RALEIGH, N.C. — The four statues at the state Capitol are not sporting
Carolina Hurricanes
red today.
Christine Sadel sewed the giant jerseys and placed them on the statues in honor of the team's run in the NHL playoffs.
According to published reports, Davis Jones cut the jerseys off two of the statues.
Jones said it was inappropriate to suit up the larger-than-life statues of presidents Andrew Jackson and George Washington and governors Zebulon Vance and Charles Aycock.
"That's not the purpose of state monuments, to make them mannequins for a fleeting sports event," said Jones, 49, of Raleigh. "As a native North Carolinian, I feel it's very disrespectful and disgraceful to do this."
When Jones tried to remove the jerseys from the other two statues, Capitol police gave Jones a misdemeanor citation Wednesday for "injury to the personal property" of the state of North Carolina.
Jones said statues should remember historical figures and not promote the Hurricanes.
Employees of the Hurricanes removed the remaining jerseys, which had been put in place Tuesday. Matt West, vice president of business operations, said the team received a complaint about a conflict with Memorial Day.
"The critical issue here is that we send the clear message that we weren't trying to cloud Memorial Day," West said.
West said the team got permission from Administration Secretary Britt Cobb to place the jerseys on the statues. But gubernatorial spokesman Seth Effron said Cobb failed to consult with Raymond Beck, the Capitol historian, beforehand.
Britt and Beck discussed the situation Wednesday and said the jerseys could be replaced after Memorial Day, Effron said.
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