Red Wings say NHL is cracking down on octopus tossing - Detroit Free Press

[octobot]

[SIZE=-2]MLive.com[/SIZE]
Red Wings say NHL is cracking down on octopus tossing
[SIZE=-1]Detroit Free Press[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Joe Louis building operations manager Al Sobotka gives an octopus a twirl Wednesday after removing it from the ice. / JULIAN H. GONZALEZ/Detroit Free Press BY KIRKLAND CRAWFORD AND GEORGE SIPPLE Fans attending today's Game 2 of the Red Wings-Coyotes ...[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]No octopi-fly zone; NHL looking to eliminate traditional octopus toss in Detroit?[SIZE=-1]msnbc.com[/SIZE][/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Wings fan says he was fined $500 for Game 1 octopus toss[SIZE=-1]The Detroit News[/SIZE][/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Octopus tossing at Red Wings games may be hazardous to your pocketbook[SIZE=-1]SportingNews.com[/SIZE][/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]MyFox Detroit -Bleacher Report -WXYZ[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]all 26 news articles[/SIZE]


More...

 

[tonmo]

Finally!

 

[gjbarord]

I have to say that I am a huge sports fan and love traditions. I don't see the big deal with the octopus toss. The only problem I have is that it happens way too much now so it is kind of losing the meaning.

Greg

 

[tonmo]

They have thrown live octopus on the ice - and it creates a certain demand for them (alive or dead), for a pretty lousy purpose from the ceph's point of view.

From a fellow big sports fan!

 

[sedna]

O.k., I am a more devout fan of octopuses than the Red Wings, but it's a pretty close call... The tradition was started by a pair of Italian immigrant brothers, fish mongers in Detroit. The octos were sold dead, and they were imported for the food market. They were only thrown on the ice after having been boiled, as it messes up the ice for the game, and no REAL fan would jeopardize the quality of the ice!!! They were only thrown when it was apparent that the team would actually be making it the Stanley Cup play offs- the eight arms of the octo symbolized they eight stages to the Cup.

It would be INCREDIBLY difficult to get into the Joe Louis Arena with a live octopus!!! Yes, it has happened-and is frowned upon by all good fans! The octos were acquired from food markets, there are large Asian, Greek and Italian populations in the metro area. The tradition doesn't create a greater demand than already exists. If the octo was already dead and meant to be eaten, it's not different than throwing a burger on the ice. Except that I don't really think it's good to waste food...

I absolutely agree with Greg, that when the tradition is over done it loses meaning. It's creates a game delay, messes with the ice, and any one getting caught will get thrown out of the game. When it come to the Red Wings, who wouldn't rather be at the game?