Saturday's Dump & Chase: Just Call Me When the Deal's Done

Nashville Predators News

Beyond the Bradley Center: Admirals Right the Ship as the Holiday Home Stretch Approaches | Admirals Roundtable
After a choppy start, have the Milwaukee Admirals found their sea legs? Jason tabs Austin Watson as the man of the moment, with 11 points last month.

Portland's Brendan 'The Pit Bull' Leipsic conjures memories of Marty Standish with his play | OregonLive.com
The Preds' 3rd-round pick from last summer seems to have a pretty cool nickname...

Loser-buys-lunch helps Preds focus at practice | The Tennessean
The guys who are in town are trying to keep busy.

Wilson: ‘Guys are definitely getting antsy’ - Predators Insider
Meanwhile, Colin Wilson is training in Minnesota.We

Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey

What next in NHL CBA talks after breakdown | Red Light - SI.com
Stu Hackel projects where things might head from here.

Shannon on lockout: NHL franchises in trouble - sportsnet.ca
I think John Shannon is missing the point that the players, all along, have wanted to see the bulk of the money they're giving up go towards revenue sharing. The reason many clubs are supposedly losing money is an intra-ownership issue, not so much a players vs. owners one.

Ron Hainsey: The NHLPA's 'bad cop?' | Hockey | CBC Sports
The Columbus defenseman has been thrown into the spotlight during these negotiations.

How Zach Parise Signing for 13 Years Is Good for Kyle Brodziak | mc79hockey.com
Tyler considers the implications of a 5-year limit on contract term, with little room to vary the salary from year to year.

Brunt on Lockout: 30 minutes of madness - sportsnet.ca
Has Bettman met his match in Don Fehr? At the very least, the NHLPA has far more capable and experienced leadership than they've ever had before.

Duhatschek: Latest breakdown reminiscent of 2004 - The Globe and Mail
I dig Eric Duhatschek, but I hope he's wrong with this: "The chances of salvaging any portion of the 2012-13 NHL season went from slim to virtually zero Thursday, a roller-coaster moment in the negotiations that closely resembled an almost-identical day eight years ago."

Doug MacLean, Nick Kypreos get into shouting match on radio - DenverPost.com
Oh, snap!

The Players and Owners CBA Negotiations -- Advanced Stats - Battle of California
*sigh* and nary a Nashville Predator to be found...

'Bad' Santa insults three-year-old, loses job - Toronto Sun
Maybe Santa was just trying to save the kid from the lifetime of disappoint that goes with being a Maple Leafs fan?

Meet The Digital Upstart That Thinks Millions Of Rowdy Fans Are The Future Of The Web - Forbes
A nifty article here on SB Nation and how it has grown into Vox Media, branching out into technology & gaming.

2 Great Christmas Sales on Hockey Equipment - Hockey Gear HQ
So, you're hoping to get some new hockey equipment during the holidays, but want to save cash? These two coupon codes will help both skaters & goalies...

Once again, let's turn over the NHL Lockout analysis to the Taiwanese animators:

NHL CBA Talks: Long Negotiating Session Leads to #NHLPodium Mania

(SB Nation) -- The NHL and NHLPA met for about nine hours on Tuesday, and Wednesday, they repeated the feat, meeting for another nine hours and driving the entire hockey world mad by not releasing a single detail.

So after hours upon hours of staring at a podium, it was at least a bit of relief when NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly used that podium and lectern to give a brief statement, even if that statement came well after 1 a.m. ET.

"We had good candid, dialogue," Daly said. "A lot of issues. There continue to be some critical open issues between the two parties and we understand the union should be getting back to us [Thursday] on some of those issues."

From the players side, only Jets defenseman Ron Hainsey spoke.

Ron Hainsey: "We had a series of candid discussions tonight; we will meet again tomorrow #CBA"

— Michael Grange (@michaelgrange) December 6, 2012

As was the case after Tuesday's marathon bargaining session, the silence seems to be a good thing. Earlier in this work stoppage, both sides would leak details of meetings to the media while those meetings were still in progress, and when they stepped to the microphone afterwards, they would give history lessons and spout rhetoric in frustrating fashion.

But the tone has changed. In the last 48 hours, both sides have indicated "respect for the process," as Gary Bettman put it earlier Wednesday, and are not bothering to play the PR war. An ESPN.com report claimed earlier in the evening that negotiations were "tense," but instead of the sides breaking away from the table in a cloud of anger, they seem to be committed to hammering out the details and getting a deal done.

It might be frustrating that we don't have the specifics of negotiations, but that simple fact also means that we're likely nearing that light at the end of the tunnel.

Mike Fisher to Appear on 2012 CMT Artists of the Year Show

The 2012 edition of the CMT Artists of the Year show was filmed Monday night in Nashville, and Fish attended with his superstar wife Carrie Underwood (here's a pic of the happy couple on the red carpet).

I know many hockey fans reviled at the thought of Fisher's connection to country music as having any influence on his value as a Nashville Predator, but hey, positive press exposure comes in handy, especially during times like these.

The following press release was found at The Futon Critic:

The stars aligned in Nashville last night for a celebrity-filled evening honoring the 2012 CMT ARTISTS OF THE YEAR with appearances or performances by some of the biggest names in entertainment and sports, including Jason Aldean, Lady Antebellum, Luke Bryan, Rodney Carrington, baseball great Roger Clemens, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Sheryl Crow, Eli Young Band, "Late Late Show" host Craig Ferguson, Nashville Predators' Mike Fisher, Academy Award(R) winning actor Morgan Freeman, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Sammy Hagar, Merle Haggard, Hunter Hayes, Metallica's James Hetfield, Atlanta Braves' Chipper Jones, Toby Keith, Kid Rock, Miranda Lambert, rapper Ludacris, Kacey Musgraves, "Duck Dynasty" star Willie Robertson, Kenny Rogers, Thompson Square, Grammy Award(R) winning record producer and OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder, Carrie Underwood and Chris Young. Country super group Rascal Flatts and "Nashville" actress Hayden Panettiere hosted the event that honors the top country acts of 2012 when it premieres on Saturday, December 8 at 10:00 p.m., ET/PT on CMT.

Thursday's Dump & Chase: Thaw, At Last

Nashville Predators News

Stars end Admirals three-game win streak in OT | Admirals Roundtable
Austin Watson scored the lone goal for Milwaukee.

Portland’s Brendan Leipsic silences his critics, with the help of Teemu Selanne - Buzzing The Net
The Preds' 3rd-round draft pick is on fire, with four goals in his last game, but this connection to Teemu Selanne is pretty cool.

Also, Pete Weber joined 102.5 The Game's 1st Quarter this morning to talk about the CBA negotiations:

Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey

Both sides look committed to making deal - Cross Checks Blog - ESPN
Ah, finally we see a bit of movement on some of the major issues.

Into the Wee Hours - The Spin
Oh, that Jeremy Jacobs. Can't the other owners just inadvertently lock him in a bathroom or something?

NHL lockout: "Bettman wants this (deal) done by Friday," NHL insider Nick Kypreos says | Edmonton Journal
Well, there you go.

Down Goes Brown: 20 years ago today...
In case you wondered what the name "Down Goes Brown" means, check out the video!

Sports Broadcast Antitrust Suits Can Proceed, Judge Rules - Bloomberg
A lawsuit challenging the regional blackout restrictions that the NHL and MLB enforce is moving forward. This could be interesting to watch...

The Quiet Room: Joffrey Lupul | Backhand Shelf
Everything you wanted to know about herniated discs but were afraid to ask.

Wednesday's Dump & Chase: Hopes Rise For CBA Talks

Nashville Predators News

Smashville 24/7 - Hal Gill: ‘We’re getting down to crunch time’
The big defenseman blows off the report out of Boston that a CBA deal is right around the corner.

NHL Progress In Nashville Threatened By Lockout - Predlines
A collection of worthless answers here that are still good reading.

At Alabama-Huntsville, eyes on the future during a tough present :: USCHO.com
The UAH Chargers are still working hard to find a home in a collegiate hockey conference.

Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey

Penguins' Crosby, Burkle take charge in NHL talks | Hockey | CBC Sports
After last night's meeting, Sidney Crosby also healed the sick and rescued a kitten from a tree.

Ilitch proposes $650 million new downtown arena, entertainment district - Detroit Free Press
Might a replacement for Joe Louis Arena be in the works? I remember seeing the Harlem Globetrotters there shortly after it opened. Given the modern standard for arenas, it's probably due.

Animated Infographic: Watch As America's Stadiums Pile Up On The Backs Of Taxpayers Through The Years - Deadspin
Super-cool...

Tuesday's Dump & Chase: Preds Prospects in the World Juniors Mix

Nashville Predators News

Nashville Hockey Community Mourns Loss - Nashville Predators
Locals are grieving the passing of John Latreille, an important figure in the growth of youth hockey here in Nashville.

Hockey Canada names selection camp roster for world junior championship - Buzzing The Net
Nashville's 2nd-round draft pick from this summer, Colton Sissons, is in the mix.

USA Hockey Announces 2013 World Juniors Preliminary Roster - Western College Hockey Blog
Preds prospect Jimmy Vesey is also in the to wear the red, white & blue.

Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey

Sources: Significant Progress Made Toward Ending NHL Lockout " CBS Boston
And in related news, a unicorn lair was found in North Korea.

John Collins, NHL COO, could be costly lockout casualty for Bettman | Puck Daddy
Read this and ask yourself to what extent this dynamic could play out at the local level, too. What if some of the Predators' business staff decided to leave?

Down Goes Brown: The NHLPA's advance scouting report on today's session with NHL owners
Ron Burkle, Pittsburgh Penguins: Strength: Unlike everyone else in the room, will probably try really hard not to fall asleep the second Sidney Crosby starts talking.

Hearsay: Ted Lindsay fears for the NHL - sportsnet.ca
Forget owners vs. players. just put Gary Bettman & Don Fehr in a room with Ted Lindsay and an old wooden hockey stick. You'd have a new CBA in no time.

Debate: Owners-players meeting will be pivotal - Cross Checks Blog - ESPN
...or it could be just another day. Scott Burnside & Pierre LeBrun walk through the particulars heading into this afternoon's meeting.

NHL - Decertification is no easy route for NHLPA - ESPN
If you still care enough to make it through the whole thing, this is an outstanding overview of the issues surrounding NHLPA decertification, which may be on the table in the coming weeks.

Ice-O-Topes women’s hockey team recreate classic photos in 2013 pin-up calendar | Puck Daddy
Now this is creative stuff...

Adjusting Time On-Ice: Can 5v5% Tell Us More About TOI? | NHLNumbers.com
A slight refinement to the treatment of ice time casts Brian McGrattan in a pretty poor light.

An Open Letter to Nashville Predators Governor Joel Dobberpuhl

I'm writing you today to advise that you speak up, firmly and passionately, in support of striking a deal with the NHLPA and getting back to work immediately.

Lockout Costs Are Growing Daily

Every day this lockout drags on, teams like the Predators are losing customers. Just yesterday, one of your most visible fans, Codey Holland of Section 303, publicly declared that he was no longer a season ticket holder. Codey has led chants from atop the team's quasi-official superfan section for years, has been featured in a radio ad for one of your key sponsors (pitching other Preds fans on banking services with a team tie-in), and is an active supporter of the team on social networks like Twitter & Facebook.

When you lose a ticket holder like that (or Patten Fuqua of Puckscene.com, who also says he's taken a refund) you're losing the grassroots of your fan base. Yes, the hard-working marketing staff within the Predators organization can probably win many of those folks back, but at what cost? Instead of building on the momentum from the last few seasons, you can look forward to several months of discounts, comped tickets, and phone calls to former customers trying to get them back into Bridgestone Arena. Even with all that effort, it's doubtful that many of these fans will get back to their previous level of financial commitment to the team.

It will be like 2007-2008 all over again, when the franchise's history in Music City hung in the balance. The competition for the local sports-entertainment dollar is only going to get tougher, however. In case you haven't noticed, there's a college football team on the rise just a few blocks down Broadway, with aspirations of stepping up to a higher level in the years ahead.

The Predators just struck a new arena lease deal with the city of Nashville based on the premise that the team is an economic engine for the downtown area, and right now that engine is stalled because the owners & players can't agree on how to proceed. What kind of long-term damage is being done to the team's credibility as a leader in the local business community by this completely unnecessary lockout?

Keep Your Eyes On The Prize

If, during the Board of Governors meeting, an old hand like Boston's Jeremy Jacobs tells a relative newcomer like yourself to wait your turn and let the old guard handle things, that's where you need to take a stand. These aren't the days of the Original Six, when a cozy group of owners could has things out over brandy & cigars.

The modern NHL is a $3.3 billion business, which could be much bigger if it got its collective act together. Bold ideas are needed to make gains on leagues like the NBA, NFL, or Major League Baseball, and that opportunity is being squandered right now.

The NHL should be focused on the big picture - getting an expansion team into Toronto to further tap into an under-served hockey market, getting the Phoenix Coyotes off the league's books ASAP, and maximizing the opportunity for upcoming paydays, like the Canadian broadcast rights agreements which are expiring soon.

It's time to stop being penny-wise and pound-foolish. Overall league revenues have been growing steadily for years now, but the current course of action jeopardizes all that hard work. Get the players away from the negotiating table and back on the ice, where they belong.

Sincerely,

Dirk Hoag