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It looks like the Predators will probably be staying in Nashville. Metro Nashville and the group of investors looking to purchase the team, announced today that they have come to a lease agreement for the Predators’ Sommet Center.
This doesn’t mean that the deal is done. Next, the Metro Sports Authority needs to approve the $193 million deal, and then the City Council must approve it.
This comes as terrible news to those of us who were looking forward to some great hockey blues songs coming out of Nashville.
I don’t think we’ve heard the end of this one. The Preds haven’t made money and it’s not likely they will now. So I think we’ll be seeing this story all over again sooner than we may think. As for Balsillie getting a team to bring into the Copps Coliseum, there will probably be the Thrashers, Panthers or Coyotes for sale soon.
Even if Nashville stays, it is only delaying the inevitable. With the strength of Canada’s economy and the increase in the value of its dollar, moving a team or two back to Canada is inevitable. Period. Bettman and the NHL pushed the league into expansion too fast, and the only good thing that can happen is eliminating a couple of franchises to increase the skill level of the league and move a couple struggling franchises to interested locations in Canada.
wow, a whopping 2 comments, this thing sure is gettin people all fired up….sigh.
now that the californian group has successfully blackmailed the city to pay their bills and more for the next 3 years, all they have to do is keep the predators just uninteresting enough to stay below the 14k mark…which is exactly what they have been doing for a year anyway, giving all great players away and jacking ticket prices. then in 3 years to the day, when they find themselves still in deficit, they can finally move the team where they want, and find a clause in their contract that frees them from refunding the money stolen from the city. BAM!
They will be gone by 2011.
The ticket price hike and giving the players away was the work of Liepold and management, not the new owners. I love the Predators, and, as a fan, would hate to see them go. . .However, if they cannot make money in 10 years, then Nashville isn’t for them. Although, the previous owner and management did NOTHING to market them, and the disgrace of a newspaper did nothing to cover them.
God forbid they move a team to Canada whre there will be support, than to leave a half empty arena in a city that doesn’t give a shit about the team. 10 years is long enough to show that Nashville doesn’t care about hockey and doesn’t deserve to have a team there. The “new NHL” sucks ASS and thank you “Mrs. Bettman” and the present group of fools who are the NHL owners for sticking it to the fans since 92-93.