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Tipped Off
02-23-2005, 10:50 AM
From the Seattle Times:

Players are "like rock stars"

By Jim Riley

The security guard at the Everett Events Center looked concerned.

"It's unbelievable," he said, glancing up at hundreds of people waiting in a line that curled up the stairs to the main concourse. "Just unbelievable."

The crowd was cordoned off behind metal barriers. A second security guard stood directly in front of closed double doors, wearing a sneer and looking impenetrable in case anyone dared to try to slip by without a badge.

A third was stationed just inside the doors, his neck craned as he spoke urgently into a microphone pinned to his jacket.

The crowd featured fans of all ages, and they carried T-shirts, jerseys, pictures, buttons, trading cards, pennants, programs, pucks, cowbells and even tiny wads of paper to be signed.

Finally, out walked a single young man wearing a shy grin, more amused than surprised. He looked like a normal high-school kid except for his dark, conservative suit and well-knotted tie. His hair was neatly combed, slicked back with something slightly lighter than 30-weight Pennzoil.

The noise level rose to a crescendo as the kid took a pen from his breast pocket and began the businesslike process of signing everything shoved his way.

Soon, he was joined by several others.
Minutes after beating the Red Deer Rebels on Saturday, the Everett Silvertips were ready to meet their public.

Doug Soetaert, the Silvertips' general manager, said it's a scene repeated after every home game.

"It's been that way for two years with anywhere from 300 to 400 people waiting for the players to come out," Soetaert said. "The following here has been tremendous."

Soetaert isn't concerned that the adulation will go to his players' heads.

"With Kevin [Constantine] as their coach?" Soetaert asked. "If they get too big for their britches, he'll put them in their place. They've learned how to handle being like rock stars in this community. It makes them work even harder because they don't want to leave here."