O is for Octopus

Welcome to Day 15 of the Blogging A-Z April Challenge!

Each day in April (except Sundays) I will be posting here, and the posts will be in alphabetical order!  And because I have a wide variety of interests, this blog will live up to it's name.  Totally random and mostly unrelated topics. And lots of pics!

For some shameless self-promotion, I have 2 other blogs in the challenge, too.
Check them out!
Maple Grove Cemetery - Halloween related, but don't worry - no gore.
The Life of Lisa - weight loss / health related. 

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There are few traditions in sports that compare to those in the game of hockey. One such tradition is the throwing of octopi onto the ice at Red Wings games. Ever wonder how it started? The octopus first made its appearance on April 15, 1952, during the Red Wings' Stanley Cup playoff run. Two Detroit brothers, Pete and Jerry Cusimano - storeowner's in Detroit's Eastern Market - threw the eight-legged cephalopod on the ice at Olympia Stadium. Each tentacle of the octopus was symbolic of a win in the playoffs. Back then, the NHL boasted only six teams, and eight wins (two best-of-seven series) were needed to win the Stanley Cup. The Red Wings swept the series that year, and the Octopus has come to be the good luck charm ever since. The tradition carried over to Joe Louis Arena on opening night in 1979 when several found their way onto the ice. During the 1995 playoffs, Bob Dubisky and Larry Shotwell, co-workers at a meat and seafood retail company near Detroit, tossed a 38-pound octopus onto the ice during the National Anthem prior to Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. The year after, the duo struck again with a 50-pounder in the Conference Finals. Although the feat received no airtime on the nationally broadcast game, the octopus was proudly displayed on the hood of the Zamboni between periods.

FYI- I want one of these!!