Hurricanes enjoy the perfect storm

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By Corey Masisak

RALEIGH, N.C. — They are perfectly placed on an elevated patch of grass along the route players take through the parking lot to RBC Center. And they can identify the automobiles of members of their Carolina Hurricanes from a thousand feet away.

Immediately, someone grabs one of the signs the group has for nearly every player, and the whole crew of a few dozen fans greets the car with a hearty cheer. Some players wave or honk, but on Saturday before Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals, Erik Cole - who gave the patrons of "Cole's Grassy Knoll Bar and Grille" their namesake - has a special surprise.

Cole stops his vehicle and out pop Charlie and Matt Pusateri, and immediately the group is sent into a frenzy. The Pusateri brothers are childhood friends of Hurricanes defenseman Joe Corvo (who is riding with Cole), and this is their second time hanging out with one of several groups of tailgaters who make spending an afternoon with "The Caniacs" such a unique experience.

"We went to Erik Cole and said, 'Hey you got to hook us up. We don't know anybody.' He said, 'Oh man, I got the perfect spot - Cole's Grassy Knoll,' " Charlie Pusateri says. "We only had a little cooler of beer with us, but luckily we got to meet some great people, and they treated us very well. We had to come back."

Tailgating is an essential part of the fan experience, especially in the South. While the ritual is sparse or nonexistent in most hockey markets, there are thousands of tailgaters strewn about the vast RBC Center parking lot on this day. People start showing up as early as six hours before game time.

The location is key on several fronts. Raleigh is the heart of ACC country, and college sports reign supreme. RBC Center is blessed with plenty of parking and grass for people to set up grills and games - like the bean bag-tossing contest Cornhole or nets for roller hockey.

"It has just taken on that college persona," says Jeff Benicase, who started "Cole's Grassy Knoll." "Here you can get Duke, [North] Carolina and [N.C.] State fans together, and they all have one common team. It is also the setup. [In] downtown Pittsburgh, you aren't going to [find] this. It's not like you could do this in Chinatown [in the District]."

Adds Russell Kandel, chief architect of another large group: "I think things like these tailgates bring people into the fold. They see it when they walk around and go, 'Wow, that looks like a lot of fun.' "

When the Hurricanes moved to North Carolina from Hartford, Conn., in 1997, the franchise, like others that have arrived in nontraditional hockey markets, had to find ways to build the fan base. Some from this area made the trek west to Greensboro, where the team played its first two seasons before RBC Center - then known as the Raleigh Entertainment & Sports Arena - was built.

In the first few days of this building's life, tailgating was not allowed, but that didn't last long.