Why did I even go down this rabbit hole? Honestly, it started when I spilled coffee on my laptop during a Zoom call – classic Monday move. While waiting for it to dry, I picked up my phone and saw a random tweet about Utah Hockey Club needing a mascot name. Curiosity grabbed me like a dog with a squeaky toy.
How It All Started
First, I dove into Google like I was searching for lost treasure. Typed “Utah Hockey Club mascot” and got nothing but old articles about their ugly purple jerseys. Seriously, why do teams think purple screams “intimidating hockey”? Felt like hitting a brick wall.
The Social Media Detective Phase
Next morning, I brewed extra strong coffee and raided Reddit. Found this obscure subreddit where some guy claimed his cousin’s neighbor worked at the arena. Posted: “Heard any mascot gossip?” Crickets for hours. Then this user named SkateOrDie93 slid into my DMs with:
- “Team leaked options to staff last month”
- “Fans HATED the first choices”
- “Real name drops THIS WEEK”
No sources, obviously. But hey, better than my coffee-stained laptop.
The Shocker Discovery
Cut to Wednesday – my kid’s hockey practice at the community rink. Some dad I’ve seen for years randomly says: “Yo, my barber trims the GM’s beard. They picked ‘ROCKY TOP’ after a fossil find near the arena.” My jaw actually dropped. Who names a hockey mascot after a geological layer?
Putting Pieces Together
That night, I cross-checked everything. Turns out construction crews DID find ancient fish fossils digging the practice facility last year! Team confirmed it Friday with this cheesy video – some goofy miner bear mascot swinging a pickaxe while players “discovered” fossils. Total cringe fest, but the story actually checked out.
Why I Even Care
Truth bomb? This whole hunt reminded me why my ex-wife called me “obsessive”. See, back when we split, I drowned myself in useless projects like learning Morse code. Chasing this mascot trivia? 100% my coping mechanism. Found Rocky Top’s backstory while eating microwave pizza alone at midnight. Kinda poetic, really.
Final takeaway? Sports teams will twist ANY local history into a marketable gimmick. Also, never trust arena construction rumors from a dude whose source is “a barber”. The end.
