Thursday, May 31, 2007

Go Predators. And Take Greer Stadium With You.

The Nashville Predators are being sold. The new owner is probably going to take them to Hamilton, Ontario.

As a small college sports fan, I am extremely excited about this development. If you live within 100 miles of Nashville, the Titans are king, and nothing is going to change that anytime soon. Lipscomb, Belmont, the Sounds, and the like could never compete with the NFL.

But the Predators are another matter.

If the Predators are gone, $23 million in ticket sales, corporate sponsorships (such as they are), and valuable airtime on sports radio and TV are suddenly up for grabs. The 1,800 people (I am not making that number up) in the Nashville media market who watched the NHL All-Star Game on TV will watch whether there is a Nashville team or not.

This move is good for the NHL, good for the new owner, and good for the rest of the Middle Tennessee sports community.

Coming soon -- The Atlantic Sun spring sports recap, and thoughts about Mark Cuban's new football league.

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