Al Strachan's Nashville Rant

[edicius 3,269]

I didn't know Lou owned the Devils

Oops, someone beat me to the punch.

And I've subsequently edited. *goes to make coffee*

[Jwo 7]

If you think about it, Nashville preds would't be doing so well if Detroit didt lend them the money. So you can say Nashville preds are owned by the Wings.

[Legionnaire11 0]

If you think about it, Nashville preds would't be doing so well if Detroit didt lend them the money. So you can say Nashville preds are owned by the Wings.

That was actually pretty funny

[wingfanatic4alltime 32]

Its a shame if this al strachan article is true Nashville has finally become a team that can challange the wings not only in the division but in the playoffs. Legionnaire is this owner really this bad as strachan says.

[Legionnaire11 0]

Legionnaire is this owner really this bad as strachan says.

I can see where Strachan can take things and stretch them to fit his hatred towards southern markets, specifically Nashville... Who BTW, just before this article was written, whooped up on his maple leafs (interesting isn't it?)... But Craig Leipold is a business man. He makes decisions based on what is best for his business, owning the Nashville Predators. You can say whatever you want about him, but he's only one voice out of 30 owners. So even if he were the biggest pile of crap in the league (far from it) he cannot single handedly do anything to change the league.

Leipold is a huge Predators fan, he probably cheers louder than anyone else in the building when the Preds score. He's a great guy, always walking around before games talking with fans.

And I mean, if you are looking at making an expansion team, and Nashville (which had a 30 year history of hockey before the NHL) comes at you with the biggest sweetheart offer in the history of pro sports. Would you turn them down?

If your business is losing money, and the big corporate office says they're going to give you some free money from the profits that other businesses are making, would you turn it down?

Nashville is not the only team in this situation. So, other than being the best team in the league, I don't understand why we're always the ones getting crapped on in the media. We're I think 22nd in the league in average attendance. Even if we sold out every night we'd only be 16th, so it's not like we could ever be in the top half of the leauge attendanc-wise anyway.

...to make a long story short.

Craig Leipold is a great guy and a great owner. If every owner in the NHL were as passionate about their team, and did as much as Leipold to get every advantage and every little ounce of help and support for their franchise, then the league as a whole would be better off.

[WingsZR2 1]

I hope the Preds stay in Nashville, at least until the Wings move to the Eastern Conference. I only go to 4 Preds games a year and I bet everyone here knows who's in town. As far as the ownership they should look into hiring an independant sports writer because everyone that works for the Tennessean (Nashville's major newspaper) only wants to write stories that bash this team.

[drsingle 0]

While I won't deny that problems exist in Nashville, they really exist in every market to some degree. The primary problem with this league is marketing- as in it is non-existent.

Here are two articles (which many have probably read already) I wrote discussing this problem specifically at the local level: Rink of Dreams and Rink of Dreams- The Aftermath.

Along the lines of marketing, can one guess what team is the worst draw on the road? You would be correct if you said the Predators. A division rival is the wrong audience, but how well do you think a fan in New York knows the Predators and the type of game they play? One of the top teams in the NHL has one national TV game. Another great article by John Couture over at PredNation.

The latest is the Al Strachan article as well as the article in the Tennessean. Paul McCann does a pretty good job of countering Mr. Strachan's comments (as was pointed out previously). Here is my attempt at addressing the article in the Tennessean particularly.

Again, not denying that there are issues. Many of the issues the league have could be fixed with better marketing. I can also say the NHL marketing office hasn't been too stable since the lockout.

Thanks.

David Singleton

Edited February 14, 2007 by drsingle

[Legionnaire11 0]

i say look for a largely populated city, if possible with alot of young people, kids, teenagers, and aim for maybe the largest possible city that has no other major sports franchises, but maybe big interest in college sports, and if you can't, get a city with just one pro team.

i know it's picky, but if you can find that city, and really make a push and build a good solid base there, i think it'll work. oh, and it has to be a city you'd think would eventually grow to like hockey. not a "bettman city". you know, like nashville(wtf?) atlanta(who will need a finals appearance to get interest over the falcons and braves) or columbus (where football owns that state and always will).

sometimes you'll find a city so big, it might like anything you put in there just because the popultion can sustain another team. but why try with the state of the nhl? it'd be hard since the nfl basically invaded every large city in america.

care to name this ideal city that you speak of?

When Nashville was awarded a franchise there was no other Pro sports team here (titans were still the nomad-oilers at the time). Nashville is a booming city with plenty of young people. Nashville has had a pro hockey team for over 40 years.

Seriously, find me a city that would be better. You name all this criteria, but you can't name a city that fits the bill.

[Kp-Wings 3]

care to name this ideal city that you speak of?

When Nashville was awarded a franchise there was no other Pro sports team here (titans were still the nomad-oilers at the time). Nashville is a booming city with plenty of young people. Nashville has had a pro hockey team for over 40 years.

Seriously, find me a city that would be better. You name all this criteria, but you can't name a city that fits the bill.

Kansas City? Their better than Nashville.

...And no, I'm not southern biased. Considering Kansas City and Nashville have almost the same demographics, there almost the same as being considered southern cities. The difference is that many report that fans are already inquiring about buying ticket plans, assuming the Penguins to move to Kansas City, and the team doesn't even exist yet. As for the Predators... Best team in the league, and their lucky to get 12,000 people in the game (in an arena that holds over 17,000). The Predators are a good team, and nobody is going. You look at the other teams that struggle in attendance, they all suck, with the exception of maybe the NY Islanders. Nobody goes to watch the Islanders because the team is run like a circus. Most every other team that can't sell out probably can't for a good reason, and that's because they suck. There is no legitimate reason that people aren't going to Predators games, except for the fact that they don't care. I'm sure the TV stations and newspapers mention the Predators enough to get people aware of how good they are. If they don't, then maybe that is the problem. But I just don't see that as the case. I see it as the Predators as being good, yet no one cares and nobody goes. And it's not southern bias I have either, as I already explained with Kansas City. And to add, Tampa and Dallas are southern teams, and they have no problems with attendance. The people of Nashville just don't care. Need I speak any further?

edit: spelling

Edited February 15, 2007 by Kp-Wings

[betterREDthandead 58]

care to name this ideal city that you speak of?

When Nashville was awarded a franchise there was no other Pro sports team here (titans were still the nomad-oilers at the time). Nashville is a booming city with plenty of young people. Nashville has had a pro hockey team for over 40 years.

Seriously, find me a city that would be better. You name all this criteria, but you can't name a city that fits the bill.

Oo oo oo! I got one!

Let's see:

Biggish (but not so big that there's other distractions): Check

Younger population: Check

Only one pro team: Check

Loves college sports: Check

So yup: Every criteria listed, Nashville fits.

By the way, Kansas City is not a Southern city. I don't care what latitude line it sits on, Kansas City is not part of the South. It's a western or Midwestern city. When you think of Kansas City, you don't think country music, grits, and the Bible belt. Kansas City is an old ranching town, not a Southern city. KC actually has winters, because it's out on the edge of the Plains.

[BlakChamber 8]

Kansas City? Their better than Nashville.

...And no, I'm not southern biased. Considering Kansas City and Nashville have almost the same demographics, there almost the same as being considered southern cities. The difference is that many report that fans are already inquiring about buying ticket plans, assuming the Penguins to move to Kansas City, and the team doesn't even exist yet. As for the Predators... Best team in the league, and their lucky to get 12,000 people in the game (in an arena that holds over 17,000). The Predators are a good team, and nobody is going. You look at the other teams that struggle in attendance, they all suck, with the exception of maybe the NY Islanders. Nobody goes to watch the Islanders because the team is run like a circus. Most every other team that can't sell out probably can't for a good reason, and that's because they suck. There is no legitimate reason that people aren't going to Predators games, except for the fact that they don't care. I'm sure the TV stations and newspapers mention the Predators enough to get people aware of how good they are. If they don't, then maybe that is the problem. But I just don't see that as the case. I see it as the Predators as being good, yet no one cares and nobody goes. And it's not southern bias I have either, as I already explained with Kansas City. And to add, Tampa and Dallas are southern teams, and they have no problems with attendance. The people of Nashville just don't care. Need I speak any further?

You think Nashvlle didn't have people calling about tickets when it was rumored they'd get a team?

What about the Devils? Awesome team, crappy attendance. The Ducks, Thrashers, and Pens are all in the bottom half of the league for attendance as well.

[Kp-Wings 3]

You think Nashvlle didn't have people calling about tickets when it was rumored they'd get a team?

What about the Devils? Awesome team, crappy attendance. The Ducks, Thrashers, and Pens are all in the bottom half of the league for attendance as well.

No I didn't think they did. And I really didn't pay that close attention to the matter, considering that about 8 years ago.

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

No I didn't think they did. And I really didn't pay that close attention to the matter, considering that about 8 years ago.

That's just arrogance. To say that nobody cares is arrogant. If nobody did, their attendance would only be in the hundreds.

The city where I'm from had a minor league hockey team from the mid-90s to around 2000. And while there is plenty of other things to keep people entertained from where I am from, as is the same in Nashville, the team had some pretty solid attendance being a minor league team in a city with a lot of entertainment options.

So, it might be hard to believe, people were calling up for tickets to those games from where I am from as well.

[Hank 0]

Legionarre, youre right when you call Strachan a peice of crap. I don't know how this guy has kept a career considering that 90% of the 'facts' he spews are nothing but myths or half truths.

I was listening to Open Ice last night and a number of people called in dispelling a lot of what he wrote in his article.

Again, Strachan should not even be considered a journalist. He uses his forum as a pulpet for the PA and anything that stands in his way. If you gave him power over the NHL, the league would have 4 teams - LA, NY, Det and Philly. He only wants teams that have oodles and oodles of money so the average salary is $10,000,000. He is a players union slappy if there ever was one.

P.S. Regarding the NHL's process of accepting expansion teams, please don't give the league that much credit. They barely look into anything that has to do with TV market, stability, fan base, etc. If you have the expansion fee up front, you're in. Read Phil Esposito's book "Thunder and Lightning"; it's actually quite scary how easy it was for them to get an Expansion bid despite the fact they had no guarenteed investors, no arena and very little tickets sold yet. So why did TB and Ottawa get a team? As Phil put it, they were the only two cities that had no problems paying the $50 million up front. All the other candidates refused to pay all of the money up front. Even Karmanos said that he would pay $25 mill right away with another $25 mil when certain measures were reached. If you look at Karmanos' resume compared to the Ottawa and TB parties, you would have laughed. Phil's book goes into Tampa Bay's journey into the NHL, "Road Games" goes into great detail regarding the Ottawa expansion. In both books you find out that the NHL is being run by mostly 'good old boys' that don't have the furthest clue about big business. In some cases, you wouldn't want one of these BOG's managing your sons piggy bank.

Edited February 15, 2007 by Hank

[Legionnaire11 0]

Kansas City? Their better than Nashville.

...And no, I'm not southern biased. Considering Kansas City and Nashville have almost the same demographics, there almost the same as being considered southern cities. The difference is that many report that fans are already inquiring about buying ticket plans, assuming the Penguins to move to Kansas City, and the team doesn't even exist yet. As for the Predators... Best team in the league, and their lucky to get 12,000 people in the game (in an arena that holds over 17,000). The Predators are a good team, and nobody is going. You look at the other teams that struggle in attendance, they all suck, with the exception of maybe the NY Islanders. Nobody goes to watch the Islanders because the team is run like a circus. Most every other team that can't sell out probably can't for a good reason, and that's because they suck. There is no legitimate reason that people aren't going to Predators games, except for the fact that they don't care. I'm sure the TV stations and newspapers mention the Predators enough to get people aware of how good they are. If they don't, then maybe that is the problem. But I just don't see that as the case. I see it as the Predators as being good, yet no one cares and nobody goes. And it's not southern bias I have either, as I already explained with Kansas City. And to add, Tampa and Dallas are southern teams, and they have no problems with attendance. The people of Nashville just don't care. Need I speak any further?

edit: spelling

Umm, Nashville met the minimum season ticket sales to be awarded a franchise, which was only 12,000. The first few years they averaged over 16,000/gm. And I'm not sure when the last time you checked your attendance figures, we're averaging 14,700. It's St. Louis who is below 12,000.

I wish everyone had a crystal ball so they could look into the future, K.C. would draw well for a few years and then fall off, just like all the other cities (including my own nashville). The thing is, there are some bad markets in the league, but there really isn't anywhere to move those teams that would be any better in the long run. The league is better off sticking it out in these markets and letting the fanbase grow up with it over a few generations rather than moving the teams every 10 years and never letting them become established and build some tradition.

The only other option is contraction, and I think that would be the worst possibility for the league from a PR standpoint, not to mention the players union would never allow it to happen.

[Hank 0]

Umm, Nashville met the minimum season ticket sales to be awarded a franchise, which was only 12,000. The first few years they averaged over 16,000/gm. And I'm not sure when the last time you checked your attendance figures, we're averaging 14,700. It's St. Louis who is below 12,000.

I wish everyone had a crystal ball so they could look into the future, K.C. would draw well for a few years and then fall off, just like all the other cities (including my own nashville). The thing is, there are some bad markets in the league, but there really isn't anywhere to move those teams that would be any better in the long run. The league is better off sticking it out in these markets and letting the fanbase grow up with it over a few generations rather than moving the teams every 10 years and never letting them become established and build some tradition.

The only other option is contraction, and I think that would be the worst possibility for the league from a PR standpoint, not to mention the players union would never allow it to happen.

I think the biggest worry considering Nashville's attendance this year is that they're having a fantastic year and they're selling less tickets than before.

Hopefully a long playoff run or even advancing into round 2 would help.

Edited February 15, 2007 by Hank