Fans at a Nashville Predators Game. Part One

Woo Hoo! It’s September! There will be actual, professional (preseason) hockey on the ice at Bridgestone Arena this month! Your Nashville Predators will soon be back!

You have to be excited about that. There are higher expectations for this team than for any team in the last 3-4 years, maybe longer. It’s a great time to be a fan in Smashville.

Speaking of fans, the Nashville Predators certainly have an eclectic fan base. From snow bird who has known hockey their whole life to the guy who just needs a team to cheer for now that he’s given up hope on the Titans. Today we’ll take a look at a few of these groups, and what to expect out of each of them.

#1 The Transplanted Northerner

Maybe they came down for the auto industry, maybe they just got tired of the lousy weather. Either way, they made their way to the Great State of Tennessee and were ecstatic when hockey followed suit. These are the ones who scoff at the neophytes of the sport and can act really snooty when a newer Predators fan says something that’s not quite right. Although some of them love nothing more than teaching a new fan the ropes.

They still dust off that Red Wings jersey when they come to town, and that’s okay now that Detroit is in the Eastern Conference. They have season tickets now and every other night they wear Predators’ gold. If you can find one who likes to talk, you can learn a lot about the history of hockey from one of these fans.

Can be heard saying… “Hockey jerseys are actually called ‘sweaters’.” Also “I remember seeing Mark Messier at Joe Louis in 1988….”

#2 The Guy Who Watches Hockey for the Fighting

This guy isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, but make no mistake about it, he is a tool. He’ll show up to a game or two per year, usually so he can go out to Paradise Park after the second period. He’s yell about how stupid it is to watch a bunch of foreigners and Yankees slide on the ice and that usually the game is boring.

He can’t name a single player on the team, but after 4 Miller Lites and the bottle of Evan Williams he snuck in, he’ll have no problem screaming in opposing fans’ faces and unleashing an unholy amount of obscenities. This is hopefully the point where he gets kicked out and heads to Paradise Park.

Can be heard saying… “Hockey’s borin’, only reason I like it is fer tha fights”

#3 Sad Titans Fan

Sad Titans Fan is… well, he’s sad. After waiting the last 10 years for the Titans to win a playoff game, he decided to give this whole “hockey” thing a shot. He figures that if the Titans only win 2 out of 16, and the Predators got to two wins faster last year, it can’t be all bad.

Sad Titans Fan can quickly become a die-hard Predators fan under the right circumstances. So long as he has good people around him and doesn’t hang out with the “Watches for the Fights” guy, he’ll be right on the path to being a season ticket holder. He may not “love” hockey yet, but he sure does love not paying half a car note just to park downtown.

Can be heard saying… “You mean I can get the family tickets and get a beer for the price of parking at a Titans game? Okay then, sign me up.”

#4 The Hockey Parents

I mentioned the hockey parent in a previous article. Little Johnny decided he wanted to play hockey, so the parents started taking him to the games as well. They have no idea who’s on the ice, and their kid is the one telling them how icing works.

You’ll also see these parents out at Ford Ice or Centennial trying to learn how to skate, while their five year-old skates circles around them. You love their dedication, even if they’re just faking it to make it.

Can be heard saying… “Is that number six any good? It’s the same number our son wears.”

Okay, that’s all I have for today. Check back next week for part two!

Next: Nashville Predators Foes 2015: Toronto Maple Leafs

#1 The Transplanted Northerner

#2 The Guy Who Watches Hockey for the Fighting

#3 Sad Titans Fan

#4 The Hockey Parents

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