The Dark Side

The Canes play New Jersey so often that it's hard to come up with new signs for them, so that's when I reach for something topical in the news. The Force finally awakened in the third period of tonight's game, and the Canes defeated the dark side. Tonight some New Jersey fans were actually really nice and asked if they could take photos with some of my signs, so took their pictures. (That's right, Buffalo: even New Jersey fans suck less than you!)

Incidentally, this is not the first Star Wars-themed sign I've made. See here.

Turn It On

The game on Saturday, November 14, 2015 was preceded by La Marseillaise, the French National Anthem, in honor of the terrorist attacks that rocked Paris the night before. Props to my high school French teacher, Madame Vertreese, for ensuring I still know the words decades later.

A couple other noteworthy occurrences:

--At 8:59pm, the sound system played the Billy Joel song "Piano Man." ("It's nine o'clock on a Saturday....")

--After a penalty that turned a power play into a 4 on 4, the sound system played the Pearl Jam song "Even Flow." (I see what you did there.)

--Random flutterings of confetti squares kept falling down from the rafters. What was that all about?

--For the second game in a row, there was no camera man in my corner, so I never made it onto the Jumbotron. WTH? Are the Canes literally cutting corners?

The game was against the Philadelphia Flyers, yet another team I've seen countless times. It's hard to keep coming up with fresh rhymes and puns related to the same team all the time, yet I challenge myself to create at least one new sign for each game I attend. If the new sign doesn't relate to the opponent, another option is to create a sign for a Canes player.

You might think I make a sign for a player because I particularly like him, which is sometimes true, but other times, I admit, it's because he has an easily rhymable or punny name. Not much rhymes with Hainsey, though. Yet this is the third sign I've made for him. (See here and here.)

Though a defensemen, Ron Hainsey has scored two goals and 17 points already this season. As I normally sit in section 109, I see him stretching out in my corner between periods. During the second intermission, he always taps the glass near the tunnel in section 108 next to me. If anyone has the scoop on why he does that, please message me.

As he stretches, I can see him scanning the crowd, trying to be all nonchalant and secretive about it. But I am pretty sure I saw him smile after he saw this sign. So even though the Canes lost in OT and I never got on the Tron, it wasn't a total loss.

The Canes Give Me an Election

Ottawa Senators at Carolina Hurricanes, November 7, 2015. The Canes rose to the occasion.

Run, Senators!

For the Hurricanes vs. Ottawa Senators game on November 7, 2015, which the Canes managed to win in a runoff (overtime).

Cackle-acky

If you don't know what Cackalacky is, here is an explanation. Happy October!

Panther Entrails

Created for the Canes vs. Florida Panthers game on October 13, 2015. Too bad my crystal ball malfunctioned.

Storm Brewing

Created this sign for the October 13, 2015 game against the Florida Panthers - basically so I could wear my fuzzy witch hat.

Want to Be Hexed

Latest in the "Cheer if" collection that I hold up when the other team scores. Created for the October 13, 2015 game against the Florida Panthers.

At the "Battle of the Sexes" roller derby bout between the Carolina Rollergirls and Collision Men's Derby on September 12, 2015, the ladies kept pace, but unfortunately, as usual, the men finished first.

Holy Defense

At the Battle of the Sexes roller derby bout between the Carolina Rollergirls and Collision Men's Derby, the men were finally able to find a hole in the girls' defense.

Shafted

A "Battle of the Sexes" roller derby bout at Dorton Arena on Sep-tember 12, 2015, provided much inspiration for Clever Sign Chick.

Make the Men

Billed as the "Battle of the Sexes," a bout between the Carolina Rollergirls and Collision Men's Derby occurred on September 12, 2015 at Dorton Arena. The ladies did make the men go down, but ultimately the men scored more.

Bad Aim

On Saturday, Sep-tember 12, 2015 the Carolina Rollergirls played Collision Men's Derby at Dorton Arena in Raleigh. This "Battle of the Sexes" inspired several sign ideas. Alas, the boys won, even with their bad aim. :(

More Insurance

I was feeling kinda "meh" about the first Ron Hainsey sign I came up with, so I kept thinking. I still want to know if there's a story behind how he taps the glass near section 108 just before the third period. If you know it, please leave a comment!

Intelligent Life

Hubby and I wanted to take a vacation for a few days in early March. We didn't want to go anywhere cold, but I wasn't in the mood for a tropical vacation either. We decided to return to Los Angeles, where we had spent a few very short vacations before, but where we felt there was still more fun to be had.

Because of an episode of the Big Bang Theory, we knew that the alien-looking landscape seen in the original Star Trek series (and Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey) is located a short (45-minute) drive from Hollywood. And I just happened to have a Star Trek costume hanging in the closet waiting for a purpose. Borrowed the Tribble from a friend and put my sign idea thinking cone on. Voilà.

I have been and always shall be a Canes fan.

Live long and prosper, Canes!

Spirit of St. Louis

Too cerebral? This sign references Elias Lindholm ("Lindy") and the plane (the Spirit of St. Louis) that Charles Lindbergh used to make the first transatlantic flight. Sadly, this sign did not help Lindy score nor the Canes win in their game against the St. Louis Blues on Friday, January 30, 2015.

Bless Their Hearts

The classic passive-agressive Southern saying is perfect when the other team scores, when you're surrounded by fans of the opposing team, or even when the home team fans quaintly attempt air guitar while hamming it up for the camera.

Sheet Lightning

Canes vs. Tampa Bay Lightning, Tuesday, January 27, 2015. Camera guy dissed me, but a random new Canes fan came over to have his picture taken with me.

Elbow Gleas

Here is another sign I made during the first intermission after an idea hit me during the game. This was during the Canes vs. Vancouver Canucks game on Friday, January 16, 2015. It refers to Canes defenseman Tim Gleason. I always have a hard time knowing whether to add punctuation when it gets in the way of the pun.

B.C.

After 15 years of fandom, this was the first sign I made related to the Vancouver Canucks, who are, of course, located in British Columbia (B.C.). The January 16, 2015 game was not my first time seeing Vancouver, I don't think, but I guess in the past I must have made some other sign related to a player or a holiday or something.

The New Blechh

The idea for this sign struck me just outside the arena, as I noticed the sea of orange jerseys of the invading Philadelphia Flyers fans. So glad we managed to eke out a win. I suppose this sign could also be used at New York Islanders games.

Flyers, Dwyers

Patrick Dwyer didn't score tonight during the Canes vs. Philadelphia Flyers game, but he got a couple of good breakaway chances.