Preds Here To Stay
Posted 5:56 PM ET | Comments 0
Whew!!
It's been a loooong couple of months, but in the end it's obvious the hard work of all involved to keep the Predators in Nashville proved fruitful.
As a transplant living in Nashville since 1989 (that makes me a 'damn Yankee'), not having hockey for the first ten years here was tough, but losing this team would've just ripped my heart out. And I speak for many thousands of dedicated, rabid hockey fans living in the mid-south.
Alfred Lord Tennyson said "It's better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all", but I'll wager he was not a sports fan. And he never had to endure the strain of almost losing his love. It's grueling. Truely.
To those who tried to snatch our team from it's rightful place: here's to hoping you find what you need. Only.......do it somewhere else. Yes, I know Nashville snatched the Titans from Houston, and no, it's no different than Hamilton or Kansas City trying to entice the Predators. I personally didn't like it then, and I don't like it now. Relocation should never happen.
To those who reveled in the bandwagon of the self-righteous: hockey markets aren't born, they're made. Just what is a traditional hockey market? Was there an NHL team in Philadelphia before 1967? How about Pittsburgh? Where did the hockey fans in the D.C. area get their fix for top-tier hockey before the Caps? I'm old enough to remember the snickers and laughter when the NHL announced it was expanding to the west coast. Expert thinking had it gone in less than a decade. I had the same feeling while reading the blogs, news articles, etc about Nashville and the Predators. Give this market enough time and it will spawn generations of hockey fanatics. It's already happening.
To Nashville business owners (especially the restaurant/tavern owners downtown): Your welcome. And while you're thanking Joe Predfan, make sure you buy your season tickets this year. And next, and next, and so on. Without corporate support, any sports team in any city cannot survive.
To the new local ownership: Thank you. From the bottom of my hockey-lovin', community-carin', Nashville Predators fan heart....THANK YOU.
To Predators fans: DO NOT EVER LET THIS HAPPEN AGAIN!!! There was an eleventh-hour reprieve given to us and this team should never be taken for granted. Ever.
Tennyson did have it right when he said "Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers".
It's been a loooong couple of months, but in the end it's obvious the hard work of all involved to keep the Predators in Nashville proved fruitful.
As a transplant living in Nashville since 1989 (that makes me a 'damn Yankee'), not having hockey for the first ten years here was tough, but losing this team would've just ripped my heart out. And I speak for many thousands of dedicated, rabid hockey fans living in the mid-south.
Alfred Lord Tennyson said "It's better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all", but I'll wager he was not a sports fan. And he never had to endure the strain of almost losing his love. It's grueling. Truely.
To those who tried to snatch our team from it's rightful place: here's to hoping you find what you need. Only.......do it somewhere else. Yes, I know Nashville snatched the Titans from Houston, and no, it's no different than Hamilton or Kansas City trying to entice the Predators. I personally didn't like it then, and I don't like it now. Relocation should never happen.
To those who reveled in the bandwagon of the self-righteous: hockey markets aren't born, they're made. Just what is a traditional hockey market? Was there an NHL team in Philadelphia before 1967? How about Pittsburgh? Where did the hockey fans in the D.C. area get their fix for top-tier hockey before the Caps? I'm old enough to remember the snickers and laughter when the NHL announced it was expanding to the west coast. Expert thinking had it gone in less than a decade. I had the same feeling while reading the blogs, news articles, etc about Nashville and the Predators. Give this market enough time and it will spawn generations of hockey fanatics. It's already happening.
To Nashville business owners (especially the restaurant/tavern owners downtown): Your welcome. And while you're thanking Joe Predfan, make sure you buy your season tickets this year. And next, and next, and so on. Without corporate support, any sports team in any city cannot survive.
To the new local ownership: Thank you. From the bottom of my hockey-lovin', community-carin', Nashville Predators fan heart....THANK YOU.
To Predators fans: DO NOT EVER LET THIS HAPPEN AGAIN!!! There was an eleventh-hour reprieve given to us and this team should never be taken for granted. Ever.
Tennyson did have it right when he said "Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers".