What is WRONG with us?! (Pity party thread for Preds fans only!)
Before I got married, I never took it personally if some dude didn't want to date me. Whatever, their loss. I was never one of those girls who cries "What's wrong with me?!" every time a guy isn't interested in her. But as a Preds fan, I find myself turning into just that kind of person.
I watched with envy earlier this year when Crosby re-upped with the Penguins; what a love fest that was. Crosby doesn't even care about testing free agency; his heart is with the Pens. The Pens don't even care that his contract might be uninsurable; he's that important to them. Everyone lives happily ever after.
Why can't that happen with the Predators? We've lost several excellent players over the years, for one reason or another. The only truly awesome player we've ever had that has said "I love Nashville. I believe in Nashville. I want to play here and I want to win a Cup here" and signed a big contract to back it up is Rinne. Several other players who have left seem to like us okay, but not enough to marry us; they end up leaving for greener pastures. Maybe if it was just one player, I could tell myself "Whatever, they just want to be closer to their family" or whatever the case may be. But we've seen multiple players leave, for various reasons, who all apparently didn't love us enough to stay. Nobody wants to be with us! Everyone breaks up with us!
Are we too fat? Do we have a crappy personality? Do other teams put out more?!
What are we missing?!
Seriously though. We're a fun city. No state income tax. GM and coach with great reputations around the league. Competitive playoff team. Boss of a goalie. People should want to stay here, and new guys should want to come here!
There's obviously something wrong with us, and it's making me depressed. Is it always going to be like this for us?!
rinne signed because of the money. plain and simple. highest cap hit for a goalie in the NHL IIRC.
and i don't know whats wrong with us... this fan base has been through more than one could imagine
I think you're way off on your assessment on Rinne. He is paid exactly what he is worth and IMO wants to be here partly because of the great coaches.
You can't just look at cap hits when there are contracts out there that artificially lower cap hits with bogus years. Luongo, Lundqvist, Quick, Price, Bryzgalov... all these contracts coincide with Rinne's if you ignore the circumvention years.
There is nothing wrong with Nashville. The problem lies in the young men who don't want to marry the small town girl. They are tempted by the bright lights, money and fame of the big hockey city. Everything you have listed is appreciated more by older men. Gaustad and Gill saw that and wanted to stay. Nashville also suffers from not having hometown men. They all come from somewhere else where hockey is more king. They long for what they had at home where they were the hometown hero. They aren't the stars in Nashville like they would be in other cities. They don't get the recognition here like they would elsewhere.
You just have to accept who you are and realize that a small town market just isn't going to attract some guys. You have to wait for the right men to come along. Obviously it hasn't happened yet but you have to believe it will otherwise you need to move on.
The team lacks the ability to front load contracts to the extent players are looking for with CBA uncertainty.
X money over Y years isn't the issue ... providing the top cap hit at a position then nearly doubling that that number in cash due across the first season, about 3.5x that cap hit due in real cash over the first 50 weeks of the contract after bonuses ... there lies the issue.
Nothing wrong with Nashville as a city. I think there is a problem with managemet. Things just are not adding up. They are well respected around the league but that respect does not add up to what is going on. Just does not make sense to me.
I think the big city lights, attention, and live breath hockey in the other North East and Canada does also have an effect but should not effect the amount of players that it has.
Nothing wrong with Nashville as a city. I think there is a problem with managemet. Things just are not adding up. They are well respected around the league but that respect does not add up to what is going on. Just does not make sense to me.
I think the big city lights, attention, and live breath hockey in the other North East and Canada does also have an effect but should not effect the amount of players that it has.
I think they're respected around the league, but I don't think that equates to being a destination for top flight players. I mean, the mom & pop drug store around the corner is well respected, and has enjoyed some modest success, but if walmart comes tapping me for a corporate management position...
FWIW, though they haven't had the same issues retaining their guys, it isn't as if teams like San Jose or Detroit have had all that much success drawing free agents of late, nor have all those great Canadian cities.
Agree with 101st; I'll refrain from the "woe is me" party until after the new CBA is sorted out. If they eliminate front loading or at least mitigate the absurdity of the structures we've been seeing lately, we may find ourselves on better footing going forward. At that point, it will hopefully become a "do I want to play in Nashville when MTL / NYC / DET / etc. have more prestige, history, or demonstrable success?" question for players, which you knew would be an issue for the next 20-30+ years when you became a Preds fan.
We're Mary Ann, not Ginger. We're Jan, not Marcia. We're Watts, not Amanda Jones. We're Jacob, not Edward. We're the bachelor who goes first in the Show's finale scene.
We're the good girl Mom wishes her son would settle down with, only to have her run off with Runaway Joe (the wrong kind of paradise).
We're Sandy, not Rizzo.
Wait!?! He ended up with Sandy at the end (I got chills, they're multiplying).
There's hope!!!! (You're the one that I want .....)
Hockey players have a limited window in which to make their living. While they are making millions, eventually their career will end.. whether due to injuries, or simply old age, or teams no longer being interested in their services.
A player has to do what is best for him and his family. Plain and simple.
Larger markets offer more than just the contract, there's more exposure which leads to advertising deals and etc. Again, maximizing their window of opportunity to make their living.
Nashville is a hockey retirement home. Sam at OTF has a post about how Nashville needs to stop advertising Brentwood, and start showcasing what's on Broadway instead.
I feel really bad for you guys... looking at the great crazy hype you had going there.... and now basically things are in this situation... it's like a having a really bad hangover but you know it will go away in time. Stay strong.
Edit. I'm A Ducks fan but I rooted you in the playoffs. (So I would say I'm little bit of Preds fan when you are not playing against Anaheim)
We're Mary Ann, not Ginger. We're Jan, not Marcia. We're Watts, not Amanda Jones. We're Jacob, not Edward. We're the bachelor who goes first in the Show's finale scene.
We're the good girl Mom wishes her son would settle down with, only to have her run off with Runaway Joe (the wrong kind of paradise).
We're Sandy, not Rizzo.
Wait!?! He ended up with Sandy at the end (I got chills, they're multiplying).
There's hope!!!! (You're the one that I want .....)
The team lacks the ability to front load contracts to the extent players are looking for with CBA uncertainty.
X money over Y years isn't the issue ... providing the top cap hit at a position then nearly doubling that that number in cash due across the first season, about 3.5x that cap hit due in real cash over the first 50 weeks of the contract after bonuses ... there lies the issue.
Nothing wrong with Nashville as a city. I think there is a problem with managemet. Things just are not adding up. They are well respected around the league but that respect does not add up to what is going on. Just does not make sense to me.
I think the big city lights, attention, and live breath hockey in the other North East and Canada does also have an effect but should not effect the amount of players that it has.
I agree with some of what has been posted here. Also lets not forget that we are one of the newer franchises in the NHL and our history is still new and that the big firesale from Leopold and the attempted sale to RIM guy really hurt us. We have been in the discussion as one of the teams that should move up north and our current ownership doesn't have a lot of $$. So, with all of this stuff still floating around, that has hindered our ability to bring in and/or keep players. IMO.
Also, as I have stated in other posts, I think our style of play has turned players away from us. It isn't the style of play that scorers would like to play in, defense first. I know, I know, we were in the top 10 in scoring this past year, the PP was #1, but that has not been our MO from the past. I think we have some guys that can score, if Trotz will let them loose to do so. Again, IMO.
So if it really is ownership, and our city not being perceived as flashy enough for younger players, then when is it ever going to change? Never? In like 50 years once we've (hopefully) won a few Cups and established a winning history?
So if it really is ownership, and our city not being perceived as flashy enough for younger players, then when is it ever going to change? Never? In like 50 years once we've (hopefully) won a few Cups and established a winning history?
I guess we just need to draft Scandinavian players from now on, with a few Czechs thrown into the mix once in a while.
I guess we could bring in Jamie Allison too, he loved it here.
Sullivan and Dumont are both on record saying that Nashville would be the city they lived in after hockey. Doesn't Stu still live here too, Dan Kezcmer as well?
Sullivan and Dumont are family men. Their wives and kids like it here. Nashville might be attractive to guys like that, but it doesn't seem to mesmerize the younger guys in the same way.
We need some help from Taylor Swift and Kellie Pickler. Girls, go out there like Carrie did and hook up with the best hockey player you can find. Then reel him in and demand to live in Nashville. Next to L.A., this is our one advantage over other bigger cities.
