How 'bout them Canes?

A North Carolina professional sports franchise is one step closer to winning a championship. And it's not in football or basketball.

The Carolina Hurricanes (can we quit referring to them as the former Hartford Whalers?) are in the Stanley Cup finals for the second time in four years after holding off the courageous Buffalo Sabres in Game 7 last night at the raucous RBC Center. (See, the RBC Center CAN be loud.)

Despite what the national (and even some state) media would have us believe, hockey is popular and accepted in "NASCAR country," Carolina.

Case in point: ESPN.com's SportsNation poll from yesterday, before the game. It asked readers to vote on what they will be watching that night: the Eastern Conference finals; the NBA playoffs; the national spelling bee; or the women's softball college world series. Only two states -- N.C. and New York -- had voted for hockey by about 4 p.m. On a state-by-state comparison, just 48 percent of those in New York planned to watch hockey, while 45 percent picked basketball. In North Carolina -- a state that supposedly doesn't "get" hockey" and is supposedly a "basketball state," some 65 percent voted that they planned to watch hockey.

So there.

"Native Tar Heels and the thousands who have moved from points North to the
land of college basketball and humid June nights partied Thursday as the
Hurricanes earned a place in the Stanley Cup finals," said this Associated Press article from the Charlotte Observer -- a paper that does a passable job of covering the Canes.

"I'm loving every minute of it. It was a great game," said Ricky Adcock, 44, of Durham. He said he grew up a football fan and started following the hockey team about six years ago as his son, now 19, took to the sport.

"Now I'm a big-time fan," he said as passers-by howled in the RBC Center's parking lot. ...

"Raleigh's becoming a Canes' town," said college student Brad Gandolfo, 23, of Raleigh. "Hockey is catching on in the South. ... I love the Canes. I love hockey. Hockey in person is the best thing." ...

"We have people that know the game, love the game and support these players and this team unbelievably," [player Doug] Weight said. "I've been so impressed with our fans. I'll be honest with you, it was a huge, huge part of this series."

Go Canes! Now go beat the Edmonton Oilers and bring the Stanley Cup down here to "NASCAR" country.