Florida Panthers’ AHL team may have world record for most dogs attending sporting event
All-You-Can-Eat nights? Been there. Bobblehead dolls? Done that. Clearly, it's time for the next evolution for minor-league hockey promotions. Since the Las Vegas Wranglers have the Rapture covered, that leaves shattering irreverent world records as the next big thing.
The Central Hockey League's Texas Brahmas attempted to break three Guinness World Records on Friday night: the longest air hockey marathon, the most simultaneous fist bumps and the longest conga line on ice. As the video shows, they might have pulled off the conga line record, at least.
But over in San Antonio, home to the Florida Panthers' AHL affiliate the Rampage, the team believes it's set a record that will give you paws: The greatest number of dogs ever assembled to watch a live sporting event.
Saturday night was Pucks and Paws night at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, and KSAT reports:
Rampage officials said 842 dogs showed up for the fifth annual Pucks & Paws event. The team was required to get at least 600 dogs to attend the game in order to be considered for a world record. The Rampage will file paperwork and evidence to be recognized as an official Guinness Book of World Record holder. In addition, 25 dogs were adopted at the event.
No, seriously: People watched the game with their dogs:
There's only two things we're sure of here: That, at some point, "Who Let The Dogs Out" or "Atomic Dog" played on the PA system; and that the arena clean-up crew probably wasn't paid enough for the aftermath of 842 dogs watching a hockey game for three hours.
Here's a blogger named Tina, experiencing Pucks and Paws in San Antonio:
For the most part, the dogs seemed to enjoy the night. Barking was heard from across the arena from the very moment people (and pups) started taking their seats. The national anthem was sung by a choir from either an elementary school or middle school and almost every dog sang along too. Very Cute.
Pucks and Paws is actually a grand tradition in the minor leagues, with the San Jose Sharks' AHL affiliate in Worcester recently holding one. Alas, that game only drew 75 canines, a number that couldn't even sniff the tail of the San Antonio dog night.
So now, we wait to see if the Rampage have collared a world record or if they were simply barking up the wrong … OK, we'll stop. Save for one last lament that this wasn't the Sabres affiliate, so we could have the obligatory appearance by Lindy Ruff.
