It’s not like you are looking to WillowGlenExtra for your up to the minute sports news, but just in case … the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin this week, and the San Jose Sharks will face the Calgary Flames in Game One tonight at 7:00.

WGx has decided to do its part for the home team by trying to eliminate the SJ Mercury’s newspaper racks that are still adorned with former Shark Owen Nolan’s smiling mug. The racks were installed several years ago, but still exist in small pockets. In a recent email to WGx, Merc Circulation VP David Rounds wishes the images were long gone, too:

—– Original Message —-
From: David Rounds
Subject: Owen on the Racks

Thanks for bringing this to our attention. I am not sure who had the bright idea to stencil on the racks an image of a specific player but I am sorry that they did (and it was before my time and I have been at the Mercury for three+ years). As we refurbish the racks and repaint them we will be taking care of this but it will take awhile. Meanwhile, here is to making the second round…..go Sharks.

David Rounds
Vice President/Circulation

Nolan may be wearing Sharks teal in the newspaper rack pictures, but he’s wearing Flames red this year.

And Nolan may still live in San Jose during the off-season, and current Sharks players down-play the connection … but that’s no excuse to have his face plastered all over our fair city more than five years after his departure via trade.

WGx has invited the Merc to co-sponsor a painting-over project – don’t call it graffiti – but we’ll have to see just how nasty this series gets before taking any drastic measures like that.

Of course, you can always try removing Owen’s picture yourself …. one pixel at a time.

——-

It didn’t work out too well last year, but WGx is happy to join the Sharks Bandwagon again for 2008, celebrating Stanley Cup events in WG and other neighborhoods. If you know of a Sharks event, a viewing party open to the public, or any other display of team colors, contact WGx to promote it and get your picture published right here.