WED: Larry Weisman - USA Today (5:25 John Feinstein)
THU: Chris Knoche - Maryland basketball analyst
FRI: Dave Feldman (Beat Dallas Pep Rally at Dave and Busters)
Czaban likes to refer to the Redskins as "we" while Andy only refers to them as "they"
After losing 600 pounds (but still tipping the scales at 600 now), Mexico's Manuel Uribe is getting married. Here is the happy couple
Hosts: Steve Czaban and Andy Pollin
Rayhawks are latest postseason craze for fans
By Thomas Neumann
Page 2
The bandwagon is full for the Tampa Bay Rays as they make their World Series debut against the Philadelphia Phillies.
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| The surprise success of the Tampa Bay Rays has caught the imagination and the follicles of fans. |
Enthusiasm is obviously high among Rays fans, many of whom have taken to wearing Mohawks in support of the team. Outfielder B.J. Upton began the "Rayhawk" craze. Teammates Jonny Gomes, Scott Kazmir, Evan Longoria and others followed suit. Even manager Joe Maddon rocks a modified Mohawk.
Inevitably, legions of Rays fans copied the players, with many of them taking the added step of dying their 'dos blue. One young fan was even suspended from school for having a distracting haircut.
This got us to thinking about other fan fads that were geared specifically toward a team's playoff drive or postseason run. Here's a sampling, with each fad rated from one to five:
Pittsburgh Steelers: Terrible Towels
Origin: Legendary Steelers broadcaster Myron Cope created the idea as a radio station promotion for the 1975 playoffs. Official versions of the Terrible Towel have raised more than $1 million for charity.
Did it last? Yes. More than three decades later, Steelers fans still fervently wave the Terrible Towel at home and road games alike. It's easily the most identifiable and prevalent fan accessory in American sports.
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Detroit Red Wings: octopus throwing
Origin: The tradition was started by the owners of a Detroit seafood shop, brothers Pete and Jerry Cusimano, in 1952. The eight legs of the octopus represented the eight postseason victories required to win the Stanley Cup at that time.
Did it last? Yes. Red Wings rooters still hurl the cephalopods at Joe Louis Arena -- and sometimes even on the road. The NHL threatened a $10,000 fine to keep Red Wings employee Al Sobotka from twirling octopi overhead during the 2008 postseason, but ultimately relented.
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Origin: A few fans brought cowbells to Arco Arena at least as far back as the Kings' first-round playoff series against Utah in 1999. The fad grew to the point in 2002 that Mavericks owner Mark Cuban reportedly bought hundreds of cowbells to distribute in Dallas and urged Mavs fans to bring their own to the Western Conference semifinal series against the Kings. The fad officially became a craze when thousands of Kings fans began clanging during the 2002 Western Conference finals in response to Lakers coach Phil Jackson, who called Sacramento a "cow town" and its residents "rednecked, semicivilized barbarians."
Did it last? No. As the Kings have struggled in recent years, the fad has waned … but look for a revival if the Kings ever meet the Lakers in the playoffs again.
Side notes: Rays fans have adopted cowbells this postseason in addition to Rayhawks. … Mississippi State football fans have brought cowbells to games since at least the 1950s, although Southeastern Conference rules now prohibit the use of artificial noisemakers during conference games. … Milwaukee Bucks coach Del Harris asked fans to bring cowbells to a first-round playoff series against Atlanta in 1989.
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| Even Kobe and Vanessa Bryant got swept up in the ThunderStix craze in 2002. |
Origin: ThunderStix began to pop up at sports events in Asia in the 1990s. The Angels brought them to prominence in the U.S. by giving them away to fans during their 2002 postseason run to the World Series championship. It's worth noting that the Rally Monkey wasn't a postseason fad at all. It dates to the 2000 regular season.
Did it last? Unfortunately, yes. The Angels have changed their moniker from "Anaheim Angels" to "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim," but they still give away the tedious noisemakers.
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Minnesota Twins: Homer Hankies
Origin: The Star Tribune newspaper began producing these during the Twins' run to the 1987 World Series title, celebrating the frequency of Minnesota home runs at the Metrodome.
Did it last? Periodically, yes. The Star Tribune revived the idea with Twins postseason appearances in 1991, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2006.
Page 2 rating:
Florida Panthers: throwing plastic rats
Origin: Panthers winger Scott Mellanby killed a rat with his stick in the team's locker room prior to the 1995-96 season opener. Then he scored two goals that night. A few fans threw plastic rats in subsequent games when the story was first reported. By the time the Stanley Cup finals rolled around, Florida fans were chucking plastic rats by the thousands after the Panthers scored a goal. The team even secured a sponsorship with Orkin pest control. Team employees wore Orkin uniforms while clearing the ice surface of the plastic rodents.
Did it last? No.
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Edmonton Oilers: throwing Alberta beef
Origin: An Edmonton radio personality suggested that Oilers fans should respond to Detroit's octopus tradition by hurling Alberta beef to the ice during Edmonton's first-round series against the Red Wings in 2006. The Oilers beat the Wings and advanced to the Stanley Cup finals before losing to Carolina in seven games.
Did it last? Undetermined. The Oilers missed the playoffs the past two seasons, but hopefully this fad has run its course.
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Many teams: wearing the same color
Origin: This trend dates at least as far back as the Calgary Flames' Sea of Red, leading up to the team's Stanley Cup finals appearance in 1986. Other fan bases to employ this tactic include the Winnipeg Jets/Phoenix Coyotes' whiteout, which began in 1987; the Philadelphia Flyers' orange crush in 2004; the Miami Heat's white-hot heat in 2006; the Washington Capitals' red out in 2008; and the Chicago White Sox's blackout in 2008.
Did it last? Yes.
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Origin: This began with the celebration of the 1908 World Series championship and has been used to dull emotions and numb pain during subsequent 100 seasons.
Did it last? Yes. This continues to be an issue in Wrigleyville.
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Did we overlook your favorite postseason fan fad? Post it to the conversation page below.
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Steve Czaban
Steve is a native Washingtonian and has worked in sports talk radio for the last eleven years. He worked at WTEM in 1993 anchoring Team Tickers before he took a full time job with national radio network One-on-One Sports. A graduate of UC Santa Barbara, Steve has worked for WFNZ in Charlotte where his afternoon show was named "Best Radio Show". Steve continues to serve as a sports personality for WLZR in Milwaukee. Czabe is also the Host for the Nationally Syndicated radio sports show, "First Team on Fox." on Fox Sports Radio.
Andy Pollin
Andy has been broadcasting sports on the radio for more than 20 years. From his start as Sports Director of KPAC-AM in Port Arthur, Texas at the age of 19 to his current job as Sports Director of WTEM, Pollin has experienced everything that makes up sports radio. His stops have included WOAI in San Antonio, WFAA in Dallas, the UPI Radio Network and the Associated Press Radio Network. He is most proud of his work in launching two successful all-sports stations. In 1987, Pollin was part of the original staff on WFAN in New York. Originally hired as the morning drive updater, he spent five years in a variety of jobs at The Fan, including beat reporting and hosting talk shows. In 1992 Pollin returned to his native Washington, DC to launch WTEM. His work has included two AIR awards as host of Redskins pre-game programming.
Interested in buying Andy Pollin's book,
The Great Book of Washington D.C.?
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