After the ‘Stink Gate’ email went viral, one thing became clear: Oshawa Generals fans have a great sense of humor.
On Friday night, fans came dressed in shower caps and bath robes, holding signs that read, ‘I’m with Smelly’ and ‘Power Play? More like Shower Play.’ They filled the Tribute Communities Centre in Oshawa with rubber duckies and lots of laughter, turning what could’ve been a PR nightmare into an opportunity to poke fun at themselves and the often ridiculous world of sports – especially on social media.
The scent from some fans during games had the team trending online all day Thursday after they sent out an email to season ticket holders asking them to “please shower before attending” due to complaints about body odor at home games at the downtown arena.
“We’re thrilled to have you hang with us each and every game and appreciate the energy you bring to the arena. To help ensure a clean, comfortable and enjoyable experience for everyone, we kindly ask for your cooperation with a few simple hygiene practices.
Please make use of the hand sanitizing locations located throughout the arena, cover coughs and sneezes and be mindful of personal cleanliness while sharing our space with fellow fans.”
The club also requested that fans who are feeling “unwell” should “cheer us on from home” and asked those who had just visited the gym to “please shower before attending the game.”
There were plenty of jokes about the ‘Dirty Shwa,’ along with some inappropriate and even racist comments making their rounds. Still, many fans opted for a more light-hearted take on the email.
The reaction outside of the team’s fan base was quick, as news of the email spread across websites, podcasts, and newscasts globally. Even popular American hockey podcast Spittin’ Chiclets commented on how things smelled at the Oshawa arena.
With mostly negative feedback potentially damaging for team branding, they promptly issued an apology by day’s end.
“Hey Gens Nation. We took a penalty on that last one. It’s not our place to overstep like we did.
We are sorry and hopefully we can wash this one off.”
Some viewed this apology as evidence of a “failure” in the team’s public relations department; one person noted they “only apologized because it went viral.”
However, most comments on Facebook supported the original email; many fans felt that no apology was needed at all.
“You’re not wrong.” “The email was fine. Stinky people are not.”
One fan suggested that people shouldn’t take everything so seriously, describing it all as just good fun.
This playful spirit carried over into their next home game against arch-rival Peterborough. The Petes joined in too on their social media by offering ‘Stinking good deals’ on Petes-branded shower bags.
The Oshawa crowd embraced it all and arrived at the rink ready for fun in full ‘shower mode.’
“Ha ha, it was great! The fans definitely didn’t disappoint,” said season ticket holder Joanne Mc Knight-Antoniak. “The signs and outfits were awesome.”
Perhaps taking cues from their laid-back supporters-especially after losing three straight-the team delivered a strong performance against Peterborough. They quickly built up a 6-1 lead before winning 8-4.
This prompted some playful banter from Peterborough’s side too as they teased their own team via messages like “Bit of a stinker – but we’ll wash this one away,” along with “Better hit the showers, Petes.”
It’s all part of having fun at junior hockey games; Oshawa Generals fans seem to be enjoying themselves more than anyone else as they look forward to another match during Monday’s Family Day matinee (with puck drop at 2:30).
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Photos courtesy of Gens Nationand Our Oshawa Facebookgroups
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There were plenty of jokes about the ‘Dirty Shwa,’ along with some inappropriate and even racist comments making their rounds. Still, many fans opted for a more light-hearted take on the email.
The reaction outside of the team’s fan base was quick, as news of the email spread across websites, podcasts, and newscasts globally. Even popular American hockey podcast Spittin’ Chiclets commented on how things smelled at the Oshawa arena.
With mostly negative feedback potentially damaging for team branding, they promptly issued an apology by day’s end.
“Hey Gens Nation. We took a penalty on that last one. It’s not our place to overstep like we did.
We are sorry and hopefully we can wash this one off.”
Some viewed this apology as evidence of a “failure” in the team’s public relations department; one person noted they “only apologized because it went viral.”
However, most comments on Facebook supported the original email; many fans felt that no apology was needed at all.
“You’re not wrong.” “The email was fine. Stinky people are not.”
One fan suggested that people shouldn’t take everything so seriously, describing it all as just good fun.
This playful spirit carried over into their next home game against arch-rival Peterborough. The Petes joined in too on their social media by offering ‘Stinking good deals’ on Petes-branded shower bags.
The Oshawa crowd embraced it all and arrived at the rink ready for fun in full ‘shower mode.’
“Ha ha, it was great! The fans definitely didn’t disappoint,” said season ticket holder Joanne Mc Knight-Antoniak. “The signs and outfits were awesome.”
Perhaps taking cues from their laid-back supporters-especially after losing three straight-the team delivered a strong performance against Peterborough. They quickly built up a 6-1 lead before winning 8-4.
This prompted some playful banter from Peterborough’s side too as they teased their own team via messages like “Bit of a stinker – but we’ll wash this one away,” along with “Better hit the showers, Petes.”
It’s all part of having fun at junior hockey games; Oshawa Generals fans seem to be enjoying themselves more than anyone else as they look forward to another match during Monday’s Family Day matinee (with puck drop at 2:30).
