A Tennessee man is calling himself a “dumb redneck with a bad idea” after police filed charges against him for throwing a catfish onto the rink in Pittsburgh during the opening of the Stanley Cup Final.
Police say 36-year-old Jacob Waddell threw the dead fish over the glass surrounding the rink on Monday night during the Nashville Predators-Pittsburgh Penguins game.
He was ejected and charged with disorderly conduct, possessing instruments of crime and disrupting meetings or processions.
Waddell, of Nolensville, told Nashville radio station WGFX-FM that he came up with the idea ahead of a trip to see relatives in Ohio.
He said that “like an ignorant redneck, I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be awesome to throw a catfish on the ice at this game?’”
The detailed process behind the fish toss started in Waddell’s home state, where he bought two upper-deck seats to the game for $350 each and an oversized catfish. He wanted to purchase the fish in Nashville “because it’s more original to throw one of our catfish.”
He then sprayed the fish down with cologne and transported it to Ohio in a cooler, where the real mutilation began. Waddell cooked it, cut out half its spine and ran it over with his truck multiple times until it was flat enough to fit in his underwear for game day.
“Skinny jeans would’ve showed it off, that’s for sure,” he said.
Waddell said he expected the sneak-in to a lower section to be one of the most difficult parts of his grand plans, but he easily walked down the stairs during a stoppage in play and hurled the fish.
As he awaits his punishment, which may include a lawsuit and/or fines, Waddell did not sound worried about any repercussions. The radio station also offered to cover any of his charges.
“If they want to go down that road, we can go down that road,” Waddell said. “I’m pretty sure we’ll win that battle. I’m just stubborn enough, as you can probably tell by strapping a catfish to my crotch, to go up there and fight it.”
The President and CEO of PETA, David Morehouse, was not amused. He sent a personal letter to the Penguins on Tuesday, thanking them on behalf of the 6.5 million members of the animal rights group for ejecting Waddell.
“Thank you for taking swift action that will remind all sports fans that this offensive behavior won’t be tolerated,” Morehouse wrote. “No being — regardless of species or circumstance — should be forced to endure a cruel death or have their body desecrated in such a way.”
The Penguins won the game 5-3. Game 2 is Wednesday.
Hockey has a long tradition of objects being thrown on the ice, usually in affection like when fans toss hats to mark hat tricks. There are odd offerings, too, including the time-honored tradition of Detroit Red Wings fans throwing octopi during the playoffs.
With AP