SAIL ON FAIR OCTANE

It was announced a few days back that the Octane Dance Team will not be
riding in the back of the pickup truck with the Gretzky statue as the team moves to
Rogers Place. This was met with shouts of “good riddance!” by some and continued cheerleader shaming by
others. I for one liked the Octane, saw great value in what they did and will
miss them now that they are gone. 

In an era where everything seems to offend everyone the
Octane came into the league with an 11,000 person petition looking to prevent the team from dancing at Rexall Place. Nevermind that the Eskimos and Rush both
had dance teams in Edmonton, much less every NBA teams and NFL team on the map. No,
this was part of a larger effort by mysterious powers that be to over sex
professional sports. And cheerleading was certainly invented by the Oilers then
and there.

Credit to the Oilers brass at the time they ignored the
complaints.  They must have sat back and
said “we are gonna ice pretty much garbage for the infinite future. Better
bring in some babes to keep the masses entertained.” Now with McDavid sure to
entertain us 3000% more for a mere 30000% increase per ticket, they have declined
to bring the dance team to the new barn.

For years the Octane have spent way more time in the
community than the actual Oilers – which highlights more issues in the
organization but that’s a story for another day. For many little kids at hockey
games they were one of the highlights of going to Rexall Place – particularly when
the main attraction stunk out the building.

I’ve been friends with Octane over the years and these were highly dedicated people who worked hard day in and day out for a shockingly small amount of money. They were leered at by us guys at the games, chirped online by the trolls and yet came to work with smiles on their faces night after night.

How many times did we walk around the concourse at games and
see the Octane patiently posing for pictures with little kids who had stars in
their eyes? Plenty. This was hardly
the oversexed image the boo birds projected onto the dance team while they were
around and in post mortem. 

How many nights in the past decade of Oilers
hockey where the Octane looked like the only people employed by the OEG who
were actually interested in entertaining us Oilers fans? Plenty.

How many charities and organizations will now get no Oilers’
representation at events because the players aren’t asked by the team to attend
anything ever and now there is no Octane to send in their place? Plenty. 

Is the Octane being scrubbed the biggest news in years? No.
But as someone who has sat bored in Rexall on many a night only to find myself
non-pervertly gawking at the Octane I thank them for what they have done and
the effort they made to have fun on many a funless night.

So long Octane. You were a solid #4 on the list of things keeping
me entertained at Oilers games since 2010.

I for one will miss you.

1.    
The Esso Car Race on the scoreboard

2.    
Rexall Beer

3.    
Jordan Eberle’s short shifts and long eyelashes

4.    
The Octane

5.    
The roast beef sandwich on the second concourse
level