself in the air.”
hahaha
Heh, yeah, that's a terrific line. I wish PR guys had more fun with their quotes like this more often.
Octopuses do not have tentacles. They have arms.
OK..If your trying to be perfect, It's not octopuses, It's octopi . Be sure you have the fact's before correcting others
Actually both are considered correct in the dictionary, so before correcting others perhaps you shoud check YOUR facts.
that could be the nerdiest, most childish exchange i've ever seen on the internet...and i spend time in Dungeons and Dragons forums.....
You're all a bunch of lesbians.
OMG Lol Matt's post and the three immediately preceding it, to which he is referring, make up one of the cutest and funniest pointless exchanges that I have read in a very long time! Thanks for that, guys! You're all adorable!! :-) Lol
(I'm a girl, by the way. But not a lesbian. ;-p )
ISN'T OCTOPUS THROWING CONSIDERED ANIMAL CRUELTY? IF SOMEONE WOULD THROW A CAT OR DOG AROUND BY ITS TAIL ON THE ICE THEY WOULD BE ARRESTED FOR ANIMAL CRUELTY!!!!!
DOES THIS KILL THE OCTOPUS?
@ prev. poster: I'm fairly certain it's (usually) a frozen -- and therefore dead -- octopus, because the ones who started the tradition worked a fish market.
HaHa...I like this stuff.
OMG - thanks for the chuckle, but come on ... are we ten? And whether it's octopuses or octopi; tentacles or arms, this is one tradition that needs to stay a part of Hockey Town!!! Why do these officals have to be so up tight? It's just harmless fun, and yes ... the Cephalopods are already dead. When have you ever walked into a fish market and saw live octopus? Lobsters maybe, but not octopus. BTW - speaking of live lobsters, I wonder if the Anonymous poster eats lobster? Do they know lobster gets cooked alive (and they scream, too)? Talk about Cruelty to a Crustatian!
Because if Detroit gets to twirl octopi then Pittsburgh wants to twirl penguins. Then PETA will be all over that.
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