Fan Gets Permanent Tattoo After Crosby Autographs Her Arm
KANKAKEE, Illinois (KDKA) -- After the Penguins beat Nashville in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals Monday night, fans were understandably thrilled that their team was able to pull off a victory, though it wasn't their best game.
Austin Raetz, from Kankakee, Illinois, said after the win, "It's amazing. I don't know how you can win with those few shots, but they got it done. It's a magical team."
Austin and his wife, Rebecca, hung around PPG Paints Arena for a while Monday night, thinking they might be able to get a couple of autographs.
Turns out, Rebecca hit the jackpot. She got the team captain to autograph her arm; and on Tuesday, back home in Illinois; she got Sidney Crosby's autograph tattooed permanently.
In a Skype interview with KDKA-TV's Ralph Iannotti, Rebecca said, "I approached Crosby. I had a black baseball cap, a silver marker and a black sharpie pen. I was going to have him sign my hat, and when Crosby went to sign it, it wouldn't work."
She added "I told Sid, 'I guess you're going to have to sign my arm. I promise I'll get it tattooed as soon as I get home.'"
That's exactly what she did when she got back to Kankakee. She got his initials tattooed.
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The Raetzs said they've been fans of the Penguins for years. In the past year alone, they made half a dozen trips to Pittsburgh to watch the Pens play at home.
The couple has three dogs. Their Doberman is named after Pens goalie, Marc-Andre Fleury.
With a big smile, Rebecca said, "I just love the Pens. I would have been happy to meet any player, but to have the best player in the world, it means everything to me."
Rebecca tells the "KDKA Morning News" she and her husband waited an hour and a half and then a security guard allowed her to approach Crosby after she "gave [the security guard] a pouty face long enough."
Rebecca adds she didn't know what to say to Crosby.
"He was so nice that my marker didn't work. I couldn't even think of anything else to say. It was so nerve-wracking being close to Sid. I didn't expect to get to meet him, but he was so sweet," she said.