While we like to think that a sports arenas’ one and only goal is to house our favorite teams, those venues also make their money by attracting all kinds of other performers. Sometimes that calls for scheduling conflicts – one could see that situation most obviously when many were concerned that the Chicago Bulls’ playoff run would clash with the galactic extravaganza that was Oprah’s finale.
Thanks to their post-lockout rejuvenation, the Pittsburgh Penguins aren’t oblivious to such situations. A Yanni concert forced some scheduling difficulties during their 2009 playoff series with the Washington Capitals, something that generated meme-fuel around the Internet.
While the latest situation is still in the “pure gossip” stage, Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News unearthed some rather,um, “Furry” evidence that the 2012 NHL Entry Draft might take place at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh.
While NHL mascots don’t usually attend the draft, Anthrocon, ironically, is for people who enjoy dressing up in mascot-style costumes, emulating animals. Anthrocon has already announced that their annual convention in Pittsburgh has been moved up a week thanks to amicable negotiations with the city. (The move is also reflected on the convention center’s website.)
A post on the Anthrocon website states the group was approached by the city with the scheduling request due to a “very rare opportunity to host an event that they have been wanting to host for many years.”
When contacted by the The Hockey News, a representative from the NHL said in an email: “We have nothing to report on the 2012 Draft other than Pittsburgh was a bid market.”
If you aren’t a regular viewer of the HBO show “Entourage,” you might not know what a “Furry” is. Let’s just say it’s a niche … activity that – you know what, I’ll give you the description from Anthrocon themselves and allow you to put the pieces together.
Anthropomorphic or “humanized” animals have been with us since the dawn of civilization. From the gods of ancient Egypt to the advertising icons of the modern day, people of every culture have created fanciful creatures simply by imbuing animals with human traits. Only within the last two decades has anthropomorphic or “Furry” fandom been recognized as a distinct fan-base in its own right. Fans are found in all corners of the world, and come from all races and ages and creeds. We are bound together across the most daunting barriers by our mutual admiration for these beasts of myth and legend who, by simple reflection, give us a better window into ourselves.
Hey, to each his or her own – as long as you don’t hurt each other. Heck, when it comes to hockey, that last part is obviously negotiable. (Note: this isn’t to say that anyone who attends that convention will do anything more than dress up as an animal, by the way. Let’s just move on.)
Anyway, the event being rescheduled doesn’t guarantee anything other than the fact that some dedicated people will have one less week to put together their costumes. It might be some time before the NHL announces the official location of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, whether it’s in Pittsburgh or not. We’ll pass along updates, especially when they’re a bit less fuzzy.
(H/T to George Malik.)
