This is Raleigh

At the Hurricanes game Sunday, one of the highlights for me had nothing to do with hockey. During one stoppage in play, the video board displayed a welcome message for 2009 national champion Tyler Hansbrough, whom they showed sitting in a nice seat enjoying the game.

I cheered, but everyone else leapt out of their seats, frothing at the mouth, in a desperate attempt to undo the past and alleviate their pain by killing a former college basketball player. Just a few minutes later, the video screen displayed a welcome message for 1983 national champion, and current NC State coach, Sidney Lowe. He received...NO reaction. 

C'mon State fans, where's your pride? Lowe delivered the same thing Psycho T did, and he gets nothing for it? Later in the game the camera again focused on Lowe, as if the arena people were saying to the crowd, "Seriously, cheer this guy at least a little bit." He did receive warm applause, but nothing like the viscerally negative outburst poured on Tyler Hansbrough.

Everybody hates Hansbrough. I get it. I don't get why seemingly so few Carolina watch hockey. The Hurricanes fans now do the same think Wolfpack fans do during the national anthem. They shout "Red" as in "the rockets RED glare." A bit tacky, but it shows your allegiance. 

I discussed this with my girlfriend's dad as we left the game and walked toward the car. He asked simply, "Why aren't there more Carolina fans at the hockey games?" Some Idiot in front of us turned to say, "This is Raleigh."

The rest of the discussion went mostly like this:

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean there aren't any UNC fans in Raleigh,"  I said.

"This is Raleigh," Idiot said. "No UNC fans here."

I looked at him incredulously. "But I'm a UNC fan and I live in Raleigh," I said.

He huffed. It seemed to him that not only did UNC fans not live in Raleigh, they could not and would not commute to Raleigh for any reason, certainly not to watch a hockey game. 

"This is Raleigh," he stated again and again.

I realized I would be unable to convince Idiot of that UNC other than myself do live in Raleigh. I decided not to discuss it any further. But my girlfriend's dad did not. He kept on the point, but Idiot continuously rebuffed him with "This is Raleigh."

I guess Idiot's thinking was, "I live in Raleigh and associate with people of type X. Therefore, there cannot be any people other than type X living in Raleigh." Just because you say it does not make it so, Idiot.

Other things Idiots have said throughout history:

Herr Idiot: "There are no Jews here, this is Deutschland!"

Mate Idiot: "There are no Aboriginals left here in 'Straya."

Cowboy Idiot: "We don't have no fags here, this is Texas."

Watch out UNC fans. If you dare to attend a Hurricanes game, lookout. The Idiot lurks. He will find you, and scream one thing at you, a la the guy from 300: "THIS IS RALEIGH!!!!"