“Lightning-Proof” Shirt Attempts to Skirt Tampa Bay's Hawks Apparel Ban

“If Tampa isn’t going to let us wear actual Blackhawks apparel to the game, then we might as well have some fun with it,” Senior Designer Steev Szafranski said in a statement

A Chicago design firm may have found a way to get around Tampa Bay’s “playoff policy” banning Blackhawks apparel in certain sections of the Amalie Arena.

VSA Partners has designed what it calls a “Lightning-proof” shirt for Blackhawks fans.

The shirt begins with the words “Let’s go,” then has the word “Blackhawks” stamped out and replaced with “hockey team from the Midwest with a logo that has a guy with feathers in his hair whose name rhymes with Smackhawks.”

“If Tampa isn’t going to let us wear actual Blackhawks apparel to the game, then we might as well have some fun with it,” Senior Designer Steev Szafranski said in a statement.

The policy is one the Lightning has had in place throughout the postseason.

“Chase Club and Lexus Lounge ticket holders: Please note that for all 2015 NHL Playoff Games at Amalie Arena, only Tampa Bay Lightning apparel (or neutral) will be permitted in these club and adjoining seating areas. Fans wearing visiting team apparel will be asked to remove them while in these areas.”

The Lightning also prohibited fans with zip codes outside of Florida from purchasing tickets on either the team’s website or on secondary markets.

If fans try to sit in the restricted areas while wearing Blackhawks gear, they will be either asked to remove it or they will be switched to a seat in a different part of the arena, according to the Lightning.
 

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