I have, for several years now, been referred to as the "Official Suck Hole" of the Florida Panthers. I figure as I was awarded it, it's mine to give away! :-)

How I got it goes something like this:

I was hanging out at the Panthers practice rink when one of the employees who also serves as an assistant equipment manager for the Cats asked me what I thought was the dumbest question I'd every heard.

"Do you want to meet Dominik Hasek?"

It's still the dumbest question I've every heard. He had to ASK that?

Anyway, after getting the post-game passes straightened out, I tottled off to Sawgrass Mills and found a nice white replica Buffalo Sabres jersey (unlettered) for him to sign. I wore it to the game that night.

Walking into the arena, the first people I should run into would be John and Rhea, the parents of Panthers' enforcer Paul Laus. (Sometimes referred to my as my In-Laus. The last time he signed with the team I was told, 'you're stuck with them for another four years.' I replied that was fine, as I like the whole family, including their little dog, Princess.)

"What is that you're wearing?" Rhea asks immediately.

"Oh! I'm going to meet Dominik Hasek tonight so I bought this for him to sign."

She looked at me and said "You're a suck hole, you know that?"

Hence forth (as the story got around) I became the first Official Florida Panthers Suck Hole -- at least as far as the fans are concerned -- and I've continued to suck up to the visiting teams in Panthers territory since!

Well, it's time to pass that title along, I think, and the new recipient is defenseman Paul Elliot, who was recently assigned down to the Everblades from Utah. In his bio this week, he lists his favorite NHL Team as the Florida Panthers, his favorite City as Miami, Florida, and his favorite arena as the National Car Rental Center. He is, of course, Panthers Property.

I hate to tell him this, but brown nosing the team is not going to get him called up.

:-)

And yes, I did meet the Dominator and yes, he did sign my jersey. I'm working on the rest of the team now. I will say I was so nervous during the proceedings that I scribbled on my stomach with the sharpie, which was uncapped at the time, so if you happen to catch me wearing that sweater, that's not an autograph on my stomach, it's jittery nerves.

(The scribbling on the sleeve of my Monarchs sweater came when Kevin got me going over something and I forgot I had the sharpie uncapped and so, while gesturing wildly I managed to scribble all over my sleeve, but that's another story.)