If you’ve ever attended a Caps game at the Verizon Center, you’ve heard the very recognizable sound of a horn calling for fans to chant “Let’s Go Caps!” from The Horn Guy, Sam Wolk. He sits in section 415, and he is among the faithful, iconic characters that excite and energize the crowd at home games. Wolk’s tune is not melodic, but it is music to the ears of fans that have come to expect his three horn blasts as a call to action to cheer on the Caps.
An avid superfan, Wolk did not have high hopes for the shortened 2012-2013 season, but it turned out to be more entertaining then he thought it would be. “I was of the mind that it was tantamount to a preseason rather than a real season,” he recalled. “No training camp, no preseason, new coach, new system, fewer games in which to gel—no prayer for success. I was surprised the Caps made the playoffs, but I was grateful for their early exit. I didn’t think the team was ready for a legit Cup run and I would have rather saved the money than pay for a pointless stab at it.”
Wolk puts away his horn and describes his life as ‘pretty mundane’ in the off season. “I’m working a lot of hours. I’m running my department alone so I’m getting a lot of overtime—like the Bruins and the Hawks. I’m keeping abreast of the Stanley Cup finals, but not actively watching the games. I don’t follow a lot of NHL goings on outside the Caps,” he said.
One thing that keeps Wolk sane in the off season is his artwork. “Aside from the odd doodle, I’m in the home stretch of a weekly drawing exercise called Alphabots,” he explained. “Each week a handful of other contributors and I draw a robot for each letter of the alphabet. This week we’re up to “T” so I drew Twiki from the Buck Rogers TV show.”
Wolk’s collection thus far can be seen here on deviantart.
The Horn Guy has no interest in other sports. “I stopped caring about the Redskins in 1992 and RG3 sounds like a robot or something,” said Wolk. “Nats are little insects that buzz around your head. Wizards are fictional sorcerers. So….yeah, it’s hockey or nothing for me.”
Don’t worry, Horn Guy, the 2013-2014 season is right around the corner! (toot, toot, toot) Let’s Go Caps!
Here’s our video from a few years ago when he used his horn as goalie stick.
