The Sucking Continues

Please be sure to read my previous post about the the sign policy at the RBC Center and the word "sucks." My conversation with the AGM continues below.

----
> Subject: Re: Sign policy during hockey games
> From: larryp@rbccenter.com
> Date: Mon, 7 Mar 2011 18:36:33 -0500
> To: Clever Sign Chick
>
> All good points. Yes the work jerk is allowed.
>
> Thanks,
>
>
> Sent from my iPhone

RBC Center's Sign Policy Sucks

Please enjoy this email exchange between me and the Assistant General Manager of the RBC Center, home of the Carolina Hurricanes, regarding the arena's sign policy regarding the word "suck." Please let me know your feelings about the word "suck." Is it vulgar?

-----Original Message-----
From: Clever Sign Chick
Sent: Friday, March 04, 2011 12:20 PM
To: Larry Perkins
Subject: Sign policy during hockey games

Mr. Perkins:

I understand that you would be the correct person to discuss an issue I have had with bringing signs in to the RBC Center for Carolina Hurricanes hockey games.

Last night at the Buffalo Sabres game, one of my signs was confiscated at the door. The sign that the security staff believed to be offensive said, “CHEER IF YOUR TEAM SUCKS.” My husband informed them that I had been allowed to enter and had held up this sign during numerous previous games. The door man was unimpressed. He offered to let me take it back out to my car, but I was unwilling to walk the half mile there and back again and potentially miss the start of the game, so I left the sign with him at the door.

I have been a season ticket holder since 2001, and I bring signs in to every game I attend (probably 15-20 games per season). I am known as Clever Sign Chick. I have read the policy about signs on the RBC Center website and as described within the “Guide to Fan Etiquette” that was sometimes distributed by ushers during games. My signs are well within the size limitation, and I never hold up a sign when puck is in play, or even when there is a fight or when any other interesting thing is going on that I suspect someone behind me might want to see. I want to be a good fan and follow the rules, especially because I have been exposed to several fans who don’t show good etiquette and make the experience a bummer for those around them. My goal is to create fun signs with puns that make people smile. Occasionally, the messages might irritate fans of the opposing team, but it’s done in good fun, and they are usually good sports.

Like You're Not Special

This sign was also inspired by Charlie Sheen, who said this week that he was tired of pretending like he's not special. I debuted two Sheen-inspired signs at the game on March 3, 2011.

Tiger Blood

Thursday, March 3, 2011 was the biggest Canes game of the season so far. The Canes hosted their most hated rival, the Buffalo Sabres. The Canes were in eighth place in the Eastern Conference, just within playoff range, while the Sabres were in ninth, just outside. As usual, the RBC Center was overrun with Sabres fans. Thank the Hockey Gods the Canes won. But it was a nail-biter that went into OT.

This sign was inspired, of course, by wild comments made by Charlie Sheen in interviews this week. I wasn't sure folks would get it, but I've received several compliments on it. It was shown on the Jumbotron. I was also caught on camera, I think for the first time, utilizing my Fool/Moron sign while pointing to a bunch of fans of the visiting team. A friend of mine who was at the game but sitting in another part of the arena commented, "You are a brave woman."

What can I say? It's MY house!

Yinz Ain't Welcome Here

A Friday night game against the Pittsburgh Penguins meant that the Pens fans came out of the woodwork and overran the RBC Center (February 25, 2011). Sure, I was equipped with my Cheer If Your Team Sucks and Cheer If You Eat Boogers signs, but (fortunately) they came in handy only the one time that the Penguins scored. I decided I needed more ammunition and scribbled this sign on the back of another one during the first intermission. ("Yinz" is Pittsburghese for "y'all.")

It came in really handy when one Pens fan in the next section over stood up waving his towel, chanting something and trying to get all the other nearby Pens fans to join him.

"I got somethin fer you, buddy," I mumbled to myself and pulled out this sign. He was good-humored enough to laugh when he saw it (confirming my previous assertion that Pens fans are not as bad as Buffalo fans). He pointed it out to whomever he was with and chuckled, but he kept trying to rouse his fellow fans. So then I shot him with the Moron/Fool sign. He chuckled at that too.

Several minutes after that, a chick behind me tapped me on the shoulder. I am always afraid I have irritated someone behind me, even though I make sure never to hold signs up when puck is in play, or even when there is a fight or something interesting I think people might want to see. Or else when I get tapped, I think some opponent fan is going to say something snarky to me, so I was bracing.

But this chick, whom I've never spoken to before, apparently has regular seats there behind my regular seats. She told me she is normally there with her boyfriend, but he couldn't make it that night. She had texted him earlier, fretting over how many Penguins fans were invading our arena. When she tapped me on the shoulder, it was to show me her boyfriend's texted response, which was something to the effect of:

"Don't worry...sign girl will take care of them."

And I did, with the Yinz sign -- and some help from the Canes, who won the game 4-1.

The win and the text made me feel pretty awesome.

Kitty Got Claws

Found this in the archives. Guess I forgot to post it earlier. Kitty Crowbar (aka Jesse King) skates for the Carolina Rollergirls. More importantly, so does her ass.

DC Marvel

Made this sign for the Carolina Rollergirls vs. DC All-Stars roller derby bout on February 19, 2011. I suppose I could use it at the next Hurricanes v. Crapitals game. Do you think there will be enough geeks in a hockey arena to get this? I mean, they did unveil the Guardian Project a couple weeks ago.

Pull the Plug on DC

Made this sign for the Carolina Rollergirls vs. DC All-Stars game on February 19, 2011. I am contemplating its appropriateness for Crapitals hockey games as well. What do you think?

Be A Pain, McBain!

Made this sign for the Canes vs. New Jersey Devils game on February 19, 2011. I feel guilty if I don't have a new sign for each game I attend. Sometimes it's hard to think of a new sign related to the opponent, especially if it's an opponent that plays often in Carolina, as does New Jersey. So then I also consider making signs for Canes players or signs related to nearby holidays or something. Jamie McBain is a rookie, so I'd never made a sign for him before. He also has an easily rhymable name.

Retire the Flyers

Tonight they retired Rod Brind'Amour's #17. I don't think the man could have asked for a better evening. It was 75 degrees in Raleigh today, the house was packed, the Cup showed up for the occasion, and the Canes pulled off a close 3-2 win against the Flyers, with the game-winning goal scored by his former BBC linemate Erik Cole. Full moon Friday night, too. Woo hoo!