This Is Definitely Not Fraud - Not One Bit

After leaving here for a few months to go stretch my legs on a more "legitimate" appearing website I was amazed to see that the stories out of Nashville about impending doom and gloom and financial armageddon managed to transplant themselves to Phoenix.

What was always part of the side show in Nashville wasn't so much how they're a team that draws poor crowds to their games but more about the financial mismanagement disaster that surrounds this team no matter who the owner ends up being.

The story out of today's Tennesseean seems to say that whether Boots Del Biaggio is there or not, shady things are happening in one form or another.

As they battle to make hockey a long-term success story here, the Nashville Predators' owners might buy thousands of unsold tickets so they can qualify for a full share of the NHL's revenue-sharing plan, the team's lead owner confirmed Wednesday.

David Freeman stressed that he and the other owners haven't made that decision, but with millions of dollars on the line, they've been discussing the possibility and they can't wait too long to pull the trigger.

"We've consistently said that we're here to give everything we've got to make this work," Freeman said.

What I'd like to know is what the other NHL owners think about this. After all, these were the same guys that were rumored to be up in arms when they thought Sabres owner Tom Golisano was purposefully keeping ticket prices low so the Sabres would collect on NHL Welfare.

Nevermind that the Sabres were selling out every game, that just meant, to the other owners anyhow, that he should raise the prices and then cry foul when people don't buy the tickets.

Since, you know, those fans aren't caring enough to spend disgusting amounts of money for tickets to watch the hometown team against the dregs of the league and then pay even more money to watch them against their heated rivals.

Bogus.


What's this? It's a sight never to be seen outside the Sommet Center in Nashville.

Then again, who will be the owner to cry "Foul!" on what the Predators are doing?

Anyone? Anyone?

Until that reaction starts to flow in from the outer reaches of the league, I'll be able to take the owners at least slightly serious. After all, if you're going to break this down with an algebraic equation, it might look like this:

3/4 empty arena with bloated ticket prices that regular people can't afford > full house with reasonably priced tickets that the fans are clamoring for

Doesn't that strike anyone as... stupid?