Caniacs Need More Cowbell

by Bob Wage on Apr 30, 2009 2:24 AM EDT

If you have attended any of the playoff games at the RBC this season, you know what the popular fad is right now. It's "More Cowbell!"

During certain timeouts, the clever folk at Canesvision have been playing a portion of this famous SNL clip for awhile now, and it has suddenly caught on and taken off. Now people scattered all over the arena can be seen standing and doing their best impressions of Will Ferrell when they are cued by the music. The Hurricanes official store, "The Eye" had been selling cowbells and were all sold out after the last game. (more have been ordered). Why the sudden cowbell hysteria?

There is just something about the playoffs that make these little things special.

Back in 2002, two brothers used to dress up in tuxedos like "dumb and dumber" and danced in the aisles during breaks. Fans cheered wildly for them and looked forward to their antics every game.

When Jeff O'Neill took a puck to the face up in Toronto during a game in the Eastern Conference Finals that year, his eye was blackened and swollen almost shut. But the Canes leading scorer came back into the contest and ended up potting the game winner, black eye and all. When the team returned to Raleigh, hundreds of fans blackened one of their eyes with makeup in support and attended the next game that way.

In 2006, three guys dressed up like members of the Storm Squad and even helped the girls lead the cheers at one point. They called themselves "Stanley's Angels" and became almost as popular as the "Dumb and Dumber" brothers. Also, who will ever forget Mike Commodore's "robe" which became so famous that Don Cherry even got involved. Peter Karmanos made a small fortune selling those bathrobes at "The Eye", as fans used to attend games wearing the robes along with a wild red wig.

What is it about the playoffs which make fans embrace these unique oddities? I'm not sure, but that is part of what makes the postseason so special, memorable, and most of all, fun.

This year so far the fad is "More Cowbell". Have some fans come up with other ideas that I have missed? If so, please let me know and send in a picture.

Tweet Comment 12 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Boston will be ALL over this!! hahaha. Oh well… its fun.

by packpigskinfan25 on Apr 30, 2009 8:15 AM EDT reply actions

Pauly boy!

Just wanted to leave a note for canes fans and say how impressed I am with Paul Maurice. I watched his interview on NHL.com and was stoked to see a class act. Hopefully we see you guys in the Eastern finals!

by Gr8Ovi on Apr 30, 2009 9:45 AM EDT reply actions

oohhhh…. the Commissioners office would cringe to see two teams from the “South-least” division in the conference finals….

hahahah…. Not to mention NBC would not carry a single game….

by Mateos_Canes_Lamp on Apr 30, 2009 10:12 AM EDT up reply actions

Don’t worry about that, Penguins for sure are taking that series.

by canescup on Apr 30, 2009 3:59 PM EDT up reply actions

There are two guys that dress up in pinkish Dumb and Dumber suits. Personally, I love any quirks like the cowbells, suits, girls with the playoffs beards… I say we need to think of something special for the Bruins. There is the “To Hell with the Devils” song we used for the first round….. Lets get creative here!

by Cane Addict on Apr 30, 2009 9:54 AM EDT reply actions

How about: “There’s a Storm Bruin”?

Still not a crook!

by TrickyD26 on Apr 30, 2009 10:12 AM EDT up reply actions

Not sure who/which arena started the ‘Cowbell’ fad, but its not unique to NC.

I find sometimes it's easy to be myself
sometimes I find it's better to be somebody else

by Fauxrumors on Apr 30, 2009 10:42 AM EDT reply actions

Yeah, I’m not a fan of this. Have all of you baseball fans forgotten how annoying the Rays fans were last year with the cowbells?

We don’t need help in the RBC to get loud. (Maybe some liquid courage.)

by Iggy Reilly on Apr 30, 2009 10:53 AM EDT up reply actions

Go nuts though with whatever you guys wanna do. I don’t wanna hate on it too much.

Will probably drunkenly bang a few cowbells at game 3.

(That sounds gross)

by Iggy Reilly on Apr 30, 2009 10:57 AM EDT up reply actions

It sure is not unique. Went to see the canes play up in DC earlier this season (WELL before the cowbell thing got going here) and they all had cowbells. That said, I think we were sitting in the cowbell section. At the time it seemed sort of obnoxious, but also like it would be kinda fun, too…

by Andrea's evil twin on Apr 30, 2009 11:05 AM EDT up reply actions

Bells yes, Horns no

I don’t mind the cowbells at all. I sit in section 127, theres a guy in 128 with black curly hair, they show him everytime…just wish everyone would hit the bell in beat with the music.

What annoys the heck out of me are the other people who bring horns and TRY to blow them at the same time as Mike (of the Storm Squad), it just sounds bad. One time we were sitting up in 326 and this young kid brought a horn and blew it every 5 minutes. I didn’t want to be a kill joy so I didn’t say anything, but it was really getting on my nerves.

by kcljar on Apr 30, 2009 12:01 PM EDT reply actions

Anything but...

those god awful “Thunder Sticks” or whatever they’re called. You know, those little inflatable ball bats that you rap together. God those were annoying, but I haven’t seen them in a long time. Hopefully they’re gone for good.

by NoVa Caniac on Apr 30, 2009 12:07 PM EDT reply actions