If the Predators move to Hamilton....

[Cooleyvol]

The fact that you just rambled off Balls-silly's biographical info like that not only scares me, but it also makes me think you're from Canada...

Anyway, the guy who wrote this is an economics professor from Vanderbilt in Nashville, not a Canadian cartographer. So the guy says that Balls-silly is from Hamilton. Big deal. That's the only Canadian location that dude's probably heard through all the BS being thrown. He's an economist. He's knows money, business, etc., and that's what the article is about. Just read the freaking thing.

After reading so many bloody articles about the 14,000ish people in Nashville who may actually miss the team I retained some info about the man who is trying to pry it away. I ended up reading it regardless and I still didnt like it. The real reason why the team is worth anything is because it has a good on ice product... if it didn't, I'm sure it would be worth next to nothing.

First, it's more a whole lot more than 14,000 fans. That's the average, my friend. The Preds sell out regularly (a little over 17,000), but the Sunday and Wednesday night games really hurt the team, with that whole church in the Bible belt thing going on. Plus, you really don't realise the territory that the Preds cover in TN, KY, and even AL. I'm from Western TN and don't go to as many games as I want because I still live 3 hours away from Nashville, and I don't even live halfway to Memphis. The Pred Heads there have to travel a good 6 hours to get to the Sommet Center! Then there's those in Eastern TN that just really don't feel like going to Raliegh, much less Atlanta...

Second, I'm so sorry you didn't like it, but frankly, the points Professor Vrooman made are slightly more important than how many tickets were bought in Hamilton. If When the Preds average over 14,000 fans per game next year, Balls-silly is going to have an awful hard time convincing the BoG to let him move the team after buying out the lease agreement. (This is assuming, of course, that those that run the league and own the teams actually have souls...)

Lastly, the reason the team is so valuable is because that's what Balls-silly wants to pay for it. Vrooman is correct in saying that he's not just buying the team, but he's also buying the situation. The city pretty much bought the rights to the team, gave them the arena, and provided a way of escape. Balls-silly wants to buy (and gamble on) these attributes, so he feels like he should empty his change purse for the team just in case he has a chance at backing up the Mayflower trucks, ala Baltimore Colts. Frankly, even if he doesn't move the team, he still has very little to complain about because he won't be losing much money anyway.

Where, in West Tennessee are you from? I live in WTN as well. NW corner of the state.

[Lee.]

Really, you've never heard the term Tri-Cities? Must be a local thing. Still, if the team ended up playing in Cambridge, "Tri-City" would IMO be the best option for the name. It would help make the team K-W/C's own.

I don't know. I think people in Washington State (or many other places that presumably use "Tri-City" or "Tri-Cities") would be extremely confused in thinking they have an NHL team....

...on the other side of the :censored:ing continent.

[YELDARBfield]

Where, in West Tennessee are you from? I live in WTN as well. NW corner of the state.

Just south of Bradford in Gibson County. You?

[Broken Record]

Personally, I'd be very interested in seeing a workup of what the Hurricanes might look like if they moved to Yellowknife.

[IceCap]

Really, you've never heard the term Tri-Cities? Must be a local thing. Still, if the team ended up playing in Cambridge, "Tri-City" would IMO be the best option for the name. It would help make the team K-W/C's own.

I don't know. I think people in Washington State (or many other places that presumably use "Tri-City" or "Tri-Cities") would be extremely confused in thinking they have an NHL team....

...on the other side of the :censored:ing continent.

Exactly. I doubt anyone in Portland, Maine thinks they have a NBA team.

[CC97]

Really, you've never heard the term Tri-Cities? Must be a local thing. Still, if the team ended up playing in Cambridge, "Tri-City" would IMO be the best option for the name. It would help make the team K-W/C's own.

I don't know. I think people in Washington State (or many other places that presumably use "Tri-City" or "Tri-Cities") would be extremely confused in thinking they have an NHL team....

...on the other side of the :censored:ing continent.

Exactly. I doubt anyone in Portland, Maine thinks they have a NBA team.

I can remember "back in the day" kids thinking the Charlotte Hornets played in Charlottetown, PEI

[Broken Record]

[I Am A Flaming Douche Bag]

This is a very popular issue among us I see.

Im praying it goes down. I live in Hamilton so if we get a team...Ill go nuts.

[powersurge]

bring back the whalers!!

If they bring back the Whale all they have to do to draw fans is advertise that they are moving the following season....EVERY season...then maybe they will pack the house.

I miss my Whale more than anyone, but they ain't a commin' back!

[SabreGuy]

I live in Hamilton so if we get a team...Ill go nuts.

Will you turn in your "Leafs Nation" passport at that time?

You know, if it doesn't happen... we'll still offer you safe harbour in Sabres Country.

(Sorry... couldn't resist)

[IceCap]

I live in Hamilton so if we get a team...Ill go nuts.

Will you turn in your "Leafs Nation" passport at that time?

You know, if it doesn't happen... we'll still offer you safe harbour in Sabres Country.

(Sorry... couldn't resist)

I can't speak for Pritch, but I'd keep my Leafs Nation passport if the Preds moved into Hamilton, but I would also support the Hamilton team, as long as they weren't playing the Leafs.

Now if they move to K-W/C, I'd have to seriously reconsider my NHL allegiance.

[So_Fla]

bring back the whalers!!

I miss my Whale more than anyone, but they ain't a commin' back!

Just like people bray about the Brooklyn Dodgers, 50+ years later.

[Gothamite]

Or the Baltimore Colts, or the Milwaukee Braves, or....

[powersurge]

bring back the whalers!!

I miss my Whale more than anyone, but they ain't a commin' back!

Just like people bray about the Brooklyn Dodgers, 50+ years later.

HA!

I'll be that guy in about 40 years!

[So_Fla]

Or the Baltimore Colts, or the Milwaukee Braves, or....

No single group of fans pi_s and moan as much as Brooklyn Dodger fans do though.

Whaler fans are just about as bad.

[Gothamite]

Well, not to get too far off-topic, but there are levels of injustice. The Brooklyn Dodgers left town because of a stadium deal, not because of a bad fanbase or poor support.

It sucks when you do all the right things - go to the park, support the team, spend the money - and lose your club anyway. Okay, now we're REALLY off-topic.

[BBM]

Well, not to get too far off-topic, but there are levels of injustice. The Brooklyn Dodgers left town because of a stadium deal, not because of a bad fanbase or poor support.

It sucks when you do all the right things - go to the park, support the team, spend the money - and lose your club anyway. Okay, now we're REALLY off-topic.

Not only that, but Brooklyn was a part of the fabric of that city. The ball players, the park, they had an intimate connection with Brooklyn, unlike anything you really see today. The Dodgers moving ripped the heart out of Brooklyn, which is why you hear more about them than, say, the Philadelphia A's or St. Louis Browns.

[Your Name Here]

They were one of the two vestiges of the independent City of Brooklyn, along with the Eagle. They unified Brooklynites, transcending ethnic and religious divisions. They only moved because O'Malley wanted to build a dome, as though Ebbets Field were obsolete - which it wasn't.

[gmat]

It?s not really fair to compare the Predators moving to the Dodgers leaving Brooklyn. There is a great deal of history of the Dodgers in Brooklyn as evident by their name. In case you do not know it is derived from ?dodging? the trolleys in Brooklyn.

Nashville has no history in Nashville. I personally don?t care if they move to Hamilton. Canadians will support the team and in fact, the NHL should move a few more teams to Canada. The bottom line is the NHL will never be popular in the US (other than a few cities). For example, I live in Jersey and the Devils will never compete with the Rangers and Flyers as far as fan base goes. In fact they were thinking about moving to Nashville around the 94 season. They have a winning tradition in recent years, I do remember when they were called a Mickey Mouse organization by Gretztky, however, but will never be as popular as the teams I mentioned.

To get back on subject, I personally hate when a team changes cities and keeps their former name. If they do move to Hamilton a name change should follow. Going back to the Devils, image if they were called the New Jersey Scouts, it wouldn?t make sense. They changed there name to the Rockies and Devils, which was a natural progression that made sense for the areas they played. As for the colors, I would also change them; they would be too similar to the Sabers, maybe think of black and gold like the Tiger-Cats.

[KevinMcD]

It’s not really fair to compare the Predators moving to the Dodgers leaving Brooklyn. There is a great deal of history of the Dodgers in Brooklyn as evident by their name. In case you do not know it is derived from “dodging” the trolleys in Brooklyn.

Nashville has no history in Nashville. I personally don’t care if they move to Hamilton. Canadians will support the team and in fact, the NHL should move a few more teams to Canada. The bottom line is the NHL will never be popular in the US (other than a few cities). For example, I live in Jersey and the Devils will never compete with the Rangers and Flyers as far as fan base goes. In fact they were thinking about moving to Nashville around the 94 season. They have a winning tradition in recent years, I do remember when they were called a Mickey Mouse organization by Gretztky, however, but will never be as popular as the teams I mentioned.

To get back on subject, I personally hate when a team changes cities and keeps their former name. If they do move to Hamilton a name change should follow. Going back to the Devils, image if they were called the New Jersey Scouts, it wouldn’t make sense. They changed there name to the Rockies and Devils, which was a natural progression that made sense for the areas they played. As for the colors, I would also change them; they would be too similar to the SabERs, maybe think of black and gold like the Tiger-Cats.

SabREs!!!!!!

But I agree with all that you say.