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"My Take On The Preds"
TN • United States • 40 Years Old • Male

Don't Do It Mr. Leipold!
Posted 10:28 AM ET | Comments 2
Early estimates had the Predators averaging *13,600 fans this past season but Tuesday the Predators announced that the average paid attendance was in fact 13,815. That puts the Preds much closer to the magic 14k paid figure that they need by 08-09 (a stipulation set in the last CBA)to take part in the revenue sharing. On the flip side it also still has them below 14k and that would allow them to set in motion a clause with the city that allows them to ask for assistance and potentially leave. (I posted about this in detail earlier http://predjoe.wordpress....-we-stay-or-should-we-go/)

Here’s the deal…if the Preds still decide to activate this option in their agreement I think it will do irreparable damage from a public relations stand point. The momentum that the Preds have from three straight playoff appearances and an incredibly bright future would all be put in jeopardy to the average fan. They would see a team biding their time. Not a team committed to it’s city and fans the way the Predators have been since day one.

I implore you, Mr. Leipold, for the sake of hockey’s future in Nashville please do not activate this clause…you’ll be sorry if you do.

*all figures are paid attendence which does not include comps.
Filed Under:   nashville   predators   eklund   leipold   poile   forsberg  
April 25, 2007 4:18 PM ET | Delete
This is nothing against Nashville or any other city that recieved an expansion franchise, but I see no reason why the NHL should have expanded into a city unless they positively knew they could have sold out most of their games.
April 25, 2007 6:16 PM ET | Delete
Nashville hit the magic number of 12k season ticket holders before they were given a franchise...the problem is that many of those were one and done and others slowly went aways after so many losing seasons. It's hard to create a fan base where football reigns and hockey was about as foreign to most of these people as curling. The Preds have had and continue to have an up hill battle but to be at nearly 14k in paid attendance is a huge improvement over the 11k we had two years ago.
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