Show I. I I z 4 Yf f By Eric Bresee Sports Editor Co-Editor The sign of the apocalypse has becomes a reality Hartford Whalers owner Peter is moving his team south for upcoming winters to that hockey hotbed known as Raleigh North Carolina The coolest game on ice meets Tobacco Road Sticks and skates meet fast cars and left turns looking Good-looking anatomically correct correct correct cor cor- cor- cor Southern belles get to meet nosed crooked-nosed toothless black- black eyed scarred bloodied hockey players Dont Don't worry Im I'm in shock too What's worse is the name has chosen for the team The Carolina Hurricanes At some point next season the Colorado Avalanche will face the Carolina Hurricanes The Avalanche will probably play the Hurricanes on the same road trip in which they play the Tampa Bay Lightning National Hockey League Commissioner Gary will officially change the league name to the Natural Disaster Association in meetings over the summer The Hartford move was inevitable The move has been rumored for over a year now Its It's the destination that was in doubt But there are two more franchises franchises franchises fran fran- that could be relocating The New Jersey Devils were entertaining offers from Nashville in 1995 the year they won the Stanley Cup If they dont don't win the Cup this year the rumors will start up 7 again only this time they'll be moving to good old Little Rock 4 Arkansas to become the Arkansas Flood The Edmonton have also had discussions of a possible relocation Maybe they'll move to Topeka Kansas and become the i Kansas Twisters i iThe The other rumor has the Los Angeles Kings changing their moniker to the Earthquake Maybe will give Portland Oregon an expansion team They could be called the 1 Volcanoes I Why stop there The could go international How about i ithe 0 the Tokyo Tsunami Or the Ethiopia Drought The most recently relocated franchise stayed away from the natural disaster kick When the Winnipeg Jets moved to Phoenix they became the Coyotes True coyote is not a great name but it itis itis itis is not a disaster The International Hockey League isn't far behind with the Quebec the name for a a a- northerly wind in Quebec the Fort Wayne Komets and the Cincinnati Cyclones But they do have some creative names like Ice Dogs and Solar Bears I would say what happened to the old-fashioned old baseball nicknames nicknames nicknames nick nick- names but look at Florida The Marlins And look what baseball has coming into play next year The Devil Rays The DiamondBacks Diamond DiamondBacks DiamondBacks Backs The isn't squeaky clean either The Toronto you kidding me The NFL must be the only sane league left The Panthers The Jaguars The Ravens Sure we have to p put t up with Chris Bermans Berman's Edgar Allen Poe references references references refer refer- during Ravens' Ravens highlights but its it's better than Hurricanes Pete Im I'm begging you One natural disaster is enough You already screwed the Hartford fans Please dont don't screw the rest of the fans Change the team name |