Hurricane Irene has come and gone. The storm was a non-event here in the Triangle, but some of our friends down East were not so lucky. Let’s hope they can get power restored, cleaned up and back to normal soon. Hurricanes aren’t new to us North Carolinians so we were prepared, and preparedness is your greatest weapon against Mother Nature. Well that and a chain saw.
Let’s prepare for the fun Hurricanes that don’t require you to buy flashlights, batteries and cans of baked beans. Here are some important things to have in your Carolina Hurricanes Preparedness Kit:
Tickets – It’s a whole lot easier to get into a hockey game if you have tickets, and certainly a lot more legal. If you don’t have tickets they are still available on the official Hurricanes website. Individual game tickets go on sale September 11th. If you are in the Charlotte area or just want to plan a road trip weekend, don’t forget the Canes have a preseason matchup against the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday, September 25 in Time Warner Cable Arena, home of the Checkers. I have given you ample time to develop that cough that will keep you from going in the next Monday morning.
Spirit Gear – No one wants to go out in the driving rain without proper outerwear. Well except for that Bishop in Caddyshack, and we all know what happened to him. (Ok technically he was wearing a poncho, but let’s just go with it ok?). Do you have the proper attire for a Hurricanes season? A jersey is always a great but pricey idea. You can of course get them without personalization and save a lot of dough. I usually get funny looks when I say this but a great online source for NHL spirit gear is JCPenney.com. They have their very own Carolina Hurricanes shop and carry things from Cam Ward jerseys and Whalers shirts to Christmas ornaments. It’s another source to try in addition to the Eye and the NHL store. You don’t have to wear a jersey to show spirit. Don’t forget hats and t-shirts. You can even get tees and other gear at Walmart. No excuses people!
Radio– A reliable radio is crucial for Hurricanes season. If you can’t make it to the games and are in the Raleigh area you can always listen to broadcasting legend Chuck Kaiton call the games on 99.9 the Fan. Out of towners and those who don’t have a strong antenna (the signal is not very strong) can catch the stream on http://espntriangle.com/. Even if you make it to the RBC Center it’s important to get the forecast for the evening by listening to Stormfront with Mike Maniscalco 30 minutes before the game starts. The Aftermath has post-game break downs and interviews with hopefully happy players, Coach Mo and the best play-by-play guy in the business, John Forslund.
Cable or Satellite TV – Hopefully power outages will be rare during Hurricanes season and you will have access to your television. Glancing over the NHL on NBC schedule you might notice that something is missing, the Canes. To catch any of our games on TV you will need access to NBC Sports (the former Versus), Fox Sports Carolinas or the NHL Network. Of course you can always head to a neighborhood bar that caters to puckheads or casually question your friends about their cable service. Just work it into the conversation like, “Hey Dave. I really think this is the year you and Melissa should take those trips you’ve been dreaming about. May I share some potential dates I am available to house sit and guard your HDTV?”
These are just some basics for your Hurricanes Preparedness kit. I didn’t even get to food and tailgating supplies. You can always bring that can of beans and eat it by flashlight in the parking lot.
What are the essential items in your Hurricane Preparedness Kit? Got a good local watering hole for game viewing to recommend to fellow Caniacs? Let us know in the comments!
