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The Nashville Predators like to pride themselves on having a great home ice advantage and an electric atmosphere at Bridgestone Arena. That atmosphere has not been quite the same when the Chicago Blackhawks visit. Many of the Chicago fans make the 400-mile trip south and invade the arena making quite a lot of noise and making it sound far more like a game at the United Center then a home game for Nashville.
The Predators have had enough.
The organization is going to extreme lengths to keep the Blackhawks fans out for the first-round playoff series. Before playoff tickets went on sale, the Predators made additional tickets available to season ticket holders. After that, they had a presale available for any fans that wanted to buy tickets locally in person at Kroger and Bridgestone stores in Nashville, and once tickets were available online, the Predators limited it to only those in the Nashville area. So if you are a Predators fan in West Virginia and wanted to go to the first game, too bad, the Predators would rather make sure a Blackhawks fan doesn’t make it inside the arena rather than give their long distance fans a chance to see a playoff game.
If that isn’t enough, the Predators have also decided not to have anyone sing the National Anthem before the game. Instead, they are going to have the crowd sing it in unison. This is to stifle any Blackhawks fans that do make it into the arena to do their home ice tradition of cheering throughout the anthem.
If the Predators have such a great home crowd, then they shouldn’t be so panicked about trying to keep Blackhawks fans out of the arena. Focus on your own crowd and stop worrying about the visiting team. If Blackhawks fans make the effort to see their team on the road, then tip your cap to them but don’t chain and lock the doors.
The Predators are acting like a little brother who is obsessed with their big brother, but don’t want to admit it. They should take pride in their fans and the success the team had this season. Obsessing over Blackhawks fans instead of being focused on their own team is really embarrassing for this franchise. The Predators are doing a disservice to their own fans by worrying about another fanbase rather than their own. One thing is certain, if the Predators worry that much about the Blackhawks on the ice instead of playing their own game, Nashville won’t have to worry about too many more home games.
Bill Zimmerman is a featured writer for www.RantSports.Com. Follow him on Twitter, like him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.
